Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-01-13

Inomas j. handolpn, OF AlOemafle, n
grandson Of Mr.. jefferson, said:
"The gentleman has spoken Of the in
crease Of the female slaves being a part Of
the profit. 1t is admitted; but no great evil
can be averted, no good attained without
some inconvenience. 1t may be questioned
how far it is desirable 10 foster and encour-
age this branch of profit. 1t is practice
AN increasing practice in parts of Virgin
ia to rear slaves for market. How an hon
orable mind, patriot and lover of his
country can bear to see this ancient Domin-
ion, rendered illustrious by the noble devo-
tion and patriotism of her sons to the cause
Of liberty, converted into one grand men
agerie, where men are to be reared for mar
ket like oxen in the shambles2 Is it bet
ter, is it not worse than the slave trade
that trade which enlisted the labor Of the
good and the wise of every creed and every
cline to abolish it? The gentleman has
appealed to the Christian religion in justi-
fcation Of slavery. / would ask him upon
what part of those pure doctrines does he
rely, to which of those sublime precepts
does he advert to sustain his position9 Is
it that which teaches charity, justice and
goodwill to all, or is it that which teaches
that aye should do unto Others as ye would
they should do unto you"
Another representative from Harper's
Ferry, Mr.. Henry Berry, said:
81 believe that no cancer on the physical
body was ever more certain, steady and fa-
tai in its progress, than is the cancer on the
political body of the State of Virginia. 1t
is eating into her very vtals. And shall
we admit that the evil is past remedy p
Shall we act the part of a puny patient,
suffering under the ravages of fatal dis
ease who would say the remedy is too pain
tul, the dose too nauseous, l cannot bear it,
who would close his eyes in despair, and
give himself up to death? No sir, would
bear the knife and the cautery for the sake
of health"
Mr.. Thomas Marshall, Of Fauquier, in the
same section of Virginia, said:
"Wherefore, then, object to slavery9 Be-
cause it is ruinous to the whites--retards
improvement, roots out an industrious popu-
ation, banishes, the yeomanry of the coun.
try, deprives the spinner, the weaver, the
smith, the shoemaker, the carpenter, of en-
ployment and support"
Mr.. James Mcdowell, Of Rockbridge
since Governor of the State and distin
guished member of Congress said:
"Sir, you may place the slave where you
please--you may dry up TO your utmost
the fountains of his feelings, the springs o
thought-you may close upon his mind ev
cry avenue to knowledge, and cloud it ovel
with artificial night-you may yoke him tc
your labor as an OK which liveth only tc
work, and worketh only to live-you may
put him under any process, which, without
destroying his value as slave, will debast
and crush him as a rational being-you ma,
do this and the idea that he was born to b
free will survive it all. 1t is allied to hi
hope of immortaity-it is the ethereal par
of his nature which oppression cannot reacl
it is a torch lit upin hissoul by the hanC
of the Deity, and never meant to be extin
, guished by the hand of man."
1t would be difficult to find anywhere
more eloquent tribute to the God-giveI
rights of man than this. The same speak
er, in another part of the speech, gives th,
following prophetic warning to the South:
, "Lf gentlemen do not see and feel the eUi
: OF SLAVERY while this Federal Union lasts
; they DM see and feel 1t aOben 1t as gone
they will SEQ and suffer it then in magni
tude of desolating power to which the pes
thence that walketh at monday would
. blessing-to which the malaria that j
:; now threatening extinction to the 'eterns
Il city, as the proud one Of the pontiffs an
u Caesars is called, would be as refreshn
= and as balmy as the first breath Of sprin
7 , to the chamber of disease. X Was
u the fear of Nat Turner and his deudeC
d drunken handful of fellows which produce,
or could produce, such effects? Was it th
) that induced distantcounties, where the vel
u name of Southampton was strange, to arr
u and equip for struggle? No, sir; it WI
d the suspicion eternally attached to the slaN
s. himself-the suspicion that Nat TurnC
o might be in every family; that the san
i bloody deed could be acted over at an
time, and in any place; that the materia
u for it were spread through the land, and a
ways ready for like explosion"
ie What Virginian will! not at this mome
t. acknowledge the terrible force of the'
r words9
'e Mr.. Philip A. Boiling, of Buckingham
~ said:
as "There isa still small voice which spea
to the heart of man in tone too clear al
n distinct to be dsregarded. 1t tells hi
W that every system of slavery is based up,
n injustice aed oppression. If gentleBa
disregard it now, and luH their conscienc
OF to sleep, they may be aroused to sense
It. their danger aOhsa 1t is too late to repO
ry their errors.
ID However the employment of slave lab
en- might be defended, gentlemen would u
lis could not, justify the traffic in human beinl
70, How many broken heart, how many
IS Rachel mourns, because her house is i
ss unto her desolate The time has col
when these feelings could not be suppresse
be the day would come when they could I
n be resisted"
i'll Mr.. Brodnax, of Dinwiddie, said:
ur "That slavery in Virginia is an evil,
,y. would be idle, and more than idle for a
re human being to doubt or deny. 1t is
he mildew which has blighted in its course
'ly cry region it has touched, from the Great
ry of the world"
n, The Hon. Charles ]. Faulkner, who a
ib- resides in the vicinity Of Harper's Fer