Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-10
SLAVERY.


socially, morally, or politically, IN whatever
way il NAV be considered, is before Congress
This present session. We mean none other
than the bill to amend the Federal ConStitu-
ZION for the adjustment of slavery through
out the United States. In antiquity, slavery
is one of the most venerable of our institu-
tons, and it has been the one most fruitful
of domestic discomfort. In 1920, the same
year in which the Pilgrims landed on Ply
mouth Rock, the first cargo of slaves was
landed in Virginia. The slave trade was en-
couraged by the British Government 50 long
as they held sway over the Thirteen Colonies,
and so late even as lTI5, after the RevoIu-
ton had commenced-after bold Ethan Allen
had demanded the surrender of Fort IIcon-
derona in the name Of the Great Jehovah
and Continental Congressman Dartmouth,
in answer TO n remonStrance from the Agent
of the Colonies, replied: 1--WE cannot allow
the Colonies to check or discourage i'll any
degree traffic so beneficial to the nation"
Thus, from the earliest settlement OF the
Colonies, the British nation continued to
thrust slavery Upon the Americans, so long
as thew could exercise the power, simply be-
cause il was profitable. Thus to the grasp
ing ayarice OF English ministers and English
capitalists, We owe years Of domestic diScon-
tent, which has ended as might have been
expected in furious civil war. The Colonies
were early opposed to the establishment Of
the evil among them. In 1911, Massachn-
sets punished the slave trade with death,
and it was also interdicted in Virginia and
North Carolina. Men in those days saw the
result which would necessarily follow from
an establishment of the evil and sought to
ward off the danger. But their polite and
philau,hropic efforts awaited little against
capital and unprincipled speculation, and
with their first efforts commenced the struS-
gle between liberty, humanity and justice,
and proud unprincipled avarice, which has
constantly been growing tiercer until 1t eul-
minated in bloody war. Other nations have
always looked upon this dark blot in our
political system as national disgrace, and 1t
has always been regarded by our wisest and
best statesmen as an evil which should be
discarded at the first possible moment. Says
jefferson THE spirit Of the master is
abating; that OF the slave is rising
from the dust, and the ways l hope
preparing under the auspices of Heaseu
for total emancipation" But just SO fast
as the philanthropic spirit spread through
the land just SO much more jealousy did the
STAKEHOLDER guard his fossered institution and
when the rapid advancement of the free
States foretold the doom of slavery in signs
that could not be mistaken, its adherents
vainly attempted with violent threats and
acts to turn the inevitable result aside. Said
Mr.. Brooks, Of South Carolina, in the Sem
ate, in 1855, /" am willing to let the Union
slide-aye, sir, and to aid in making it slide"
And Mr.. Jones, of Tennessee, being more
warlike declared before that same august
body: al tell you in every hand there will be
a knife, and there will be war to the knife
and knife TO ths hilt." And so the strife
went on from bad to worse, until it ended in
secession, and secession blazed ont in civil
war. This present war is the first appeal to
arms slavery has made since it was introduced
on this continent. Shareholders dictated the
terms of the Constitution, inasmuch as they
refused TO accept it unless framed to their
wish, and they have eudeayored to control
the action Of the Government ever since.
They succeeded for long time by the free
use of chicanery and threats; when they
failed in this they resorted to violent acts
The extinction of slavery in the Union
is now no more than just punishment Of
its crime. The time has come when the fond
hope Of jefferson and Of Washington can be
realized-when that which has for years been
4 source of domestic discord can be swept
away. The blood of friends, brothers and
fathers calls to US from Southern battlehelds
to wipe away the stain, and urges our states
men to strike the final blow and crush the
monster while they may.