Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-12-12

The slaves Appeal TO Great Britain.
Frederick Douglass publishes in the In
dependent "The Slaves Appeal to Great
Britain" in which he says:
"You long ago fixed the burning brand of
your reprObation upon the guilty brow of
the whole slave system. Your philanthropy,
religion and law-yeur noblest sons, living
and desd-have taught the world TO loathe
and abhor slavery as the vIlest of modern
abominations. You have sacrificed mill
ions of pounds and thousands of lives to ar
rest and put an end to the piratical slave-tra-
ffic on the coasts of Africa; and will you
now, wheh the light ofyoar best teachings
is finding its way to the darkest corners of
the earth, and men are beginning to adopt
and practically carry out your benevolent
ideas--will you now, insuch time, utterly
dishonor your high example and your long
cherished principlesl Can you, at the bid
ding or importantly Of those negro-driving
lords of the lash, Mason and Morehead,
whose wealth is composed Of the wages Of
laborers which they have kept back by fraud
and force, take upon you and your children
the dreadful responsibility Of arestiug the
arm now outstretched to break the chains
of the American slavei
"Ahl but know the plea. The North
as we'll as the South has wronged the negro.
But must you because loyal states have
been guilty Of complcity with slavery es-
pouse the cause of those who arc still morS
guiltyG Must you, while you reprobate the
guilty agent embrace in the arms of your
friendship the still more guilty principal
Will you lash the loyal states for their want
of genuine detestation of slavery, aud yet in
open day form an alliance with band oI
conspirators and thieves who have under.
taken to destroy the loyal government Of
this country, perpetual and universal on
this eontiuenti Will you prevent the slave
from getting his due, because a sense of nee
essity and not sense Of moral obligation
impels the payment Oh! again, Grest
Britain, let me emplore you, by things high
, and sacred, fling away all false and selfish
, reasonings, and bear aloft higher than eyel
that standard Of justice and humanity which
has justly exalted you to the head of civ
; ilized nations.
81 will not weary you. The case i
before you. Noexcuses, however plausible
mo distances Of time, however remote
no line Of conduct hereafter pursued, how
ever exosllent, viii erase the deepstain upor
your homer and truth, if at this hour o.
dreadful trial you interPose IN a manner q
defeat or embanass the emancipation Of th'
slaves Of America. II at any time yoI
could have honorably inteIvened in Amer
lean affairs, It was when the federal govern.
ment was vainly striving to put down th'
rebellion without hurting slavery-whel
/ our army and generals wore the brass col
: lars Of slave dogs, and hunted negroes 70
their rebel masters. That gloomy and dis
gushing period ended on the 22d Ssptem
! Der, 1852. From that day our war ha
/. been invested with sanetity which vii
smite as with death even the mailed han,
a Of Britain, If outstsetcbed TO arrest it. LIE
the conflict 60 on! Their is no doubt Of th
) inal result, and though the war is dread
ful soOurgo, il will make justice. liberty an
humanity permanently possible in this eouu
try" Noble words and true.--Ed.