The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-07-01
From ths Catholic Telegraph, June a.
Slavery.

To calm the anxiety of some, and miti-
gate the fsrocitysof others. We have with.
drawp as much as possible, without COM
promising our position, from the discus.
sion Of the slavery question. 1t appears,
however, that the friends of the system
are determined TO run il into the ground
the only why to oover its snormities.-
Political education, and the unwillingness
of the Church to interfere with vested
rights. and consequently sustaining from
discussing the propriety Of its removal by
Legislative means, have made many be-
lieve that it was improper to entertain a
thought prejudicisl to the right Of slave
holding. This state Of things has been
changed by the lovers and defenders Of
slavery. We are relieved from our re-
cognixance, and are at liberty to speak and
write pro or con, as our sense OF justice
directs.
Now, good reader, you may be preju-
diced as you please, but no cause was
ever gained by anger or bad will. but by
clear reason and honest truth. Lut US
reason together. Would You like to be a
slave! Is there any power in the Church
or out Of the Church, in the State or out
of it, which you would consider compe-
tent in authority, before God or man, to
make you slave? Would you exchange
your liberty for anything this world can
ofery So precious is the blessing that
you would sooner die than forfeitit. Lib.
erty is. then, priceless boon. 1t is the
glory of the man, the guardian angel of
his homestead, the bright inheritance of
his children. When the head of the
family is on his death bed, the thought
which most occupies his mind, next TO
God, is the welfare of those who are soon
to be orphans.
Who can tell how deeply in his heart
their image is enshrineds Fear not for
them, some friend replies to his aching
gsze-fssr not. the Sisters of Charity win
protect and cherish the little ones But
if be should leave those children slaves
Who then will protect theme Who will
stand between them and the uplifted hand
of the task master? Alb! stand aside, you
Sisters Of Charity, you Priests of God
stand aside--your ministry ceases here
your Church 10 powerless-there are nv
slaves. body and soul---the one must Ia.
Dor without reward--I refuse to provide
means to eyangelize the other! How,
good reader, would you like, on your death
bed, to hear such words as thesey And
this is no exaggeration We use not o
word too much. IL this the disposition
you would like to have made OF your
children when about to leave them or.
phans?
But yopreply that the master is oblis-
ed by law to provide for them. Well, il
80, ,oculd you like your children thus pro.
Didsa forf
You may be prejudiced as you please,
my Catholic friend. but We defy you to an.
swer the foregoing questions without be
ing compelled, in the same breath, to con
denim slavery as monstrcus evil. You
dare not kneel down and say to Cod
ooh! God, do unto INC here and hereafter
as wish to do unto the slavs-keep m,
10 eternal bondage" And yet you vii
persit to crafty senseless prejudic,
against the negro, at the expense of you
own sense Of justice. Of propriety, and il
utter contempt of that honor which ever,
man is presumed 70 cherish as I" the im
mediate jewel of the soul" You repel
with indignation, the idea Of slavery a
applicable TO you, and by q monstrous in
consistency insist on its application Il
othersl
Let us now look at another feature o
slavery. We find the following in thu
Nashville Union
"a female slave was recently sold il
Richmond for 83.08O. She was entirel
white; hence the remarkable price com
mandsd."
Here is specimen Of the kind of Christ
ianity which slavery recommends. Sucl
occurrences are common. Wa were one
induced by friend to visit . slave il
New Orleans. In an assembly Of som,
fss or six hundred men, We saws youn,
girl in whom no tint Of the negro could b
detected, except by practiced souther
eye, exposed to sale, standing on bloc
SO that her person could be observed BY
all. Overcome by the horror of her pc
sition, she wept bitterly and attempted I
cover her face with her hands. but va
rudely ordered to forego even that Sigh
effort of nature to guard her modesty.-
She was sold for nine hundred dollars!
What do you think Of a system, m
Catholic friend, which justi6ss sue
scenes as these! Is the editor of the Te
: egraph TO be denounced and abused b
cause no raises his voice against the pei
petuation of an institution which insult
humanity so grossly, and dares to appe'
to Gods holy Church in vindication an
, support of the intolsrable wrong? 18th
the kind Of civilization which our blesse
: Savior came to establish? You say 70
are q Catholic. Return home and res
: spproyingly to your wife or sister
daughter such details as the foregoin
: and then show your chivalrous regard t