The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-02
From tho Catholic Telegraph, June 24 ]
Slavery,

To calm the anxiety Of some, and
mitigate the ferocity of others, we have
withdrawn as much as possible, without
compromising our position, from the dis
cussion of the slavery question. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the friends Of the
system are determined to run it into the
ground-the only way to cover its enor-
mites. Political education, and the un-
willingness of the Church to interfere
with vested rights, and consequently alb
staining from discussing the propriety
of its removal by legislative means, have
made many believe that it was improper
to entertain thought prejudicial to the
right of slaveholding This state of
things has been changed by the lovers
and defenders of slavery We are re-
l,eved from our recognizance, and are
at liberty to speak and write, pro or con,
as our sense ofjustice directs.
Now, good reader, you may be as
preiudiced as you please, but no cause
was ever gained by anger or bad will,
but by clear reason and honest truth.
Let 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 con-
slider competent in authority, before God
or man. to make you slave? Would
you exchange your liberty for anything
this world can offer? So precious is the
blessing that you would rather die than
forfeit it. Liberty is, then, a 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 occu pies
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 enshrined? Fear not for
them, some friend replies to his aching
gaze-fear not, the Sisters of Charity
will protect and cherish the little onesl
But if he should leave those children
slaves Who then will protect them
Who will stand between them and the
uplifted hand of the taskmaster? All!
stand aside, you Sisters of Charity, you
Priests of God-stand aside-your min
istry ceases here-your Church is pow
erless-these are my slaves, body and
soul-the one must labor without re
ward-I refuse to provide means tc
evangelize the other! How, good read
er, would you like, on your death-bed, tc
hear such words as these? And this i
no exaggeration; we use not a word tor
, much Is this the disposition you would
, like to have made of your children wher
about to leave them orphans?
But you reply that the master il
} obliged by the law to provide for them
: Well, if so, ,could you like your chiltlre,
to be thus prouided .fore
You may be as prejudiced as yol
: please, my Catholic friend, but we def
f you to answer the foregoing question
l without being compelled, in the sam
: breath, to condemn slavery as a mon
? strous evil You dare not kneel dow
? and say to God: 40 God, do unto m
: here and hereafter as l wish to do unit
= the slave-keep me in eternal bondage.
e And yet you will persist to crafty
= senseless prejudice against the negro a
the expense of your own sense of justice
|. of propriety, and in contempt of tha
t honor which every man is presumed t
n cherish as the immediate jewel of hi
s. soul" You repel, With indignation, tn
e idea of slavery as applicable to you, an
n by a monstrous inconsistency insist O
1t its application to othersl