Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-09-29
Woodward's
Records!

tuuate politician. With abilities worth,
Of Q better fate, and the ambition Of
Burr, be bss almost always been on tn
wrong side on Election day. Twice ha
he been defeated by his own party, OF
account Of his Free Trade aud othel
beresies. The only deliberative body
calculated to draw out bis sentiments, o.
which he was ever q me mber, was the Con
vention to revise the Constitution oI
Penn's, in 1888. His public positions
then and since, are matters for fair criti
cism, aud show him to be a very changing
unreliable parsonage. We will first ex'
anime him upon the question of
HIS ABOLITIONISM.
lu Vol. y. of the authorized published
debates Of said Convention, pages l6 to
25, Mr.. Woodward, while opposed to their
voting, yet expressed manly and statesman
like respect for the "iua!iensble title to
civil aud religious freedom" Of colored
men, and the hope that Slavery would
soon be abolished 10 the South. A few
Of bis views We here copy:
What he said in 1883.
"Whatever the Sin of seixiog the de-
fenoeless African, of tearing him from his
home aud conutry, aud carrying him into
hopeless bondage in distaut land, lies
at the door Of Eogand. Aud whatever
evil has resulted, or is to result to the col
ored people or tie whites of this country,
from the institution of domestic slavery,
and the presence among us of large masses
of degraded aud wretched blacks, is also
fairly chsrgeable to the inhumsu policy of
Great Britain"
81 his policy,so disgrsceful to England,
and So mi arious to The colonies, SO perse-
vcriugly adhered to by her, aud SO abuu.
dant in bitter fruits to US, was one Of the
causes which 6uaIly impelled the colonies
to throw off their allegiance to Great
Britain"
"The Revolution was not yet fought,
their independence was not yet established,
when the "Oid Dominion and the future
"Keystone' Of the Federal arch eX-
tingulshed for ever within their borders
the ncfarions trc6fc IN human flesh
"If the English instead of superadding
to their guilt, by attempts to dissolve our
Union, and to sacrifice our liberties, were
to enlighten, civilixe aod christianize the
remaining millions on the continent Of
Africa, they would scarcely atone for the
deep and unutterable injuries Inflicted on
that race by the prosecution of the slave
trade"
sit is the great excellence aud beauty
Of our system that is founded on the con-
sent Of the governed, SO that allegiance
and fidelity result as necessary couse-
quences, and need not be enforced by
Oaths and positive euactments. But, sir,
the negroes nerer assented, and their pres
eEcs here, siuce it was procured by fraud
and force, could not be construed into an
adoption Of the country, or an acGuies-
cencc in its forms Of government. They
we're brought here to be slaves aud not
freemen."
"Tbe act Of 1880, which abolished sla-
very in Pennsylvania, was proud mouu-
ment to the humane policy Of the State.
1t wiped out the stain of slavery, which
England had left on our soil, and coufer-
red on the negro what be bad not before
enjoyed-civil freedom. 1t secured to
him those civil rights to which be iu com.
mon with all other human beings, of
whatcuer cline or complexion, had an
inolienaJle title, and of which he ought
never to have been deprived"
~ believe the negro race to be capable
of self government. Undoubtedly they de- |
serue ciyH and religious treedom, aud,
with proper culture, are capable of enjoy |
ing it. And, sir, verify do l believe that
the much wronged people Of the South
would add to the tide of emigration BY
gradually oLolishing slavery, and sending
their blacks to Africa, SO that We might
hope that our country could see the day
,chen aauery on her soil rouM be ertinc.."
Some people would call that "Aboli.
tionism." They we're the just concep- |
tious Of young man, with q heart open
to generous impulses, and educated 10 the
school Of our Revolutionary sires. But
quarter Of . century has made him an
older if not better man. (Some fruits
ripen but others vot) After the REBEL. |
ion had made some progress, Judge Wood
ward (lS6Oi made . speech in Pbilad.,
which was Published 10 pamphlet form.
That edition is now suppressed, and
portion Of it appears iu the me~fpapers
From that speech, it will be seen that be
now advocates perpetual Slavery IS . j
right! blessing and an indispensable
necessity for England and for the
Uuion-aye, he virtually justi6es the Re-
bsllioa to Perpetuate Slavery!
What he said In 1860.
"Remember that Cotton, the produce Of
slave labor, has been one Of the indispep-
sable elements Of oil this prosperity.
More, it must be an indispensable element
Of oil our future prosperity. I say it
must be. The world can not and will not
live without cotton. There is not . ma.
tron in all tho Union that can clothe her
family or herself without it. Nor can
Eccien1 In -;khnwt nm, ~ottor ua.