East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-02-02
The London Times on the New
York Union Meeting.
From the London Times of January a


do well to read the report of the meeting
held in New York, on the 18th of De
cember, under the banner of "Justice tc
the South" Thismeeting, be it observed
was "large and influential" For fort.
night manifesto had been circulating in
the city, and had received an immense
number of signatures. The purport oi
this document was to express attachment
TO the Union and condemnation Of abo.
litionists cxccsses. The meeting neces-
sarily followed on this demonstration.-
1t was crowded and enthusiastic, cheering
to the utmost the strongest passages in
the speakers orations. 1t had the con.
currence of the first men in the Union,
letters expressing sympathy with its oh
jects having been received from no less
than three x-Presidents-Mr.V Van Bu-
ren, Mr.. Fillmore, and Mr. Pierce. We
may take the assembly 20 have represent
ed pretty closely the prevailing opinion
of New York, the largest, richest, and
most influential city in the Union; the city
which, being equally removed from New
England and FROM the cotton States, may
be considered to afford fair SAMPLE OF
average American opinion.
What, then, was the tone of the meet
ing held in this free State city? What
were the sentiments which received the
loudest applause? What was the ''justice"
which speakers demanded for the South?
One would suppose, after the demonstra-
tions at Boston, that the apologists of the
slave-owner would be dumb; that, shock
cd by Governor Wises wickedness, they
would not dare to wag their tongues
against the memory of the martyrs whose
blood has watered the tree of liberty
But, unhappily for the effect of the abo-
litionists campaign at Harper's Ferry and
Boston, the speeches of the New Workers
are "proslavery" to an extent which must
startle the most indifferent. So far from
showing Indignation at the doings of the
Virginians, or even excusing the existenc
Of slavery in the old apologetic fashion,
the orators of this meeting, with which
ex.presidents sympatbize, roundly defend
ed the institution on natural, moral and
Scriptural grounds, and leave it to be
inferred that slavery does not exist in
New York only because negro labor is
not wanted.
After preamble which recited the
various Federal acts giving the slave
States right to the support of the gov
ernment at Washington, Mr. Brooks
moved the first resolution, defending the
existence of involuntary servitude by its
praitice in the Roman Empire at the
Christian era, uncondemned by the Foun-
der of Christianity or His Apostles, and
by the fact that Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob are all represented to have been
owners of slave property. The Bible
nowhere condemns slavey. "The Bible,
then, is not in conflict with the constitu-
ton" Mr.. O'Connor followed, and COM
pared gentleman who Kissed him to
the serpent which bcguled Eve. He
considered that the equality of the negro
was as impossible as the morality of the
Mormon. GAS a white nation we made
our constitution, and we made our laws,
vesting political rights in that race, the
white American people" "The negro
we left, so long as the community in
which he lived should be pleased to order,
in the condition of bondman. Gap
plause.) Now, gentlemen, to that con-
dition the negro is assigned by nature
CBravop applause, and That's SOY He
has strength and is potent to labor; but
the nature whic h created the will denied
him both the intellect to govern and the
willingness to work. (Applause.) Both
were denied himl And that nature which
deprived him of the will to labor gave
him a master to coerce that will, and to
make him useful servant in the cline
in which he was capable of living, both
for himself and for the master who gov
erned him i maintain that it is not in.
Justice to leave the negro in the position
in which nature placed him, to give him
a master to govern him; :. . nor is il
depriving him of any of his rights to com
pei him to labor in return, and afford tc
that master a Just compensation for the Ia
Dor and talent employed in governing him,
and rendering him useful to himself and
to the society in which he lives 4.
We are not to talk about slavery being
an evil. we are to lookat it by til,
voice of inspiration, which is to be founc
in the sacred volume, and which nowher,
condemns the bondage of those who ar,
naturally fit for bondage"
There can be no doubt that these ar,
the prevailing views even in the fire,
States of America, and as little that th'
violent doings of the abolitionists have
had great share in producing them. Il
is but few years since the language o
every American in regard to slavery was
apologetic. at could not be helped; i
would die out. Virginia and Delawar,
and Maryland, and perhaps Kentucky
would be free States before long," AM
so on. But of late no such language Ina
been heard, and the cause of the change
though principally the great increase il
the value of slave property, is, in grea
measure, also, the hatred inspired by tn
abolitionists over the whole South. Tn
fertile cotton-growing States might b
expected to support an institution whic
makes their wealth, but even the hig
price paid for fine young negroes woul
hardly have prevented Virginia from ma
ing some steps towards freedom had it nc
/. been for the continual irritation kent n