Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-09-12
The DaY- OF FFee speech-The Adolf
fion OF While Slavery
P,,1, -. N..hviIIs Tenn Union, ID.


From the Nashville Tenn Union, ID.
Thank God devoutly, for TINS neW era ~ ~
Tennessee True. it has cost the loss OF
property and life the desolation of many
a home: the shedding of the blood OF
many citizens, both patriots and traitors:
But the liberty of speech, the breaking OF
the chains which so long bound, not tne
bodies, but the very souls OF her whlte CIT
liens, have been cheaply purcnaseu' Dy
what would be for any other worldly goou
too heavy an outlay. Prior to the oreaking
out of the rebellion did free speech ana .
free press really exist in this state Dlo
candidates for Office high or low dare to
say "I doubt the policy, Justice and econ
orny of Slavery, and would like to see It
removed from our midst2" No man could
have carried a single county in the State
who should have Ventured sentiment so
frightfnlly radical" It would have sealed
his political death-warrant. Mechanics.
tradesmen, professional men, teachers and
laboring men were permitted TO say with
immunity 81 think the steam engine Is
curse. regard the threshing machine and
the subsoil plough as nuisances: cont
believe in railroads. think rellRlon Is
humhug. ! beliVe the Wing party, or the
Democratic party, are hot-beds Of corruP,
ton. think it would be blessing II, all
the churches were pulled to the ground
/ believe colleges and female academies
are unmitigated evils" And so one
could go on railing, abusing and villity-
ing every law. system, institution
and custom of the Commonwealth,
saving and excepting always the system
of negro Slavery. People might take ex-
ceptions to ones views and attempt to
controVert'thARn, but still, any one, or all
of these views, could be expressed IN Tenn
essee and their holders live uumolested.-
Bat name Slavery in like manner and a
thousand eyes in an instant are blazing at
the daring speaker with malignant IRE,
and lynch law usually terminated the
audacious utterance. No man was suffer-
ed to attack Slavery, although only one
man in thirty owned slaves. Discussion
of this subject was a forbidden thing. 1t
was accepted by every man as humbly as
if it had been gift from heaven. While
none were permitted to speak or write
against Slavery, orators and newspapers
all over the State were making iuaamma-
tory speeches in its behalf. Slavery,
strange to tell, claimed and exercised the
right to agitate the State, and at the same
time, with the voice of tyrant, comman-
ded the State on its peril not to agltate
Slavery Slavery was higher than the
State Slavery was the tyrant, despot,
unquestioned, uncontrolled dictator of the
STATED 1t ruled the cottage; it ruled the
pulpit; it ruled the counting room; yea, 1t
ruled the humblest work shop like a
bloody-miuded Nero, resolved to rule with
out rival. Do we exaggerated We do
not; we have fallen short of, rather than
gone beyond, the truth.
What was the consequence Of all this
insolent despotism, which bridled every
mouth and every newspaper in the State Z
ct, ~ 60
allow themselves the luxury of a moments
independent thought. They trembled like
Persian slaves at the nod of the merciless
master who reigned over them. Iufidel
clubs were tolerated; books and pamphlets
in defense of Atheism, Mormonism, Mes
merism, Spirit-rappings, were circulated
openly; Jews, Gentiles, Mahommedans and
the thousand and one sects of Christianity
could all proclaim their own views and
denounce these of all other people, but the
n-slaVeholder dared not open his lips
against slavery. THIS is no exaggeration,
no extraYagant picture; it is plain, unvarn-
ished truth. Tho limbs, the bones and mus
cles'of the negro were enslaVOd, bat n bond
age more Calling than corporal bondage
enslaved the white citizens of this Com
monweaIth. The white man was only free
in name, while in fact he was the slave of
worse bondage than negro Slavery. The
Slavery of the soul is worse than that of
the body. 1t is more degrading, more OPP
pressive, and harder to throw of. 1t fol-
lows its unhappy victim everywhere, sleep
ing and waking, in public and in private,
in church, market and farm. What are
the pains of the overseer's lash to the sense
of humiliation, of the loss OF manhood.
which he must feel who is the victim of
mental slavery2 slsa, q,
Non-slaveholders surely you feel that
this white Slavery has lasted long enough,
and that this is most propitiOus time to
throw off the letters which have sollong
enthralled not your bodies but your very
souls. Dare to act and think for yourselves
heuceforward. Tell the STAKEHOLDER that
you are his equal in all respects, and that
you will discuss and investigate freely ev-
cry question which he investigates and
discusses. Proclaim your freedom openly.
Tell the despots who have SO long subju-
gated you, that you will be free forever.
Fromthe New York Independent. 81
Dry Goods.