The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-03-27
Clagett to the AbOlftiOnists
in 1852.


Hs DsnounssS slavery as / Moral Eyll....I,
ePpsasd 40 IT. Extsnsisn.
Resisted the Admission Of Texas on the
Ground that IL would give Slave
holdeYs%hs Balance Of Power.
Beasts tAAs Ase vie We are EaAsrsea
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We publish the following letter, writ
ten - Doctor 6hsdd, of Denmark, in
1859, the original of which 10 in oul
possession. e.r~4sa
KEokuK. low .. July z. 1852.
Docroa 6HRDD:
DR.. Sri trust you . viii pardon the
liberty take with you on 4 short &C.
quaintance, OF addressing you on sub
jeet relating to myself and if the public
+, had no interest IN il, should pay no At.
,entien to it. But, sir, / desire to stand
In no equivocal position wherein my
character is concerned. -
You have no doubt heard Of report
that was put in circulation in your neigh
borhood by H. w. Sample. Of this city,
for political purposes that bad been to
Maryland and sold slaves to get money to
be used in the elsction. This report
positively assert is false from beginning
to end. In the 6rst place, when l re-
turned 70 Maryland in the spring to Wis
it my hthss, I owned 10 slaves; neither
have ! had any conaec ction with slavery
since | first lsft the State for my home in
the West; neither do / ever intend ia
have any relation to the institution again
| have always considered traffic il slaves
Tor pecuniary gain diYrepasaIls. 1t is
true that | wss once = slaveholder-but
always against my will and / left my
native State and kin soiely and alone 10
rid nsyself and children from the Uiyht-
ing influence of siacery.
The facts iu my case are simply these:
my grandfather died = hen ! Was but two
years old, leaving to me by will four fe-
male slaves, and when / had arrived to
the age Of maturity they had increased to
over twenty. Ny ta'her no doubt thinking
it best for me, when bee sme man, being
his Oldest child, settled lne en- farm, with
land and slaves as my portion of his
estate. This was done against my wish
ss but ! could not resist it. have ev-
er been anxious, through life, to rid my
self Of slavery; but no opportunity ever
occurred for me to do 50. in justice to my
self and my slaves. until the iall of 1850.
AT that time a younger brother was mar
ried, and my father was abou, to settle
him as he had done me, by purchasing
for him lsnd and slaves. My brother
being more partial to tn institution than
myself, | therefore pers uaded my father
10 take back my slaves and land which
be had given me. as we'll ~ tlsaee which
| had derived through my grandfather,
aud give me the moacy which he then
proposed giving my hrosher. This was
accomplished after much effort on my
part. a my father was unwilling for nae
to leave my land. In tins arrangement /
lost at least twenty thousand dollars in
the value Of my property, Is I had to
make the deduction in order to effect the
arrangement. So, sir, you see left Ill
the slaves just IS ! found them. Many
of them were married, and had children
on the adjoining farms: and now cons
cisntiously believe that l did the best
thing that | could for them under the
circumstances. | know my father and
brother arc humane masters, and will
provide for them; and lam happy to say
that when ] last saw them, they were
contsnted and we'll provided for.
! have always been opposed to slavery,
not that consider it sinful in stse!T I'M
der the peculiar circumsla ances-but be.
cause know tito be : great morai. euiz.
and injurious more. in my opinion, to the
whites chan TO the slaves themselves. II
hold thstit i the dasy Of the free States
not 70 extend itsany furthes over our
country, and With that view ! opposed the
admission Of Texas into the Union. II
could not b induced 70 extend it fur
ther; and ! look forward fondly to the
nme when trust The last vestige Of it
viii be erased from our country's eseutoA-
con- Nothing could induce me to in
volve my children With lit. HI have
erred b il %. But ! sm not willing 70
stand Ia any other position than thst oil
truth aud justice.
Ess rN -