The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-05-26
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However, we repeat that we do not deig1
to argue this point with vou, as we proclaim
to the world our conviction that no cOnsti.
tutiunal law can create or sanction Slavery
Slavery is repugnant to the FIRST principles
Of society but it is enough for US to say, as
regards Americans, that It il utterly repug
( nant to that declaration Of the equality o
all men. and to the ina!ienable right Of al
men to life and liberty. To this Deolaratio
the e. ee citizens Of the United States have
in the persons Of their ancestors, solernnly
pledged their ''sAcREn HONOR"
q We shall at once show you how that ..sa
cred honor" is basely violated, and also de
monstrate how. equally, devoid, Of cando'
your address is, inasmuch as you rely on the
Constitution of the United States as preclu
ding the abolition Of Slavery, while YOU to-
tally omit all mention, of one. District
which the constitutional law alleged by you
does not reach. We mean the District Of
Columbia. fl s'FD P"s si'te
In the District of Columbia there Is nc
constitutional law 10 prevent the Congress
from totally abolishing Slavery within thai
District. Your Capitol is there. The TIE a
pie of American Freedom is there. The
Hall Of your Republican Representatives.
the Hall Of your Republican Senators--the
National Palace Of your Republican Pres;.
Dent is there-and Slavery is there, too, in
its most revolving form The slave-trade is
there-the most disgusting traffic in human
beings is there; human flesh ia bought an
! sold like swine in the pig market-ave in
| your Oapital---vour Washington Yes. lie,
Americans be as proud as they please, this
black spot is on their escutcheon. Even IN.
! der the shade of the Temple Of their Con
stitu:ion. the man of color crawls slave, and
the tawny American stalks a tvrant.
The cruelty of the slave trade rests moi
| there it goes much further. The poor and
paltryr privilege even Of prayer is denied
them; and you, even xou, pseudo, Irish.
nen are. the advocates and indicators OF
such asysten. What would not vol al
least. insist that their groans should be
heard gs alrfd oat W
II is carried still further. Even the free
born white Americans are not allowed to
petition upon any subject including the
question Of Slavery; or. at least. no such
petition can he read aloud or printed. And
| although the Congress is entitled to abolish
Slavery in Columbia, the door for petition
prayi q that abolition. is closed without the
power Of being opened
| We really think that men who c,me from
generous and warm hearted ireland should
shrink into nonentitv rather than become
the advocate and defenders of the system ol
Slavery. Bat we trust that the voic. Of in
dignanr Ireland will scatter then. and pr
vent them from repeating such crime
In another point of view, your address is
| if possible, more culrable You state thai
before the Abolitionists proclaimed their
giSh to have Slavery abolished, several
slaveholding States were preparing f,r the
gradual emancipation Of their negroes, and
that hums ne individuals in other States were
about to adopt similar measures asaa ion
We utterly deny your assertion, and We
defy you to show any single instance o
| preparatory stems taken hv anv State for the
e,nanciDation Of negroes before the Abolition
demand was raised F6l violate truth in
that assertion. Phere was no such prepa
rations. 1t isa pure fiction, invented bv
shareholders out Of their unjust aninosity
To the Abolitionsts II is said tha: the fear
of Abolition has rendered the saveholders
more strict, harsh. aud cruel toward their
wretcbed slaves, and that they would he
more gentle and humane il they were not
afraid Of the Abolitionists We repeat that
this is not true, and is merely an attempt IN
cast blame on thnse who would coalesce to
put an end to Negro Slavery.
Iti in the same spirit that tn. criminal
calumnia.es his prosecutor, and the felon
reviles his accqser. II Is. therefore, utterly
untrue that the shareholders have male the
chains Of the negro more heavy through any
ear Of abolition.
Yet if you tell the truth if the fact be
that the negro is made to suffer for the zeal
OF the Ahelltioni>t>; If he is treated with in.
creased cruelty by reason of the taunt of the
friends of abolition, then. indeed. the slave
holders must be a truly Satanic race, Their
conduct. according to yon, Il .diabolical. =
The Abolitionists commit an offence, andthu
unhappy negroes are punished The Abo-
litionists violate the law Of property. and the
penalty OF their crime is imposed upon the
neeroi Can anything be more repugsant to
every idea Of justice? Yet this is your state,
ment.
II We, on the other hand. utterly deny the
truth Of your allegations; and where we And
you calumpiate the, STAKEHOLDER. we become
their advocates against your calumny. You
paiumniate everyboav av---slaves. AbolitiQnists,
and veholders--framers of Constitutions
makers Of lays-7everybody! The slaver
holders are not !avorites Of ours, but we win
do men jYsfices and VIII not permit you IL
imnnte an impossible crins to ,them.s ~ a,t
You tel rs, with an air Of triumph. that
public opinion in yoar country is, the great
law giver Hit be so. how much does il
enhance the guilt of your conduct, that you
seek 10 turn public opinion against the slave
and in favor of the Shareholder. that Won
laud the master a. generous and humane,
and disparage. as much as you can. the un
happy slave; instead Of influencing. a.
Irishmen ought to do, the public mind in "a
yor of the oppressed You carry your ex.
agesratians to- a ludicrous pitch, denoting
your utter, ignorance Of tbe history OF the
human race.
You say that "the negro is really inferior
as race; that Slavery has stamped its de-
basing influences upon the Africans; that be
tween him and the white almast century
would be required to eJeyate the character
Of the one, and to destroy the antipathy OF
the other" You add-we use your own
wcrds-"The very odor Of the negro is al
most insp eerable to the white: and however
much humanity may larpept il, we make MOI
rash declaration when we say the two races
cannot exist together on equal terms under
our 'Governnent and our lnstitutions.'"
We quote this paragraph at full length,
because Il Is replete with your mischievous
errors and guilty mode OF thinking.
in the irst place, as to the odor Of the ne.
groes, we are quite aware That they haye not
az yet como to use much OF the otto Of roses
or eau de cVlonge. But we implore ar yOiir