The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-15
GERRIT SMITHS LETTER.

part IN celebrating the anniversary OF the Jerry
rescue. He does so in consequence of the al
legged fact that the great body of those who as
sisted in the rescue, or rejoiced at its success,
have since united themselves with parties and
churches which acknowledge the lawfulness
of Slavery. Mr.. Smith deems this Inconsistent
cy objectionable, and will not engage in the
sham of celebrating the Jerry rescue in such
company.
He takes the occasion to set forth at some
length his views Of the parties of the day, and
to declare that he has no faith in any of them.
He seems to look upon the Republican party
as being but little better than those which open
Iy profess to uphold Slavery and he sees no
prospect of emancipation except in insurrec-
ton, and he regards instruction as a terrible
remedy for terrible wrong" He says:
1t is perhaps vain, as respects its effect on
Slavery, for me, or for any one else, to remon-
strate against voting for those who believe in a
law for Slavery, or, in other words, against Pro
Slavery voting. 1t is perhaps too late to bring
Slavery to an end by peaceable mesns-too
late to vote it down. For many years, / have
feared, and published my fears that it must go
out in blood. My speech in Congress on the
| Nebraska bill was strongly marked with such
fears. These fears have grown into belief. So
debauched are the white people by Slavery
that there is not virtue enough left in them to
put it down. If do not misinterpret the
words and the looks of the most intelligent and
noble of the black men who fall in my way,
they have come to despair of the accomplish
ment of this work by the white people. The
feeling among the blacks that they must de-
liver themselves gains strength with fearful
rapidity. They are sensible how cruelty they
have been deceived by the Liberty party, the
Free-Soil party, the Republican party, and the
great mass of even the most loud-mouthed
Abolitionists. They see that all these, instead
of voting Slavery down, have voted it up.
True, the Republican party did not promise
them much. But they did not expect it would
insult and exasperate them by taking the name
of the white mans party They did hope for
some help from this party. But they get none.
1t lifts not finger to repeal the fugitive slave
act, nor to abolish Slavery in the District of
Columbia, nor to abolish the Interstate traffic
in human flesh. Nay, it goes so far as to ad-
nit that the slavery of black men lit would not
dare admit it in the case of but one white MANI
can be legalized in every State of the Union.
The bred Scott decision and the reopening of
the African slave trade are proofs that Slavery
has never strengthened itself so rapidly as du-
ring the existence of this new and misnamed
Republican party.
"The Republican writers and orators de-
claim much against the obvious purpose of the
slave power to overspread the free States with
Slavery by the help Of its natural ally the
Northern Democracy. But do not these writers
and orators admit the right to do this when
they admit the legality of Slavery in the slave
States What is property in Virginia is by a
law above human enactments property in Yer
mont also. He who is a slave or property in
Mississippi is slave or property in Massachu-
sets also. What is property anywhere, is
property everywhere. Moreover, it will in the
end be found to be as vain as it is inconsistent
to oppose the extension of Slavery into the free
States, whilst upholding it in the slave States
Gov. Seward was right in saying that the States
must ultimately be all secured to Freedom or
given up to Slavery. But he did not see that
his standing by Slavery in the slave States rem
ders unavailipg his opposition to its extension
into the free States. Gov. Seward can do
nothing to prevent Slavery's going where it is
not unless he holds it to be piracy and an
outlaw where it is.
" No wonder, then, is it that, in this state of
facts which have sketched intelligent black
men in the States and Canada should see no
hope for their race in the practice and policy
of white men. No wonder they are brought to
! the conclusion that no resource is left to them
| but in God and instructions. For insurrec-
! tons, them we may look any year, any month";
any day. A terrible remedy for a terrible
wrong But come it must, unless anticipated
by repentance and the putting away of the ter
rible wrong"
Mr.. Smith is quite mistaken in representing
the Republican party as admitting the legality
IF IN elo
where has it been admitted? No proof of the
statement can be produced. What the Repub-
lican party admits is this viz that Slavery is
a local institution of the States, with which the
Federal Government cannot interfere. We no
more admit the legality of Slavery in South
Carolina than we do the legality of Polygamy
in Turkey, and yet We deny that Congress has
any right to abolish either. They are matters
foreign to the jurisdiction of Congress. That
is all.
Yet while we make this admission we by no
means concede that the Federal Government
can do nothing for the cause of emancipation
We maintain, on the contrary, that it can and
will do a great deal for that cause, when the
Republicans obtain power. A Republican
Administration will foster and encourage the
spread of its principles among the people,
North and South This is common principle
of action with all parties, and there can be no
doubt of its efficacy in building up party in
the South friendly to emancipation. The
friends of Freedom in the border slave States
have already conquered the right of free
speech, with the whole weight of the Federal
Government against them. Then what may
they not do with the Government to sustain
them? Four years of Republican rule would
make it forever impossible to reinstate Pro
Slavery party in power The number of the
free States would be increased to nearly double
that of the slave States. The Slave Oligarchy
would be broken down as political organiza-
ton, and all idea Of extending and perpetu-
ating Slavery would be abandoned.
We think that we are not over sanguine in
anticipating these as the results of Repub-
lican triumph. Then let not Mr.. Smith des-
pair, or h@too impatient Let him abandon
the apprehension and discourage the sugges-
ton of the bloody alternative of instruction,
which even he admits to be +" a terrible RENE
DIV for terrible wrong"
He and his friends have it in their power to
contribute materially to this grand practical
result Of taking the Federal Government out
of ProSlavery hands, and putting it into Anti
Slavery hands. They may help us in giving
an AnttSlavery character to the Federal Gov
ernment, or they may stand idle and neutral.