The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-03-19

their criminaity in extending christian fellow.
ship TO those who had been guilty of the sin
o! slavery or Of encouraging it. Some con.
fessed that they had sold slaves and had lived
on tie price of flesh and blood. And almost
all confessed that they had been guilty Of
making slaves of their fellow men by treating
the whole subject with barbarous Indifference !;
and exclaimed, ave have been very guilty
concerning our brethren because when we
heard their groans and cries we regarded
them not.' And all these confessions were
made as though they felt that they had laid
violent hands on their fellow men and bound
tho CALLING chain of slavery on their lace'ated
limbs, and that they were now Justly visited
for their wickedneSs. In the course of the
day | heard in my dream tho ministers ad-
dressing the people. They began by confess
ing their own sin. They confessed that they
had been as dumb dogs that would not bark
that they had known Ito Truth and had
not declared it. They cxhcrted them TO deep
humiliation and repentance and encouraged
them to hope that God would graciously for
give their sins, and restore to them their first
born. True, they said, your beloved sons
and tender daug your parents aud even
your husbands and wives are torn from your
embrace and Transmitted into slaves, but if
slavery is abolished in the south, all are to be
restored to your raptured embrace, the Same
enlightened and beloved relatives that they
were before. Let your prayers then ascend
to God, and hope in his mercy.
Then saw in my dream tho Legislature Of
Ohio assembling at Columbus. The Govern
or had Immediately summoned them togeth
cr, to consider what could be done under such
awful circumstances. A deep concern rested
on every counieuance and solemn prayer seem
cd ready to burst from every lip. The ses.
SioL was opened 10y Sermon and slavery Of
course was the topic. The preacher Sustain.
cd the doctrine Of the Declaration, that it is
sclt-cvident truth that all men are entitled
to liberty, and that to deprive man Of this
night is an atrocious crime, and that the State
oi Ohio had been as guilty as any State OF
the Union for uphoding this system OF op.
preston. lie showed coucusivcly that slave
~ Is system Of violence ann injustice, and
that or course there could be injustice in put.
ting it down by force. He exhorted tho Leg.
isIaturo to repent Immediately 10y repeating
every opplcssise law and adopting the most
whole system. The rest OF the day was
chiefly spent in a Legislative prayer meeting,
The Governor message was received aud
read, in which the doctrines Of the sermon
were reiterated and tie Legislature advised
to send a memorial TO every State in the I'm
ion. The Governor also recommended that
onc-half the Militia of the State should be
placed in perfect readiness for service if it
should become necessary 10 call them OF --
Everything was done accordingly and the inc
mortal was sent hv three commissioners to
each Of the southern States, demanding the
immediate abe tion of slavery: and bv one
commissioner te each of the free States asking
their co operation. Willie | was observing
these things ! was taken up in nv dream so
high above the earth that | could sec every
State in the Union, and | saw that similar
proceedings were bad in all the northern
States.
And now commenced in nv view an i'm.
monscIv inrcres,ino and awful scene The
southern States were utterly rccardless Of all
that was said to them by the North. The
whole story Of the trausmutatiln of the first
born into slaves tLov treated rs entirely fanci.
rul. and ridjculod an the aroumcuts which
were adduoc1 to nroye tbo ini1stice and wick
ednoss f slavery, and stou,ly maintained their
bonn tide richt TO their proncr,v even if they
were the first born Of uG,thcrn frecmen trans.
mu,cd into slaves. They affirmed tLa, north.
err laborcr, were 10 better than southern la.
boiers. and thai il was equally mopcr that
hey should be owned Ly their cmployers.
But it. as was alleged God had changed them
into slaves. this was divine sanction to their
right to hold them rs cLaltcls The aulhor
ties dismissed the commissioners with utter
contempt, and landed them over TO the zen
der ncrcics of the mob. And although they
were much afraid of the consequences Of treat.
iur with ndirnitv the representatives of the
free States whose power they dreaded, vet so
much were the shareholders cnraccd that few
of the commissioners returned safe to their
homes ards ono Of them left their bones to
whrcn the fields of the South. But the mus
teriug of the North was truly terrific. The
energy AMI power Of the free States were at
once Developed and an immense army very
soon presented an almost boundcss ocean OF
shining amor and bristlmp havone,s. moving
in solid phalanx toward the South. All ap.
parenlly had resolved that slavery must be
abolished, cost what it would. And in nv