The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-12-23

mingled pleasure and surprise. lthink now
of Elijah P. Lovejoy who fell while defend
ing his press at Alien, Ill, from the demon Of
oppression, / think of Charles Lsng, a
young minister of unblemished reputation,
who died in Southern prison, simply OH
suspicion of entertailfing liberal sentiments.
/ think of Amos Dusser, wholif living new
carries the marks of cruelty on his own per-
SOD. God thrust these. and hosts of others
against shis egiantsof niquity---riade them
the willing victims to atone for a nations sin.
"a It was thought that Maryland was simply
held in the Union by thepresence of Federal
soldiers--that there Was but little oloyalty
thers--that Baltimore was pastrsdounption.-
But the campaign just CLOSED, inFthat State,
with such glorious results. not.oniy revesls a
most intense union feeling in Baltimore, but
in some of the lower counties in the State
hitherto hostile to all acts of the government,
and largely slayeholding were found toz be
theatres Of theTinost astounding revolatie,is
Is Another ground for general congratulation
is the failure of conspirators to earryout their
murderous purposes. That deeply laid and
secretly contriyed plot onaivery extensive
scale was about-to burst upon the country all
developments fgostoishoss.g How wide this
stream of murder and death, Of pillage and
plunder would have been, is net simply a
matter of conjecture, for il the character snd
antecedents of soma supposed te be implicat-
ed, forms any foundation on which: to yen-
ture an opinion. it promised success Of ruin
that would have left5many aicity in ashes,
and drenched their streets with tho gore oi
theirsinnocent victims. 1aStung by the fscol-
lection OF defeat and disaster, aud doomed to
a hell ofpolitical damnation, beyond NOR
tai power TO redeem them, they burrowed out
Of sight, and on foreign shorca cencocted
this last revised edition of adepravity. w hat
votes could not do, what presidential abuse
coul3 not do. what threats and curses could
not do, they would execute with grape and
cannister, with shot and shell, with toTck and
faggot, with bludgeon and bowie kpife.ssThe
hour of danger from this direction is past.-
Our escape is one Of those singular providen-
ces of God in which, the divine hsnd is clear.
" seen, and when the causes of events shall
throw more light on this projected movement
and reveal the death of iniquity secretly GOV.
cred up,it will make men feel nervous and
shrink back with astonishment at their mar.
row escape from such a storm of fire and
death. .-.,.,{.,i ..f- i3
Another ground of gratitude is the libera
and hmane legislation of the past two year
of which no man calling himself an; Ameri
can need to be ashamed. The abolition o.
slavery in the District of Columbia is mark,
ed event in the history of American legisla,
tiop. Ever since the establishment Of oul
government, the capital of our country ha.
been mart for the purchase and sale of hu
man beings. Some of the blackest enosmi.
ties of slavery's doings, have been witnessed
under the folds of tho :" stars and stripes,'-
That emblem of a nations freedom, as i
hoated from the dome of the capitol, only
reminded the slave of the hypocrisy of it
profession. 1t was here that Brpin and Co
few years ago, shocked the sensibilities O
every man who had feeling and sensibilit,
left. Their slave-pens, and shocking atroci
ties, were matters of public notoristy. eEf
forts have been made by good men and wo
men, by petition, and otherwise, to wipe ou
this disgrace-tiis fsul blot. That if OBJ
preston must be perpetuated in the Southern
States as a permanent institutinn, for God
sake. for humanity's sake, for self-respset anc
pnblic opinion abroad, let the capital of thi
country be free from such whitening curse
Let Christian men who visit that place b
spared. the sight and felt disgrace of such al
abomination., ..q ,f.7-,,s.sl eFl 40 rod
T Thus appeals have been going up to Con
gress year after year, but only to be turne,
away or treated with contempt.
Under our present wise and humane ad
ministration of government, its1yictims has
been numbered, its cruelties have ceased, if
pens and dungeons have bsenltornl down, it
| chains and hand-cuffs have fallen of, and tina
/ District now is the home of ffeemen Phi
ianthropists breathe easier and good men re
joice every swhere.d atg sb- fl1eg 4
Another act Of Congress, is a recognitio
of the indepsndence of the gosernmentao
Hayti, and the opening up of diplomatic re
| lations with that country. For years W
| have had a very considerable trade with Hay
| ii, but their nationality could not be recog
nized, because slavery ruled in this country
and they were black men. Its independenc
had been sacrificed by other and powerful ma
tions,9 and its ministers had gone to othe
courts, but this country could not do her jus
| tlce- As soon however as Southern dictatio
ceases, their, humanity is recognized and !
| change of commodities takes place on diplo
matte principles. '
/ The passage of the Homestead Bill is a
act,of Christian legislation. thats will be re
membered with unfeigned gratitudedn com
| ing generations. ..s5..s .r.....
That every man has a right to . portion G
soil out of which to dig his living is as clea
to my mind as sunbeam, and an legislatio
! that deprYes. him of this title is simply
usurpation. This measure has long bee
urged, it has been the subject of lectures an
t speeches under the heading of Land Reform
but every effort hitherto gives to it practice
shape aud tendencyy has been resisted b
those in the interests sof slavery. Most {
1.-The public lands lie in. latituies where slav
labor would be .upproductiye and to pass
bin giving every man a home would onl
have d tendency to people those lands wit
! freemen and free institutions. The Sout
saw this and always acted sandayoted accord
Eingly. Besides this, Southern men knel
that slavery was devoid of enterprise and tn
4;spirit of emigration. It hovers around th
Told Homestead scarcely stealing away trer
Tits old weather beaten home--it rauains o
] the o.d plantation as long as a scanty Twin
4 can be obtained and even until evidences {