The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-05-26
9 '2'.aa as LETTER OF -,f
DANIEL O.C0NNELL,
J"7h On American slavery.

~ "A ~ "a V'CU ~ ~ Ell l.,
'"'a On American slavery.
4 The Conimittee to whom the address from
the Cincinnati Irish Repeal Association, or
the subject of Negro Slavery in the United
States of America, was referred, have agreed
to, the following report,
E.,jGs .IIl.Jlf CoRN EXCHANGE RooMs,l
DUBLIN, Oct III. l843.
| We have read. with the deepest aff1ictior
not unmixed with some, surprise and much
indignation, your detailed and anxious vim
dication Of the most hideous crime that has
ever stained humanity--4the slavery OF meu
of color in the United States of America
We are lost in utter atnazement at the pre-
version Of mind and depravitv of heart
which your address esinces. How can the
generous, the charitable. the humane, the
noble emotions of the Irish heart, have be-
come extinct among you? How can your
nature he so totally changed as that you
should become the apologists and advocates
Of that execrable system which makes man
the property of bis fellow misunderstanding
the foundation of all moral and social vir.
|
and irrelieon, ,nilIons Of our fellow creatures
renders the slave hopeless of relief, and
perpetuates oppression by law and. IN the
name of what you call a Constitutioni
| 1t was not in ireland yon learned this
cruelty. Your mothers were gentle, kind
and humane Their bosoms overflowed
with the honey Of human charity. Your
sisters are, probably, many Of them still
among us, and participate in all that is
good and benevolent in sentiment and
action How. then. can you be so dcpraveds
How can your souls have become stained
with a darkness blacker than the negro's
skinp You cay YOU hav no pecuniary in.
terest in negro Slavery. Would that you
had for it might~-,be some ,palliation.e al
your crime but alas you have inflicted
ubon us, the horror Of heholding you the
volunteer advocates Of despotism, in its
most frishtful state Of Slavery. IN its most
loathsoine' and untc!enting form.
We were, unhappily. prepared to expect
some fearful exhibition Of this description
There has been testimony borne agains,
the Irish, by birth or descent, ia America
by person fully informed as to the facts
and incapable Of the slightest misrepreSen
|
birth; man gifted with the highest order
Of talent and the most generous emotions o
the heart-the great. the good Lord Nor.
pe,h---he who, in the House Of Commons
boldly asserted the superior social morality
Of the 'oorer classes of the Irish over any
other people-he.. the best friend Of any o
f;he Saxon race that Ireland and Irish eve,
knew--he amid the congregated thousands
at Exter Hall. in London. RInournfully, bn,
firmly, denounced the Irish in America as
being among the worst eneInaa Of the
negro slaves and other men Of of color.
| 1t is therefore, our solelpn and sacred
duty to warn u, in words already alread
used, and much misunderstood by you :
| ITO come out of her" mot thereby meaning
to ask yon to come ont Of America, hnt on
Of the councils IF the niquitous, and olt o
the congregation of the wicked, who con
sider man chattel and a property. and lib
erty an inconvenience. Yes We tell YOU
to core ont Of such assemblages, but we
did not and do.not invite you to return to
Ireland. The vnlu1teer defenders Of slave
~, surrounded ty one thousand crimes
would find neither sympathy nor support
among native uneontaminated Trshmen
| Your advocacy ofSlavery is founded mp
on gross erIpr. Yon take for granted
that man can be the property of his fellow
man. You speak in terms Of indignation
Of those who would deprive white men oI
their property" and thereby render them.
selves capable Of supporting their families
| in affiuence. You forget the other side oa
the picture. You have neither sorrow nor
sympathy for the suffering of those who
are iniquitously compelled to lahm for the
ainuence Of Others; those who work with.
out wsges-yho toll without reoompense-z
who spend their Hives in procuring for 9th
1ers the splen-dor and wealth in which they
do not participate e
You totally forget the sufferings Of the
| wretched black men. who are deprived O,
their all without any compensation or re
dress If you, yourselves. all Of you--or il
any one of you were, without crime or Of
fence committed by you. banded oyer into
perpetual slavery, If you were compelled
to work from sunrise to sunset without wa.
ges. supplied only with such c. arse food and
raiment as would keep you in working
liorder; y. when your "owper"'. fell into
debt, you were sold to pay his debts. not
your own; II it we're made crime to teach
/ you to read and write; IL you were liable to
he separated, in the distribution of assets,
from your wives and your children; II
you (above alp were tO fall into the hands
Of brutal master-and you cnndescended
to admit that there gre some brutal masters
in America--if. anoag alI these c:rcum
stances. some Friendly sp,rits Of more
generous order were desirous to give liberty
to You and vonr families- with what incf-
fol L..
those who should traduce the generous
spirits who wonid elieve you. And YOU
now, pseudo Irishmrn--shamep ppon youi-
have traduced and vihfed the Aboiiionists
~ North Americal X asH It
But, you came forward with Justification.
forsooth You say that the Constitution Of
America prohibits ibs abolition of Slavery
Paltrv and miserable subterfuge! The con-
sttution in America Is founded upon the
Declaration Of Independence That Declar
alton published 10 the world its glorious
principles; that Charter Of your freedom
contained these emphatic words
1--WE hold these truths to he self evident
that all men are crested equal: that they are
endowed by the Creator with certain inalien
able rights that among these 3re lite. iiber-
", snd the pursuit T happinessS and the
conclusion Of that address is in these words.
"For the support Of this Declaration !,
with Rr,a reliance on toe protection of Di-
vine Providence, we mutually pledge to
each other onr lives, our fortunes, and our
sacred honor" err 9aF ,aa,
There is an American honor for you
There is . profans allasion to the adorable
Creator. # .e4
Recollect that the Declaration does not
limit the equality Of man. or the rights to-