The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-09-06
The grrrpsbnrg aonrnal.
j. w. BAILEY, Editor.
THE CONTRAST.
The Early Fathers and Douglas.


the principles the colonies and early fathers
contended for, prior to the revolutionary war;
thus trying to draw a comparasion been them
and the little giants pop. SOW. doctrine. AS
Mr.. S. fails to give any elucidation Of the
opinions of those great statesmen, it may not
be out of place for us to supply the deficiency.
In the first place we shall quote sentence
of the second paragraph of the Declaration of
Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain ina
liensble rights, among which are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness"
In his letter to John f. Mercer. dated Sep
tember 9Th, 1886, and published in Sparks
Life, Washington wrote as follows:
"1t is among my first wishes to see some
plan adopted by which Slavery in the coun-
try may be abolished by law"
In letter to Robt. Morris, dated April 12,
1886, he further said:
III can only say that there is not man
living who wishes more sincerely than do
to see plan adopted for the abolition of it,
(slave,y.) But there is only one proper and
etfectual mode by which it can be accomplish
ed, and that is by Legislative authority; and
this, as far as my suffrage shall go, shall new
er be wanting"
And this is but two of Washington's many
expressions of opinion on this subject. In
his letters to Lafayette, to Sir John Sinclair
and in his will, he gave free utteranccs to the
strongest anti-slavery sentiments.
The following xract from Thomas Jeffer-
son, may be found in his ell known volume
Notes on Virginia" page 40. The opinions
he expressed in this extract were never
changed. SIX weeks before his death in letter
to Jas. Heaton, they were strongly confirmed
Jefferson said:
"Indeed, l tremble fer my country, when
| reflect that God is just; that his justice can
not sleep forever; that considering numbers,
nature and natural means only, revolution
of the wheel of fortune, an ,xchange of situa-
tion is among possible events; that it may be-
;ome probable by supernatural influence; the
: Almighty has no attribute than can take side
Win us IN such contest"
Here is James Mouroe's view of the sub
ject. 1t is taken from speech delivered be-
fore Virginia Convention:
"We have found this EVIL (s'avery). has
prayed upon the very vitals of the Union,
and has been prejudicial to the States in
which it has existed"
John Randolph is more emphatic still, as
will be seen by the following extract of his
speech in Congress'on reply to Edward Ev-
erett, the New York Ledger's candidate for
the Vice Presidency; when, on the 9th OF
March, 1926, he volunteered defence of
slavery on moral grounds Mr.. Randolph's
reply was made as soon as Mr.. Everett took
his seat:
"Sir. envy neither the heart nor the head
of that man from the North who rises here
to defend slavery on principle"
$50 long as God allows the vital current
to flow through my brains, l will never,
neoer, NEVER, by word or thought, by mind
or will, aid in admitting one rod of free ter.
ritory to the everlasting curse of human
bondage"
: Never can l be induced by any earthly
power to vote to extend slavery over one
foot of territory now free.-Henry Clay.
The above sentence is taken from speech
delivered in the U. S. Senate on the Com
promise resolutions of January 29th, 1850
In relative to this speech, Thomas H. Ben.
ton, in speech in st. Louis, November 3D.
1856, said:
1t was a great and proud day for Mr.
Clay, towards the latter days of his life, and
if an artist could have been there TO catch
his expression as he uttered that sentiment,
with its ref on his face, and his counte.
nance beaming with frmness of purpose, it
would have been a glorious moment to trans.
NIT him to posterity-his countenance all
alive and luminous with the ideas that beat
in his bosom. That was a proud day.
could have wished that could have spoken
the same words. l speak them now, telling
you they were his, and adopting them as nls
oWn."
Mr.. Webster, in his reception speech al
Buffalo, in the summer of 1851, spoke as
follows:
81 never would consent, and never have
consented, that there should be one foot O
slave territory beyond what the old thirteen
States had at the formation of the Union
never, never. Sir, whenever there is foo
of land to be staid back from becoming 6
slave territory-l am ready to assert the
principle of the exclusion of slavery.
In his speech in the Senate, August, l848
he used this language:
81 have said that should consent to nc
extension of the area of slavery on this con
tinent, nor any increase of their representa-
ton in the other House # Congress"
Stephen A. Douglas thus sgnalized BIZ