Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-05-02
So es.ps Isli Fpr as Democrat and star.
.AbolitiOnists and AboIiiionism.
No. i.

= sss y g.. - F.. =. NO lit e.,t
MEssRs. EDtToRs; j In the few shortnum-
bers / now propose to furnish for your col
urnns series of articles under the above
caption shall use the term :. Abolition
list, = as applicable to that class of persons
who in violation of the principles of our
political fathers, and ofthe compact enter
ed into by them, to establish this Union of
States, have for many years, unnecessarily,
agitated the subject OF slavery in the family,
in the social circle, ia the district schools, in
the eseminaries, in the academies, in the col
leges, in the Sunday schools, in'the pulpit,
in borough, in township, in county, in State
and general elections, in the State Legisla-
lures, in Congress, and everywhere put of it
g g And the term Z "AboItionism' / shall ap-
ply to their doctrines and practices in COM
mencing and promoting this unnecessary and
wicked agitation. My first inquiry is, What
were the principles of our fathers?' These
are happily laid down IN the Declaration of
Independence; enunciated by Thos, Jeffer-
son, but reported by the committee of Ave,
of which he was Chairman, unanimously
adopted by Congress on the 4th of July,
l776. In this celebrated document their
principles are fully set forth, but for my
present purpose it will be sufficient to quote
the Declaration, "That all men, THAT is
white men] are created equal y This is the
Declaration made by jefferson and unani-
mously adopted by his compatriots then in
Congress assembled at Philadelphia. That
the negro was not. included in this declara-
ton is clearly proven in the subsequent adop-
ton, by the same statesmen, of the Federal
Constitution, with the provision in it to con
tinue the slave trade tll1S08 ~ %.
But says the Abolitionist, "the negro was
included in that Declaration. F" This cannot
be proven, and is therefore untrue. The
fathers Of the Republic were just and acted
consistent with the principles they declared,
hence could not consistently have continued
the African slave trade for more than thirty
years after declaring negroes to have been
created equal with white men.
Secondly If our fathers included the ne
gro in the Declaration that all men are ere
ated equal they could not honestly nor
consistently have held slaves, (which they
did) after adopting such Declaration; nor in
making and establishing the Constitution,
with provision for Congressional Fugitive
Slave Law, under which runaway slaves
should legally be returned to their masters.
Yet such Constitutional provision was made,
see Act 4, Sec 2,clause 3, and under it Con
gress passed Fugitive Slave Law which
was approved by President Washington in
1898.
Hence it appears the principles held and
enunciated by the illustrious fathers of the
Declaration, the Constitution, and the Laws
made in pursuance thereof were based upon
the Scriptural idea that God has created
white men equal. and made them superior
to black men, who are also equal among
themselves in their inferiority. This shows
that the principles and pracicesof the Faith
ers were consistent with the Bible, the laws
of God, as established in Revelation and in
nature Thus it is evident that they never
thought of declaring their dependant slaves
equal with themselves, and they .neverlegis-
lated to make equal, that which the Almighty
had created unequal. JEFFERSON.