The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-12-23

God word, righteousness cxalloth n ma.
tion, but sin is roproach to any people,
! SEcoNDLY-Tbis John Brown tragedy pro
claims to us moro plainly than language can
that Shareholders generally know that thc>
are wrong. That thcy know that they are
SHINING against God and muu, by holding
| their fellow beings in bondage. Said Thorn.
us Jefferson and the sgncrs Of tho Dcclara
ton OF independence. "Wo hold these truths
/ to be self evident; that all mon are created
equal; that thcy arc endowed by their Crca.
tor with inalicnaLiO rights; tbat among
these rights arc life, Iiborty and the pursuit
of happiness; that to secure these Iiuhis
| governments arc instituted among men,
/ A self. evident truth is ono so plain that il
needs no proof. and ddmits Of no proof. The
child understands it as vol as tho man
| tho peasant ns we'll as tho philosopher. An
! inaIiocahIo right is ono which wo cannot
givo away, which wo cannot sell, AMI " hich
cannot be taken from us by force. As these
/ things arc so, slavery is simply tho result OF
( 6rHtr force. 1t denies truths which every
body understands; it attempts to tako from
/ human beings rights which cannot to takon
/ from thcm. Tho slave has as good right
! TO hold tho master in bondage, us the mas tor
has thus to bold tho slave. The master
knows this aud tho slavo knows il, because
II is scI!.Cvidcnt Truth und that is tho
reason wig Virginia is this moment trcm.
Ding with CONSERVATION, lest somo hidden
toe, IN her own midst. shall procIa m liberty
to her bOndmcn, and fill her with anarchy
and bIoodshod. Siaco tho arrest Of John
! Brown and his coadj Tutors, at Harpcr's Ferry.
there has been no peace to Nrrgnians All
! tho warIlEe preparations she could command
/ hnrn l,p,, I
! tho general government. She has watched
all strangers with the greatest jealousy
several have been arrested upon a bare sus.
| picon: soldiers have been under arms in hor
cities and villages by night and by day. Ono
OF her railroads has bcon. duiiug part of
this timo, under an intcrdict by hcr Gov.
erneN and, IN somo parts of the state, no
person has been permitted 10 travel, without
Il pass from tho same digntary. Aud who
has caused all this parade of soldiers. and
AL these warlko demonstrations throughout
Virginia: Why, twenty-five mon; more
than balf of whom arc dead, and most of
! tho balance arc confined in prison: who
laid no CAIN to military skill, aud who had
only expressed rery sirOH" purpose TO SO.
cure to some of tho slaves of Virginia. tho
exercise of their iHGiica0bie Jgits Tho
wise man has well said, "Tho wicked flea
when TO mnn rursnctn. But is it true
| that those lew men wcro tho cause Ot all this
! fear and commOton It is not true They
we're only tho occasion Of 1t. We have been
| told often that those who reside ia slave
holding community. 1.-Two in constant frar ;
and We can now understand. that thoro is
meaning in such declarations. A guilty
conscience is its own accusor and tormcutor
| Shareholders know that they are wrong, and
therefore they are afraid. How frequently
! do VIC hear that "lhc slaves of tho south are
cvntontcd and happy; that they would not
chango their situation, if they could" IT..
as general statement, this contains one
syllable of truth. pray, why has not govern. g.
or Wise armed tho slaves of Virginia, and
set them to defend their dear masters aud
themselves, against tho anticipated agrees.
ions of abOlitionlsls Wo knew before that
1t was not in tho nature of things. that such
statement should be truo, and now we see
them terribly contradctcd, by all tho means
that are used IN Virginia to disarm colored
persons, and put every white man upon the
| alert, to dotend his own Ito and property.
Virginia, by her consuming fears and mill.
tary preparations. prOcIaims TO tho world
her guilt, aud her shame Sho reveals the
scorpion strings of her own conscience, and
utters her own condemnation. 1t she is en-
titled to any sympathy, and believe sine is
it ia only that pity and charity. which the
dcbauchcr can claim, who has. hy his crimes.
maddonch his nerves and his conscience,
until he iloes at tho shaking of leaf, aud
fires his pistol at his own shadow. Vrginia
has tho drijrIum krcmrns +; that is what ails
her; and as long rs sho hugs her sins she
must bc tnrmcn:od by her fears. If she
would learn righteousness, sho would have
qnietness forever But "thrro is no peace,
saith my God. to the wicked" This truth
tho John Brown tragedy prociaims, as with
voice from heaven : and it shows that
Shareholders are deeply conscious oft. And
this leads me to remark:
THRDLY-That this lamentablo affair
affords additional and incontrovortibo ovi.
denco, that agitation will continue in this
nation, as long as slavery continues.
With the multitude throughout this land
the height of virtue, and tho end of labor
upon the subject Of anti.slavrrs, has been to
quiet agitation. 70 got tho mattor arranged
in some way. so that anti.slaycry people
either by force, or by persuasion, shall let
abolition alonc. To accomplish this end.
ministers havo preached. politicians have
harnngued, legislators havo passed laws.
congresses havo compromised, benevolent
societies have gagged discussions, despora.
does have threatened. and people generally
have been very fearful, lost tho Union
should DO dissolved. But agitation has not
been prevented. Every movement to
hinder it has only rendered il moro oxton-
sivo and determined; and probably thoro
was mover deeper, stronger purpose, IN the
minds OF thCso who believe that slavery is
wrong, to agitato this subject. than thoro is
this moment. Those who deny sclfevidcnt
truths, and disregard rights which arc in.
horont and inalicnabe, place themselves
upon volcano, whero nature and the God
of nature aro arrayed against them and ifI
they maintain their position. they will be
agitatcd until they arc destroyed. II is
evident to those who are willing to SEQ the
truth upon this subject, that God himself
has become the ngitator of this great quos-
ton, and of this nation. Whom tho priests
and scrbes besought Jesus Christ to hush
tho hosannas of his disciples, and of the
children shouting in tho tomplc, his sublime !
reply was. IF these should hold .heir
peace, the stones would Immediately CRY
out. Josophus informs US, that during
the terrible siego of Jerusalem by tho
Romans, man. who seemed to bc possessed |
OF divine phrenzy wont to and fro upon
tho walls and in pnbic places, crying Wo,
WO. to tho citv NolhinO ronIi siIoncc him.