The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-05-03
Don't all Answer at Once.

paste it in your hat for future reference.
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Don't all Answer at Once.
Who, of all the leading Republicans
of Dowagiac and Cassapolis, signed
petition mot many years ago. adj
dressed to the Legislature of Michigan
asking that honorable body TO strike
the word achite out of the State Con
stitution Mr.. Martin of Dowagiac.
circulated the paper in this vi'lage-at
all events he certainly did i'm the Court
House, as several of its inmates can
testify.-Nationdl Democrat.
There is only one trouble with the
above, and that is, it is not true, as the
following communication from Mr..
Martin clearly proves. The petition
circulated by Mr.. Martin sought to
gain an object which was believed by
prominent men in both parties to be
an act of common justice and hnmani-
ty, and as such was generally signed
by liberal men of all classes without
regard to party feelings or prcjudices.
Among the many democrats" who
signed this petition was nj. I. Garvey,
democratic appointee to take the CEN
Sus in portion of this county; F. o.
Van Antwerp, democratic candidate
for supervisor in Wayne at the late
election Hiram Powell, S. n. CAN'T,
w. II. Atwood, and by many other
sound democrats whose names Mr..
Martin has forgotten. You will have
to try some other tack, Mr.. Editor.
Mr.. Martins letter is as follows:
EDITOR Il wish to in
form the editor of the National Dem
ocrat and all others concerned, that l
never circulated a petition to the legis-
lature asking that honorable body to
strike the word achite ont of our State
Constitution. 1t was petition asking
for privileges which the colored people
pay for, but which they do not receive,
and as the laws Of Michigan do not
recognize the holding of slaves within
her borders, we want to see her statutes
washed of the sin of State slavery.
We cheerfully pay our ratio of taxes
that build your State Houses, Asy-
lums, &C., and as this is government
where taxation ought to be equally rep
resented, as frcemen we claim that JUS
tice entities colored taxpayers the right
to vote. The petition circulated was
unfortunately signed by Democrats,
Republicans and Abolitionists.
Il. j. MARTIN.
Thus having replied to the interrog-
atories of the Democrat, we wish to
ask a question in return. +" Now don't
all speak at once" Who, of the lead
ing democrats of Dowagiac and Cass-
apols voted in the Legislature of Mich
igan, in the year ls49, for the following
resolutions? Will the editor of the
Democrat answer?
ResozUed, "That our Senators in
Congress be instructed, and our Rep
resentatives requested to nrge the pas
sage of law that shall pnt an end to
the Slave Trade in the District of Col
umbia without delay, and also to pro-
vide for ascertaining the views of the
people of said District, upon the ones
ton of the entire abolition of slavery
therein"
Resolred, "That we are in favor of
the Fundamental nj PRINCIPLES of the Ordi-
nance of l7S7-and although we re-
spect the opinions Of many eminent
statesmen and jnrists, that slavery is
mere local institution which cannot ex-
list without positive law authorizing its
existence-yet we believe that Con-
gress hasthe power, and it is their du-
ty to prohibit by Legislative enactment
the introduction or existence of slavery
within any of the territories Of the
United States, now or hereafter to be
acquired"