Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-06-17
FROM THOMAs IRFFKRs0N's NOTES ON


&. at is difficult to determine ON the stand
ard by which the manners OF u nation may
be tried. whether s'catholic" or particular
1t is more difficult for native to bring tC
that. standard the manners of his own ma
dfion, famihsrized to him BY habit.
There must doubtless be an unhappy in
fiuenee on the manners of our people, pro
duced by the existence of slavery among
us. The whole commerce between master
and shave is a perpetual exercise of the
most boisterous passions, the most unre.
uniting despotism on the one part, and de-
grading submissions on the other.
0Hr children see this and learn to imi-
tate it, for man is an initiative animal
This quality is the germ of all education
in him. From his cradle to his grave he il
learning to do what he sees. others do. Il
a parent could find no motive, either in his
philanthropy or his self-lore, for restraining
the intemperance of his passion towards
his slave, it should always be sufficient
one that his child is present; but general
ly it is not sufficient. - =.
"'' The parent storms, the child looks on,
catches the hneamentS of wrath, puts on
the same airs in the circle of smaller slaves,
gives aloose to the worst of passions, and
thus nursed, educated and daily exercised
10 tyranny cannot but be stamped by it
with edious pecuharities,
90 The man must be prodigy who can re-
tam his manners and morals undeprayed
by such circumstances and with what ex-
ecration should the statesman be loaded,
who, permitting one-half of the citizens
thus to trample on the rights of the other,
transforms thoseinto despots and these in
to enemies, destroys the morals Of the one
part and the arnaor pdtrie of the other.
For if slave can have country IN this
world, It must be any other IN preference
to that In which he is born to live and la
Dor for another: in which he must lock up
the faculties of his nature, contribute as far
as depends on his individual endeayors to
the evanishment of the human race, or en-
tail his own miserable condition on the
endless generations proceeding from him.
= With the morals of the people their in
dustry also is destroyed. For in warm
climate, no man viii labor for himself who
can make another labor for him. This is
so true, that of the proprietors of slaves
very small proportion indeed are ever seen
to labor.
And can the liberties of nation be tho't
secure when we have removed their only
firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the
people that these liberties are Of the gift of
God-that they are not to be violated but
with his WRATH Indeed I trsDsble for my
country aOhen reflect that God is jast;-
that has justice cannot sleep .foreuer; that
considering numbers, nature and natural
means only, revolution of the wheel of
fortune, an exchange of situation is among
possible events. The Almighty has no at
tribute which can take sides with US in
such contest
But it is impossible to be temperate and
pursue this subject through the various
considerations of policy, of morals, of his
tory, natural and civil.
We must be contented to hope they will
force their way into every ones mind. l
think change already perceptible, since
the origin of the present resolution. The
spirit Of the master is abating-that of the
slave rising from the dust, his condition
modifying, the way, hope, preparing un-
der the auspices of heaven for total eman-
cipation, and that this is disposed in the
order of events, to be with the consent of
the masters, rather than by their extirpa-
tion."