Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-04-07

condemuing a book called Cotton is King"
which has been sold by Bishop and Man
chester, two agents, who were imprisoned,
indicted, tried and acquitted on their trial
The work in question is believed to be
inceudiary in its character, and hostile to
slavery, and on the trial of the agents, Mr..
Bird defended them in the capacity of q
lawyer. Hence the indignation of the
people.
We clip the above from the last number
of the Columbus, Geo, Sun. There arc
two or three curious points about it which
we will briefly state -
l. Mayor Bird was requested to resign
because he had defended as lawyer, two
men charged with the high crime and mis-.
demcaner of book-selling.
3. The two men were acquitted by
Southern jury.
3. The "publc meeting" condemned the
book called Cotton is King" which 'is
belicred to be incendiary in its character, and
hostile to slavery"
Enterprising people--that Very Why,
bless their innocent souls, the book is as
orthodox pro slavery work as was ever
written, and has just been republished by
southern house, to be circulated as de-
fcnse of slavery The good people of Eu-
terprise, Miss, must be sad bockheads.
Maybe they can't read, themselves, aud so
took the character of the book which was
"beleved to be incendiary," on trust.
The truth is probably some one saw on
the title page the name of the worthy DR..
Christy, agent Of the American Colonial
ton Society" and jumped at once to the
conclusion that he was no better than he
should be. In Mississippi, the benevolent
aims of the African colonization scheme
are not fully appreciated by the masSes.-
They regard plans for colonization as little
better than "nigger stealing" Not being
accustomed to draw fine distinctions, eve
rything that points to the betterment Of
the condition of the negro, is denounced
| by them in language more remarkable for
terseness and profanity, than for discrimi-
nation or elegance.
! 1t has been said that the IriShman's creed
is "bad luck to oud England, loug life to
the praste, and d-n nigger." The creed
of the people of Enterprise, Miss, is prob
ably ditto, minus tue first two particulars.
There is much reason to apprehend that
the literature which shall penetrate the
opacity in which their minds are cnveloped,
is not as yet printed.
In the same number of the Georgia pa
per, from which we have quoted the above,
appears a lamentaton over the suspension,
for want Of patronage, of "Russel's Maya
zine," literary monthly, published at
Charleston S. G. this was one Of the two
or three literary journals of the South, and
has gone down to the tomb of the Capu-
lets, where so many Of its predecessors have
been so quietly inurned. The Columbus
Sun thereupon INDUCES in the following
melancholy reflection
"The necessity of supporting Southern peri
odicals has been made the text for many a long
newspaper article, but their appeals in favor o.
a home literature have fallen still-born upon
their readers, and all such arguments, for the
future will be as el1ectual as declaiming to the
| winds"
just sO-it is much easier to "call spirits
from the Vastly deep" to ''create q soul un
der the ribs Of DEATH" to put fire into
ones breast by thinking on the frosty eau
casus," or to achieve any other of the like
arduous enterprises than to create ltera
of slavery.
Why, what would you have When {
people are so far remote from the intellect
ual sphere, as to make bonfrcs of half th,
books that come among them-when they
are so blind that they cannot even distn
guish those which make for their own sidt
how can you expect from them any 'pat
ronage" for even Southern literature CaI
a man whose supreme test Cf truth lies nc
deeper than fHgot argument, we expected
to listen to the voice even Of CAROLINE
charmer Such ears as those are not tt
be entertained by poetry, philosophy, o
criticism they are stopped effectual
against wisdom, come from what quarter i
. may.
, Besides, it is wise provision Of nature
that thought and genius shall forsake tn
spots where fetters are made ready for them
The intellect disdains TO hold its freedor
at the mercy of mob. The muses. alway
: prefer the cold, bleak mountains of free
i dom to the hot aud stagnant plains G
T" slavery. When literature is Under the SUI
veillance of despotism tempered by tn
> torch and the jail-when its utterances ar
NdNNHSh lIo lOObSeN 20 uO5SNdJ ubu ITO llbCI
ty always in danger-it is in no condtio
u to prove either fruitful or valuable.
> That we have to reap what we SOW
q the most inevitable of the laws that GO
, ern the world The intellectual husbandr
p of the Southern people who have taken t
book burning, will be productive of not
&c ing but dense crop Of ignorance Thel
70 spunky children of the South would Z
q we'll to remember that they can't eat the
n, cake and have it too. To crush ont til
,e means of intelligence to extinguish tn
light of knowledge to stiAe every ute
- ance of free thought to Danish scho
:" teachers, tar and feather book agents, al
10 ride ministers of the gospel on rails
le rob the mails of their contents, and co
c. sign books newspapers and magazines
le the flames to muzzle the press, and il
ye prison men suspected Of having free souls
all these may seem very pleasant pastin
for men who can see no farther than to-da
ne But the reckoning is coming, and wi
ip have to be paid If they do not have
Is settle it, the coming generation will. Tht
le are preparing for their children wor
is thah Egyptian darkness. This course, pc
ID sisted in, may, indeed save slavery b