The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-01-11


bost provided working population on tho
face of tho globe" lot the Slave Trade be
re opened, and all our laboring men, white
and black, reduced to bondage You are
unworthy, sir, to carry tho black flag Of
Slavery in this contest, If you hesitate to
justify anything that is essential to its de.
yclopment and continuance Your qualms
Of conscience arc most unbccoming in do.
fender of Slavery and had bcttor be dis.
missed at once, it you intend to wage
war Cor that peculiar institution.
Tho claim that slaves arc not q "daurcr-
Gus clement in society,"" is n most extra
ordinary nnc. Too much has been snid and
written on the subject by Shareholders them
selves. to admit shade Of plausibiity for III:
md their extreme nervousness and extern
sive police regulations prove its falsity. The
Slave Slatos nro, to all appearances, in con-
stant fear of instruction. boing filed with
"wars and rumors Of wars" not because the
Aboltionists have corrupted tho slaves, but
because 1t is impossible TO wholly exclude
from tho minds Of tho degraded masses
tho light of truth and freedom. Even the
precautions Of tho Shareholders increase
their danger. Had not John Brown been
arrested until his pixies had been distributed
far and wide among the slaves, how much
reliance could have been placed upon their
fidelity TO their masters ? That tho dis.
covery of his insane project should sond
chill of terror through the whole South,
speaks volumes, and is a complete rofuta.
ton Of the claim that slaves arc not "dan.
gcrous element 10 society,""
We regrot that Mr.. Rose should SEQ fit
to make a taunting allusion 20 tho "hungry
operatives" of the North But for an occa.
sioDal reminder from tho South, tho cx-
istcnco Of such class in our society would
be unknown to US. 1t is the misfortune of
some men to DO poor, but, in our FREQ so.
cicty, whcro labor is honorable and shared
by all, and whero tho lowest operative, If
moritorious, may aspire to tho most eminent
aud responsible position. wo can find no
particular cluss to blamo for this. Poverty
may be hard to bear, but Slavery, which
dooms all ito victims, without regard to
merit, to a common degraded level, is n
sorry remedy for it. How many of our
hungry operatives" think you, Mr.. Rose,
arc sighing for tho condition og tho "happv
and we'll provided" slaves of tho South
Should any find their hanger ntoIorable.
VIC presume tho privileges of Slavery will
never bc denied them.
Wo havo heard so much of tho senscless
braegadocio of the Cottonocracy. that we
arc heartily disgustod with it. Tho North
are not so dependent upon the South for
Cotton. rs the South are upon the North
for tho avails of it. We dnub, not tho laws
of trado will survive If tho Union IS dissolved
But, If we are to lose it, wo have industr,
and skill enough to provide so,no way to
live without it, aud whore then will be the
glory of King Cotton: 1t is more probable
that contributions will yot be mado from
the abundant stores of tho North to prevent
starvation in the Cotton States, than that
our "hungry operatives" will shod tears over
their departuro from the Union.
Mr.. Rose passes hastily over tho action
of South Carolina and Georgin, in the Con.
vcntion which framed tho Constitution -
Hn would havo us believe that the great
difference botwcon tho States, in relation
to tho Slave Trade, consisted in the dtsiro
Of some 10 prohibit /; in tho Constitution.
and Of others to leave tho question with the
State Legislatures. OF course. he docs not
presume upon our ignorance of tho record.
10 Qivo this matter false coloring. The
delegates from South Curoina and Geur.
gia opposed any prohibition. not as q more
form, but because thoy regarded it 40 irju.
rous to their interests. Gen. PincE ney
declared it to be his firm opinion that. if
himself and all his colleagues wore to sign
tho Constitution, and use their personal in
flncnce, il would bo of no avail towards oh.
tanning tho assent of thoir constituents
South Carolina and Georgia cannot do
without s'avea." Ho Thought himself bound
to dcolnro canddly that he did not think
South Carolina would stop her importations
of slaves in any short time. but only stop
them occasionally, rs she now docs" Mr.
Baldwin. though admitting that Georgia,
"if loft to herself might probably put Il
stop to tho evil" intimatcd very strongly
"in what light she would Wow an attempt
to abridgo ono of her (dporite prerogatiuts -
Mr.. Rutledgc said III tho Convention
thinks that North Carolina. South Carolina
nnl Georgia. will ever agree to tho plan. mn.
less thoir right to import slaves be untouched
tho expectation is vain. THE PEOPLE OF
THOSE STATES WILL NEVER BE SUCH FOOLS As
To GIVE UP so IMPORTANT AN INTEREST,"
| II WAS claimed in the Convention that, while
sOmo of the moro Northern States might
thrive by tho prohibition, il wonld be dam
aging TO South Carolina and Georgia.
In an evil hour, and from motives Of OK
! podiency. Northorn mon accedcd 10 com.
! promise, by virtue of which tho Slave Trade
was not to bo prohibited hv Congress for q
period of twenty years. Wo shall not as
tempt to justify their course, though the
extracts made by Mr., Rose from some o
thor speeches in tho Convention, taken b,
themselves, do them injustice. II We mis-
take not, each of tho men from whom h,
quotes, disnpproved Of Slavery ard thu
Siavo Trade. Mr.. Ellsworth thought .ha
"SlAvery, in time. would not DO n speck II
our country" Honest Roger Sherman
regarded tho Slave Trado as iniquItous.
Mr.. Gerry "thought we had nothing TO d.
with tho conduct of the States as to slaves.
and added. what Mr.. Rose finds il convenicn
10 omit. "bW ought 10 be cnrc(nL NOT 10 gin
s1peIiu, In i'm Mr Kin,, a,,iI ..rL.