, 1860-08-22

FELtow-CI1lzESs:-.As As it Is impossible fer n,
to sec you Rli ut least Tor tome time 10 come I
write this short address for circulation sn,on,,
my old neighbors and friends, aad the ci;jzens
Of our district generally. | expect, however. 10
sec most Of YOUR, your different neighborhoods
before the November election.
The Convention which assembled at Mattoon
on the llth July, c'n1posed Of delegate from,
all the counties Of the District did ue the honor
TO present ny name to the people a. candj
date for Congress IN this District. did mt
seek the nomination; utseeing the large uun,.
her Of delegates gathered from so manv corn.
ties, who voluntarily selected NE Us tnejr choice
upon the second ballot, and feeling that tl,er
represented the wishes Of large portion Of nv
fellow citizens throug bout the district 7 r..
cepted the nomlnltiou will, gratitude ;.ad r..
spect, and announced myself j cau dilatr,
In regard to the principal subject before tue
pcopie--f mean the slavery question::
was born and lived tweniy.cicht years In y
slave State. (kentncky,) and have since lived
thirty years in the free State OF Illinois and Am
wellacquainted will, The effects Of slavery uoon
societY aud :el that am capabls of ii,driu,
CT the good or evil Of the slaye system anon,
9urpeopIe.. whntever nm now possessed oi,
have attained BY industry and close attention
to business, under the free iastitutioos Of III.
nois, which have tried for thirty years: and
though was lett at the age Of eighteen rcsrs
with absolutely noshiog, with mother, tlree
sisters and brother to support, aud was com.
PEELED TO labor At all kinds ot business, wherever
could lid work; and hare also seen the div
that had TO 80 fifteen miles ION two year I'll
colt which had worked fonr months to pay forl
and tcorE bfslat Of sft negro sfarfs 1hrff dur III
u tufhft Of nrn, md ret the corn ground Hn,I
take it home on the colt to those dependent
On ue---yet by seeking home in this free
State and using industry hare been able to
secure d competence.
Not only my own individual experience in life
shows me that i free State is better thao slave
Slate, but my observation aud tie history of
the country show the same thing. There is nv
natise State Of Kentucky. She was settled
Indiana and Illinois were. She lies south Of
them all, mud therefore has mi1der md better
climate. She has as good soil On the average
u Ohio or lndinna, and more square miles than |
either of Them, but we are c1rGibIv informed |
that the census taken this very year shows that |
I'VE smallest and poorest Of these three free /
States has about three times the white pom.
lation. and nearly twice the wealth TINT Ken
lucky has. The ocly reason in the world far
this difference Is, that slavery was prohibited |
IN the Territories ncrth Ct the Obio 1iyer, and
whs ~ : not prohibited in Kentucky. ,Vha, IS true
me union. taking s'za and age into considcra-
1ion. Everywhere the tree States grow and
prosper. Everywhere The slave States lsv and
hang oealnd, and, as it were, sta3nate. instead
perity. f'os
Looking at the contrary effects of free and
slave labor on the welfare Of the iaboriur Claus.
ef, cannot feel in fnvtr Of extending Slavery
over any OF our vast Territories; but On the
contrary, am in favor Of keeping our Terrific
lies Tor homes for our free white peon!e. and
'es'fs TO see rs fer negroes among them as
an, also in favor Of just and proper Iome.
':eaa La"-sueh an one as will giye to all the
'ioneess and setttera of the West q conform.
,le home IN return for their labor and nrie1.
lous IN makiog the country valuable, Thie
Ian cueht to have been adopted long AGO 40
most OF our early settlers were poor and unf b].
pay for iaud-and The lands were rea1'r
forth nothing without their labor and imp1oye.
nents-and many Of my fellow. citizens.
rho came to this country when l did. In
oor TO- purchase land for themselves
are helped to make this country de-. /.
lrable for Others I have seed 1pany Of nv !
onest peighbors fall behind, and be harms:
by the officers, in their struggle to pa7 for
le!r homes, when, If Gore1rmeut had ina, d.
ated one hundred and sxty acres 10 Them ali .
ould have gone we'll with ihen1; their fani,ies 2
ould hare been kept comfortable, Ther would :
OF have been "b5oken up" as manv Ct tit ~ II
ere: but would soon hare bcccms pro.percus
I'd the gorerDmenth have done better tbof Il IA
Z these men would soou have paid more IN 1hr Il
APE OF ta1es than the 1frs. cott cF tn L,,T |,
nd as to lle expense to the Government fhera | b.
more stolen tfcm the Treasury ere,v rrsr f
an tue price at one dollar and q quarter ner Ii
70 OF all the homestea4ts that would be called #