Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-05-31
A Sound KetteII in a Strange Place.

I tUGt nCIC III OCSSiOn i0Ot bTChs hAd
a torment upon slavery,as usual. Th
immediate subject Of discussion wa
certain resolutions from Erie t
change the reading of the Disci ipline
so as to make slaveholding instead
of slavetradiug a ground Of disqual
iication. The only remarkable
thing we see in the discussion, was
speech by the Rev. George W. Ket
tell, who deserves immortal honor fol
his courage and boldness in telling
so much plain truth before such al
auditory. The brethren, it is true
received his suggestions as so much
nonsense, unworthy of serious atten'
ton, but all this made his effort the
more meritorious in its conception
and execution. We quote some OF
the clear ringing of this sound Ket-
tell--it is wonder so much good
sense on tie slavery topic ever found
expression in the New York Confer
ence:
All the rhetoric expended about
people owning the bodies and souls Of
slaves was nonsense. The southern.
ers only owned the right to make
their slaves work, AID to convey
them from one place to another to
| make them do so. At Athens and
Rome, the bodies and souls were own
ed, but in our day slaves were trea:-
ed with kindness, and cruelty to
them was punished severely. Sla-
very, as it now existed, was not a
sin. The question was, whether they
should let loose 100000 of pau
pers upon the world? He depicted
the natural degradation of the negro
race, and insiste that they we're best
off as at present. The negro in the
West Indies was incapable of taking
care Of himself. Emancipation had
bligbted one-half of the finest of the
Antilles. This WAS proved incontes-
tably. Toussaint lOuverture dis
cerned the evils Of freedom TO the
blacks, and established the famous
Rural Code" with the intent to f.
nally enslave all his race. Go where
you would in our own North, and the
negroes were an idle set. If Slave
ry had degraded the negro, Why
didn't Freedom elevate him! He al.
frmed most emphatically, that under
Gods Providence, Slavery manner
lea had been the only thing which
had elevated the negro race, and he
was bold man who would dare deny
it! In morals, health. aud ciyiliza-
ton, the slaves were far above the
free negroes. Many statistics were
given to show this. Mr.. Wesley was
often quoted as having said that
"American Slavery was the vilest
system under the sun" Mr.. Wesley
must have been blinded by prejudice,
or be would never have made such a
remark. Folks said we were cotton
lied. 1t was blessed thing for US
that we were. The wealth flowing to
as from the Southern cotton crop a.
lone kept alive our Institutions. The
Speaker here went on to contrast the
products of the South and Of the
North, finding an enormous ratio ID
favor of the former, and ending with
the conclusion that we we're the ones
who were actually deriving the most
beuef. from the institution Of Slave
ry? Didn't bis brother love coffee
and sugar, and he was sorry to say,
tobacco! Did they ever think of a.
polishing Slavery by giving up slave
products? 1t vas something very
curious to see brother get up and
make an Anti-Slavery speech, with
cotton shirt on bis back, and .tobac-
co in bis mouth. (Great laughter.
If Slavery was relic Of barbarism
twas because the negroes we're bar
barians; all this talk about their being
equal with Us, he didn't believe a
word of Twas all nonsense and
.sophistry. Attempts to alter South
era institutions by such talk made
/ him think of the European riyaI vii
lages, "Great Barre and Little
I Barre" The people in the latter place
built lofty steeple, with a wonder
ful clock in it, looking toward the ri
val village, from which the semblanc
Of 4 human countenance loome'