Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-01-06

very ten thousand times worse than the Ut
most extremity Of the expressions Of which
we complained"
Gov. Giles, in a Message to the legisla-
turd Of Virginia, referring to the custom OF
selling free colored men into slavery, rs
punishment for ofenses not capital, ssid'--
"Slavery must be admitted to be punish
ment of the highest order, and, according
to the just rule for the apportionment Of
punishment crimes, it ought to be applied
only to crimes of the highest order. The
most distressing reflection 10 the applica-
ton Of this punishment tofemale offenders,
is that it extends to their offspring; and
the innocent are thus punished with the
guilty" Yet one hundred and twenty
thousand innoeeL. babes in this country are
annually subjected to punishment which
your Governor declared ought TO be applied
only to criminals of the highest order.
jefferson said: "One day Of American
slavery is worse than thousand years Of
that whey we rose in arms TO oppose. Al
luding to insurrec,ions, he said: "The Az
mighty has no attribute that can take side
with us in such n contest"
John Randolph declared EVERY planter
is sentinel at his own door. Every South
ern mother when she hears an alarm of fire
in the night, instinctively presses her infant
closer TO her BOSOM"
Looking at tn system Of Slavery in the
light Of all this evidence, d" YOU candidly
think we deserve "two fold aamnniinn" for
deie>ting itg Can you nnt believe that We
may hate the system, and vet he truly y"ur
| friends? / make allowance for the excited
state of your mind, and the preiudees in-
duccd hv education. lido not care to change
your opinion Of me; but | do wish you
conId bc persuaded 10 examine this dispas-
sionatelv. for the sake Of the prosperity Of
! Virginia and the welfare of unborn genera
tions, both white and colored. For thirty
wears abolitionisis have been irving To rea-
son with Shareholders, through the press,
aud in the hallsof Congress. Their efforts,
though directed TO the masters only, have
been met with violence and abuse almost
equal to that poured on the head Of John
Brown. Yet surel ly we, as. portion of tho
Union, involved in the expense, the dcgen-
eracy, the danger, the disgrace, Of This in
| iquitous and fatal system, have right TO
speak about 1t, and right to he hedrdalso.
At the North, we willingly publish Pro-
Slavery arguments, and ask only fair field
and no favor for the other side. Bat you
will not even allow your own citizens a
chance to examine this important subject.
Your letter to me is published in Northern
papers, as well as Southern; but my reply
viii not be allowed to appear in any South
ern paper. The despotic measures you
take to silence investigation, and shut out
the light from your own white population
proves how little reliance you have on the
strength of your cause. In this enlight-
ened age, all despo.isrns ought to come to
an end by the agency of moral and ration
al means. But if they resist such agencies,
it is in the order of Providence that they
must come TO an end by violence. History
is full Of such lessons.
Would that the vail of prejudice could
be removed from your eyes. If you would
candidly examine the statements of Cover
nor Hincks of the British West Indies, and
of tho Rev. Mr.. BIeeby, long time mis-
sionary in those Islands, both before and af-
ter emancipation, YOU could not fail to be
convinced that Cash is more powerful in
centi,e to labor than the Lash, and far sa-
fer also. One fact in relation TO those Isl
ands is very significant. While the wor-
king-people were slaves, it was always nee
essary te order out the military during the
Christmas holidays; but, since emancipa-
ton, not soldier is to be seen. A hun
dred John Browns might land there, with
out exciting the slightest alarm.
To the personal questions you ask me, I
will reply in the name Of all the women of
: New England. 1t would be extremely diff
ticult TO find any woman in our villages who
does not sew for the poor, and watch with
the sick whenever occasion requires. We
pay our domestics generous wages, with
which they can purchase rs many Christ
mas gowns as they pease;a process far
f bet cr for their characters, as well as our
own, than to receive their clothes as char
) ity, after hcing deprived Of just payment
l for their labor. have never known an in
I stance where the 'pangs of maternity" did
2 not meet with the requisite assistance; and
{ here at the North, after We have helped tho
t mothers, we do not sell the babies
! readily believe what you state concer-
ming the Kindness Of many Virginia mat
c rons. 1t is credilabe to their hearts; but af-
{: ter all, the best that can be done in that
$ way is poor equivalent for the perpetual
r wrong done TO the slaves, and the terrible
e liahi ties to which they are always subject
i Kind masters aud mlsiresses among you
), are merely lucky accidents. If any one
chooses to be a brutal despot, your laws
n and customs give hin power TO do so.--
n And the lot Of those slaves who have the
d kindest masters is exceedingly precarious--
5. In case OF death, or pccuniary difficulties,
a or marriages in the family, they may al
l. any time be suddenly transferred from pro
ic lection and indulgence To personal dcgra
I. dalion, or extreme severity; and il they
e should try TO escape from such sufferings
/ anybody is authorized to shoot them dow
'e like dogs.
e, With regard to your declaration tha
"no Southernor ought heuceforh 10 read
m line of my composition, reply that hav
j. great satisfaction in the consciousness o
er having nothing to lose in that quarter
d. Twenly-seven years ago, / published
'g book called "An Appeal in behalf of tina
Glass of Americans called Africans" ]
Sc Influenced the minds of several young mel
ci- afterward conspicuous in public life, throug