Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-11-02
New England and Slavery.

a irieha sends us the following transla-
tion Of an article on the above srbieo,
? from the New York Courier des Etats Uaia
of the 18th of July last. We doubt if
TINS cha5ter in American history was ever
before presented TO the public in fewer
words and clearer language. How well
would it have beer for Us of the nou-
slaveholding States if all of US had clearly
understood this matter. The fanatics Of
Ne" England would never have succeeded
IN spreading their poisonous sentiments
to the Middle and Western States. if tbis
had been done:
The stigma cast upon tho Southern
States for defending slavery has become
Stale. 1T is SO often repeated tha, il no
longer deceiyos any one. We know that
IN any event, slavery hiss had its day.
Whether 1t disappears at once, (Which is
neither probable, nor even desirable. on
account of the einexperience of the blacks
or whether 1t is destined to pass through
changes that will by degrees put the ne
gro in condition to bear his liberty.
Many persons pretend TO believe that
the North alone has been the great eman-
cpator, without remembering historical
facts. They attributeto the South strong
slavery sentiments and DO not INQUIRE
whether the real abolitionisls have The
right to destroy among their neighbors.
without giving them compensation, Gn
Institution that they have always used to
their own advantage.
! In IUL Jefferson, a representative Of
the sentiments of the South, presented TO
the Virginia Legislature (of which he was
q member) BILL which was adopted, TO
abolish the institution Of slavery. He
proposed, Also, plan of gradual emauci-
| PATTON, 10 which he added, as a prelimi-
nary, clause to authorize the emancipa-
| ton OF slaves and this bill became law.
Az this period slavery.-not profitable
TO the South-had become a burden TO
the North. Massachusetts, abolished il
within her own limits, without ceasing to
import slaves for the South. In 1854.
| Jefferson presented to Congress a measure
- rs~hiiit iha importation or slovae into
the territories ceded TO the United Slater
north of the Ohio. That was a part OF
the plan OF Southern emancipation. But
this measure was rejected, as being fatal
to the negro trade that Massachusetts, was
carrying on with great activity. 1t was
brought forward again in 1857, by Nathan1
Dane. and adopted IN spite Of tie oDDosiioa
Of Ne,g ERgland In the meantime, the
trade carriedaon by the North became fhe
subject Of warm debate in the Convention.
The North refused to have it abolished |
the South protested energetcally. The !
North demanded compensation for the
loss that would result from the abolition
of the trade; and the South Immediately
granted the monopoly Of tbe'coast trade. |
to the exclusion Of foreign vessels.
Thus it is that the slave trade had been
abolished since 1908, in spite of the efforts
of Massachusetts,, Connecticut, and New |
Hampshire
Finally, during the Presidency OF ,Teilar-
son, the State Of Virginia proposed to de-
volo to the emancipation Of slaves and
their EN- migration, the proceeds Of the sale
of the public lands granted her. This
proposition was rejected. 1t was only
when the time fixed for the abolition Of
the trade approached that New England,
irritated at the South for taking from her
this source Of profit, began TO consider
slavery an evil. We know how, since thai
period, the Northern States have got rid
OF the curse Of slavery They feed q
limit, after which all slaves were TO be
fr 90 The measure would have been q
good one but for the spectators, who
rendered it useless to those principally
Before the time fixed for
the owners sold their ne
groes TO the South, in order to have the
Hn Of pil ,,f
and filling their Golfers. 1t can be said
that tho North abolished S'acerN, but did not
emGacipats one black. Such are the men
who have thrown the country into The
most terrible war ever witnessed. Since
the great agitation which preceded the
it has never entered the minds
of the purtans, (so little scrupulous about
the peculiar institution" whilst they de-
rived great benefit from the trade, and
had their own slaves to sell to the South,
to compromise with the former, and to
be certain, before cutting eech others
throats, that there were no means Of set
tling the question financially, We see
every day honor paid TO Massachusetts
and her sister States for their philanihro-
py. II is this that has compelled us to
recall the historical facts above stated.
One must be very blind, or of very bad
faith, not to agree that the most intense
has always inspired the conduct
of the purtnns. 1t is TO the everlasting
honor Of the Democratic party 10 oppose
their exclusive views, and TO defend the
rights of the States against a central pow
err the instrument of New England. Be-
fore posteri,y this section of the Union
will bear, in great measure, the terrible
of the present war. With
out the agitation continually arising 10
their midst, and the danger always appre-
hended by the Southern people. secession
never would have taken place. The South,
proud and irritable, refused to abolish, by
threats, an institution that would have
abolished itself by the irresistible law of