Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-02-04

$ The settlement at Berea was increasin,
IN Rumbers and Importance, when, at tn
e news OF the Harper's Ferry foray, q won
3, derful panic seized the people of the conu
D ty, which was increased i,y printed m
nouneements, that it had been dscoyere,
} that an insurrectou was soon TO break on
in Kentucky, that box of Sharpe's riaes
} directed to one Of our number, had beeI
} intercepted, and by other declarations equal
ly false, until perfect torrent of rage wa
stirred up against our community, alread,
obnoxious because of its influence in fayo
Of freedom. Honorable men, many O
them shareholders, and the mass of the peo
pie within few miles Of us, opposed thi
tide, but were unable to diminish its mower
Finding themselves unable to check tn,
rage of infuriated men, and that there wa,
no protection for US by law, although W,
were not charged with the infringement o.
a single statute, they with perfect unanimi
ty advised us to retire for time, before
the storm. Thinking it the part of wis
dom to yield to the united request of our
friends whose counsel had the greater
weight from the fact that our departure
would be to their pecuniary disadvantage,
and learning from various reliable sources
that q rabbIe, beyond the control of the
Committee who waited upon us, were pur-
posing to take the lives of some of US il we
J remained, we believed it to be our duty
though in mid-winter, to leave the county
Accordingly we find ourselves to-day. with
our wives and little ones, homeless, aud
separated from the people with whom we
hoped to live and die.
Under these circumstances we feel con-
strained to address to you few words. We
do not desire to stir up your anger against
our prosecutors, for we feel confident that
they know not what they do nor do we
wish especially to ask yonr sympathes in
our behalf, but rather that you consider
your duty as Christians and patriots, to
that multitude of other persons who in ya.
rious ways are the victims of the system of
Slavery,
There are still out-spoken anti.slavery
men and churches in the South, like onr-
selves unprotected by law. They, as we'll
Os ourselves, have ia vain sought the pro-
lection of magistrates and courts, and are
daily liable to Punishment, or as the alter
native, death. Thousands, if not millions.
are deprived of the privilege OF free speech
on the subject of Slavery, because of that
incubus which rests upon them by reason
OF the support given to the system by the
Church and State. We ask you, If YOU
care for freedom of speech, or Christ in the
person of his poor, to remove this incubus,
which is fast becoming q burden too heavy
to be borne. at
1t is a humilating fact that even vet in
the North, some of the largest denomina-
tions of Christians are in actual completely
with this system of outrage and injustice.
They give to the iniquity position, and bid
it God-speed, by ecclesiastical fellowship.
The same is true of many of the benev-
olent associations. If all the churches and
associations would treat slaveholding as
they do other gross immoralites, soon re-
spectacle men would cease to defend or
practice the iniqnity 1t would die of dis
grace. Albert Barnes has correctly said
Slavery could not live a single day out
side of the church, we're it not for the fact
that it lives in the church"
Men at the North, then, have something
to do with Slavery. They have long given
character and support to it by donations
and associations, Let them bring forth
fruits to meet for repentance by using eve-
ry righteous means for its removal Let
no one remain silent. Christ is in bonds in
the person of bis poor. |
Men in the North as well as in the South.
can use another potent instrumentality-
political action.
Let them repeal every enactment that in
any way gives sanction or support to the
system--slavery is not natural state of
society. 1t lives only by statutory protec-
tion. Let this protection be taken away
and it falls
Let the Federal Government be put in
to the hands Of tried and true friends Of
freedom the Federal Offices in the south
will be filled with men who will aid in the |
cause of liberty, and give facilities for the
spread of truth and the administration of
justice.
The prestige of government will be on
the side Of freedom, and the incubus of
pro-slavery administration removed from
thousands, who now are silent because they |
see no way of hope. These thousands will !
then speak out the true impulses of their
natures, Their voice will be like the voice |
Of many waters and their movements like
avalanches, irresistible.
This fOreseen fact but increase our de- |
'ire to return and preach the gospel of love |
10 all, that the people may he saved from
violence. In all instances where gospel |
Of love has been fully proclaimed, slavery
has quietly passed away but wherever
this gospel has been rejected, it has gone !
out in blood .t, ~.
The call then is not for protection to
the colored man alone. That would be suf-
ficient to enlist the zeal of all good men,
But the call is thst you should SO act as to
give protection to white men also men
who have gone there from free states to do
good, aud to thousands Of native citizens
who desire protection in the freedom Of
speech, and the full exercise of their con-
scientiOus convictions.
If then the lovers ofrighteousness, north
aud south, shall at once do their duty, &c.
Realistically and politically, lost privileges
will be secured 10 US, freedom to the slave,
security to the master and prosperity to oil. |
JoHN FtH, JoHS HASsoN,
Ar ROGERS, AG PARKER ~
yoHN Smith, ToAEY,
y HAYER, ..H.. 81. j BoUQHroN. ID ..'.t.l
SwINoLEHURsI LIFE, GRIFFIN
CineinnAtis Jan. q. ls6o. fFlW T.r.l tllH