The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-05-04
A Douglas Democrat Falls in Love with
Slavery.
Tic senior editor of the Plain D


vention, writes TO his paper as follows
"CharIeslon, like Cleveland, has about
sixty thousand inhabitants, some forty
thousand Of whom are black, and some
fifteen thousand are free blacks. But
like Cleveland, it is not set upon hill,
but sets down on n dead level, but little
above the waters Of the bay, and low,
level and matshy country surrounds it,
The soil on which it stands is so impreg
mated with the waters of the sea as to
render wells useless. The inhabitants use
cislern water TO drink. 1t has many fine
and ancient buildings. The oldest styles
Of architecture are visible here, ms they
are in most Atlantic cities. From my
Hotel window where am now writing,
the broad Atlantic is in full view, pre-
senling the same appearance, and looking
no larger than Lake Erie does 10 a CIeve.
lander.
"Tho co'ored population are better cared
for here ;han the same population Of white
laborers in any Northern city. They arc
extremely well dressed and are the hap.
piest faces we meet. They are under
rigid discipline, but this is Tor their good
For instance, when the evening drum l.
heard from the balcony Of tie City GuarC
house, which is ut 10 O'Clock, every
darkey has to leave tic street and retire
TO where he belongs. II caught out By
the pUlice, OF which there is n strong force
always on duty, he is taken TO the lock up
and cato nine-tailed next morning. 1
this was done in every Northern city il
would be better for the morals Of young
men and the community IN general. Nc
liquor is allowed TO be sold 10 a colored
man. II is five dollar fine to ;he seller
and twenty lashes to the drinker. The
means Of grace MS well as OF morals are
abundant here and by TO means confined
to the whites. While the St. Paul sings
its chimes 10 call the admirers Of the old
English Ritual TO their place of worship,
the little bell on Calhoun street collects
tic colored people in large numbers at
their own Cathedral, where ETHIOPIA
stretches out her arms, and white and
black, bond and free, worship unmolested
together. attended this colored cathc,
sorry 10 say l found it large church well
filled, and the worshipers well dressed.
II is OF the Presbyterian persuasion and
preached 10 by white minister. White
people belong 10 it. They sit by them
selves and have :heir portion Of the pews
cushioned, while the colored people dc
not. Here master and servant worship
the same God and partnke Of The same
sacrament, both hoping TO reach the same
Heaven by the same means, and like The
poor Indian who
Thinks. admitted TO that rqual sky,
Ills faithful dog shall bear him company
So the master expects TO meet his slaves
in that upper and better world"
How suddenly some OF our excellent
Northern Democrats become enamored Of
the darling institution Of Slavery, when
they go within the sphere OF its influence
They are at once led to envy the con.
dition of tie slaves, who are so much
better fed, clothed and cared for than the
white laborers Of the North "How
much more desirable" they say TO them.
selves, sis Slavery than Freedom, which
has its trials and responsibilities =
Would that we could be slaves, with al
the physical comforts that slaves enjoy
well fed, well clothed, closely watched
and ncgged when necessary 10 our good
behavior p
The writer Of the above might have
known, without going TO Charleston tc
find it out, that many slaves are better
treated by their masters than the North.
crn doughfaces are. In this respect,
their condition may be preferable. We
are perfectly willing that those who have
no higher ambition than to be well fed
and clothed, and not overworked, whether
white or black, should choose masters, il
they dislike freedom. But what has the
treatment OF slaves to do with the right OF
wrong of Slavery itself? Make a man O
chattel, and it matters comparatively
'i:tle how he is treated, since he can claim
nothing on the score Of his manhood
The wrong consists in reducing him 10 a
condition in which the treatment he re.
ceives must depend solely upon the vii
Of another, whom he calls master. One
might pass through all the Southern
States, and not witness single case o.
cruclIy-might see slaves apparently con-
tented and happy-and what would it al
prove? Nothing that should cause him
TO abhor Slavery the less, or regard its in
huerce as less dangerous 10 all the bes, in
tcrests Of the country.
1t makes us indignant to hear sucf
Northern Democrats rs the editor Of the
Plain Dealer institute invidous compnr
isons between the black laborers Of tn,
South and the white laborers of the North
lie began life as working man. He wa
no: "born with a silver spoon in hi
mouth" and, had his lot been cast in on,
Of the Southern States, il is more prob
able that be would have ranked among
tho "poor whites" than that he woul(
ever have been known as leading Dem
ocratic editor, or rs n member Of tn,
Charleston Convention. Il is our much