Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-05-10

spOnsible stations OF trust and power in the
national government; particularly man
TO preside over 10 who should hold their
views upon the .ubre, Of slavery. During
all thi. time. however. they have been inva.
risbly defeated in regard to this latter OBJ
jet. TIL very lately they have failed Of
attaining this objec, in eVcrv instance in
which their efforts towards il have been d..
rceici. Still they never seeded, or talked
IN the iaiuiest manner o. seeding. They
have borne their defeat. with unresis,ing
calmuess, through all Of them. been good
and loyal citizens, adhsrins closely to the
Union. At length they have succeeded.
by lair arsum-nt in the field Of political
discussion. by simply commencing their
principles TO the honest iudsmcn, Of ma.
JoriIy Of the electors in all the States, they
have 80; their man.
Now what in all ihi. i. there 50 bad? 1,
Is all which those properly denomina,ci
anti-.laVsry men have ever done or said ;
and what j, thCr, in it to merit the charge
Of being considered troublsr. OF the land
They honestly think tha, American slavery,
in IL nature and hcatins on community, is
injurious 10 both the bodies aud souls Of
mcu. detrimental to their be-, prescn, and
eternal interests, and therefore wrong.
Must they. then, never a, any time or In
any way. express these their honest eonyic-
tons They merely think that such slave
~ should never bc carried 20 State, and ter.
ritoFics IN our country now free from IL IL
is enough 10 lc, d, remain where lis. With
all its known evil aud demorililing ,enden.
ci,s. Il j. enough TO refrain in,eriern: with
IL IN the States. when It has had - long
time by Is working t. exhibit its own real
character. Must they then never gave ut
terance to thc-o deep and honoi impressions
Of thsir soulsF u -, then where !, the lib
eriy vo have always considered cur birth.
right in this land? Where is the frccdom
ia expressing our thoughts on all great and
important matters the freedom for which
our fathers bled, and. at the time OF s,rus-
Cling 10 obtain 1t. supposed there was a
worthy objce, IN putting forth their .truc-
cle.. England, with all the power and pre-
scriptIOn that attach TO her civil govern
ment, has for years at least, allowed pcricc,
freedom ol discussion on the subrci Of hu.
man slavery such freedom in treating ii,
a. when used by her philan,hrop''t', result
"a some time since in Us eI,inguishment
throughout al her domlnion.. Now where,
10 COMPARISON with her, Is our freedom, II
We must never express our honest convie'
iions on 50 grave matter. such bondage a.
that which exist. IA o1r land, but AZ the
ri.k Of being considered guilty di'iushcr' oi
the quiet We boast Of our liberties a. ciy-
ing "a. distinction IN the eyes Of ths world /,
~, where IS that dis;lncti1n Il w. must
never use even argument toward limiting an
evil. the equal 90 which in a,iroei,y can
scarcely anywhere els, b. found. Bat, say
some. Yea make excitement, You madden
the STAKEHOLDER by di'eussln; tie deliea'e
.ahjet OF slavery. the one in which be j. -
much interested. and on which he feel. -
,enderlv v,u must therefore sAy nothin:
about u. lnd,el And i. this a just con-
e!usijn from such premises l. ii,ruc that
you ml., say nothing again,, slavery, BE-
caus, i, irri,at '. the STAKEHOLDER? Thea my
Ion: yheTi,hel conception OF things in the
moral world are all reversed. have
thought, and ,hoaeht - from nv youth,
that you nigh, oppose obvious evils. at lc's'
hv a,-pnrnt. 20 whatever hazard Of excite
ment. but Il it is duty no, 90 oppose great
evil. hv such means, because i; makes cH-
ci,ement AMI s,irs up imitation IN certain
onc.. then was wrong and Others have
been wrong with ne. There has been very
mu,h wrou- in the wor's. when, too, there
ha, been ,hOd.h, TO De much goodness. much
desert VI praise won. Luther was wrong
since be commanded and carried forward tie
srrat reformation from popeTy, 80 called,
when be knew well at the time there must
b. great excitement followin: his reas0nings
and discussions Justin Edwards and his
c,mp.cr. were wron: in laboring - As they
did 10 promote the temperance reformation
IN our land. when they certainly must have
articirated the irritation OF rumsellers and
others. such ~ ha. actually resulted from
their ah1rs. But i. this so? Were thesa
men wrous in hborins 50 a. they d'd by
bons.t teaching and Argument simply, to
reduce tie several evils. a. which they aim
ed. though irritation, persecution even did
follow their labOr.. No my hearers you
can't believe IT, There is not single in-
tylhgeb,, rejecting man iha, does believe It,
We have the sht certainly. though irrita.
ton NAY attend it in certain quarters. to
utter our honest convictions on the sabyee'
ol elANNls'
p~.ds. what we have thus said on ,hc
subject before us, i, may be properly added
,ba, an,i..layery men have valid authority
and warran, for the course they have pur'
sued in relation to American slavery. 10
doing villa, they have done to limit Id
e.ls,snse 10 where il now is. and wherc II
has ben for years, they have acted IN 'h'
.plri, and on the principles Of the fathers
OF thi. grea, republic. These fathers have
ever considered the normal state OF th''
country - be one OF freedom rather than
slavery. Thi. !. manifest iron AL they
have ever done or said on the matter. In
forming our American Constitution, the