The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-07-05


veution, who is decided friend of our
Academy. President of our Board ofi
TruStecs,ss and besides, a warm personal
friend of my husband and myself; re-
peat, let me say in ever so quiet and lady
| like manner, that | had been brought
up to look upon American Slavery as an
evil, a crime against humanity, aud there
| fore sin against God the first thing
would be coldness in the treatment of
ne BY the whole family, as though dan
gcrous associate next his children taken
from school, and the news quietly spread
throughout the community that the teach
ers Of the Union Academy were Black
Republicans, and should not be patron
ised scholars would fall off, ct course
breaking up the school; patrons regret
ting that their children lad ever been un-
der such dcbasing influence; friends be-
coming distant, and strangers rejoicing
that they had not had the misfortune of
forming the acquaintance of so unworthy
a person in fact the whole community
would turn me aside as unworthy Of no.
tice, and yet make me the subject of dis
cussion at every private gathering The
churches would refuse to take me into
their meu bersEip unless 7 would publicly
renounce my private opinions upon this
alI.important subject, dccming them akin
to murder, robbery, fraud, treason, and
rythlng dark in the category of crime.
This, perhaps, is an ovcrdrawn picture,
but | MinL: not. am sure do not wish
to try it. But I do know a circumstance
similar to what have just written, of a
lady who lived in this place during last
winter. She was from Michigan, and de-
clared herself an Aboitionist; and st ev-
cry sewing society, and wherever she was,
she was not afraid to make known the
fact that she was an Abo!itionist, and she
received the same treatment which lave
described aud had to leave the place or
suffer abusive sian,ler. Also gentleman
here offering his letter to the Baptist
church, was not accepted, merely because
he was known to be, Anti-slavery. Is the
picture therefore oyerdrawn Am ]
wrong then in saying that cannot ex-
press my sentiments that | have not the
freedom of speech? Even Mr.. Chase,
in Vienna last winter, soon after We were
married, when it became known that his
wife was Anti-slavery, was reported as
being a Black Republican himself, which
like to have destroyed his school until he
declared his innocence of this heavy
charge. And am [ wrong in saying that
cannot take an Antislavcry paper !?
That very fact would ruin me here. [
am glad to observe that you took the pre-
caution which | suggested viz to fold
the title page of the paper inside, so as
not to be exposed to view. hope you
will continue to send them. | have been
reading them today until became so
warmed up" upon the subject that
felt that | must give vent to my feelings
some way, and as cannot talk l co1,
write, and this must apologize for this
long "speech" upon Slavery, And par
don me, [ have little more get to say
In the first place to change public opiu-
ion here, one would need to commence at
the first princi pies Of moral science, and !
teach and coacjHcc them that "the negro
has rights which the white man is bound |
to respect him IN the first place
that he is i31Gn and not "6rutc" ora "con-
Meeting link between man and brute -
teach them that he has souj, an INNER
tai part, an intellect capable of cultivation;
that he in fact belongs TO the race OF
man and that he was not made merely
for the benefit Of Il ceftuin portion Of
Gods creatures. These would have to
be established first. and it is an utter i'm
possibility to convince man against his
will, and arW generally follows in the
channel of early training, and precou-
cciyed opinions. These are the scnti-
ments which prevail in lower Egypt, and
although a finer, more beautiful country
cannot be found-athoagh the climate
and productions are all that the heart can
wish to find on earth, yet this curse of .
public opinion rests upon it, and renders +
1T unatsractive to those reared amid the
freedom of the Allegheny Mountains and
stern morals of eastern society. AfIcc-
tionately your daughter,
SARAH BLAKEsLEE CHASE.
For The Totler Journal.