Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-10-07
A Slavery Propogandist in 1860.

Think of these things, fellow countrymen-
con them over, one by one-dissect and ana
I'VE each fact-trace its connections and con
sequences +; and then, when you combine them
all in glowing picture of national prosper
ity. remember that COTTON, the produce Of sfare
labor, has been one of the Indispensable ele-
ments of all this prosperity. More, it must
Sc an indispen sable element of all our future
prosperity. l say il must be. The world
cannot and will not live without cotton.
There is not matron in all the Union that
can clothe her family or herself without II.
Nor can England do without our cotton.
Her mills and ours would rot. and her opera
tives and ours mould starve. if the negroes did
not raise cotton. Manumit them and they
will never raise another crop. They need the
authority Of master and the eye OF an over
seer to compel and direct them to the duties
Of the cotton plant which must be rendered at
the right season precisely, or the crop is lost.
And thus it happens, that the Providence
of that Good being who has Watched over US
from the beginning, and saved us from exter
nal foes has so ordered our internal relations
as to make negro slavery an incdicuiabte 6tes-
sing to and to the people of Great Britain.
] say to us for | do not enter into the ques-
tion whether the institution be an evil to the
people of the Southern States. That is their
concern not ours. We have nothing to do
with it. And to obtrude our opinions upon
the people of sovereign States concerning
their domestic institutions, would bs sheer
impertinence. But do you not see and feel
how goud il was for US to hand over our slaves
10 our friends of the South-how good it was
for us that they have employed them in rails
ing a staple for our manufactnrers-how wise
IL was to so adjust the Compromises of the
Constitution that we could live m union with
them and reap the signal advantages 10 which
| have adverted We consign them to no
heather thraiI, but to Christian men, profess
ing the same faith with ns-speaking the
same language-re ding the golden rule, in
no one-sided and distorted shape, but as 1t is
recorded. rule TO slaves as we'll as masters.
This aliusion To the golden rule reminds me
OF an objection which will be urged TO much
that have advanced. 1t will be said that
slavery IS a sin against God. and therefore,
that all reasons drawn from our material in
terests, for fsvoring or abet,ing il must go for
nothing.
II il he sin, agree there is an end to
nv argument, hut what right has the Ahoi-
tiopists to pronounce il sin say Aboli-
ZIONIST because the I.asior of the First Pres
byterjsn Church OF Brooklyn. in a sermon
preached within week. defined an Abolition
ist TO be one who holds that slavery is a sin.
/ accept the definition, and according TO il
many of our best Christian people must be ac
Counted Abolitonists for il is astonishing
how extensively the religious mind of the
North has admitted into itself the suspicion
not to say conviction, that slaveh oiding is a
SIM If a sin. then it is violation OF some
Divine law, for sin is the transgression of the
law.
Now, deny that any such law has ever been
revealed The burden of showing ii is on
him who alleges, and when II is shown, l a
gree it shall rule out all that has been said or
rsa he said for Union :oundsd on slavery