Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-08-20

holding spirit still exercises mastery AT
the South. Nor is it pertinent TO the oc'
casion 10 talk of their "intinite wrongs
now that they are emancipated and en-
iranchiscd, supplied with multitndinous
schools aud teachers, free to mako their
own contracts As independent laborers,
protected as husbands ami wives, bound
together as parents and children, voting
and being voted tor. pursuing .ucce'sful'
iy all professional employ menl>. steadily
augmenting their home comforts and lay
ing up wealth, occupyim. stations oil trust
and emolumont, aud having their repre-
sentatives in every southern Legislature
and on The floor ol Congress True, in
certain localities they arc .lili subjected
10 many indignitiss. and sometimes TO
horrible outragos; but these aru Inflicted
by that class ol incUrrisibic niscrcan,s ut
the South, who are just now IN happy nj
liliatiou with yourself To place Horace
Greeley on the Presidential chair True
there Is still throuu hout the country n
strong prejudice against social equality, e,
Irrespective OF color; but this is steadily
Yielding. and in many cases has ceased to
operate. The special time TO express
>, mpathy Tor the "iutnite wrongs" of the
colorcd race was when they had few TO
interiors Tor their d0liverancs from the
auction-block and saye-co file, from tho
slave drivers CORY lash, from calling
y.Aoa and torturing thumb screws. IRON
the ianss ui pursuing hloodhound', from
the clutches OF proWling kidnaPpers. from
iuCuncciVab.- agunics at tile burning
slaku; aud when 10 remember those in
bond, 4, bound with them" led anywhere
c.se than TO the high places in the country.
Aud always deeply iegret, too (as
am quite u, sure YOU now dO), that i"r
many years alter the commencement of
the struggle TO effect that deliNcrance,
when the elements were melting with Ter
vent heat, and mobrocatic violence for
the suppression OF anti slavery discussion
WAS everywhere prevalent, not excepting
in your own native city, you took no act
i've part in that conflict, attending no anti
slavery gatherings, gave no visible sign
OF y lively interest IN its success; Tor the
first lime bearing your public testimony
against slavery i'll opposing the anneNa-
tiou OF Texas. When elected 10 the
United States Senate. in 1851, you sat
nearly eight months in that body speech
less III respect to tue Fugitive Slave bill,
eliciting strong remonstrances against
your protracted silence, seeing that. as
the successor OF Mr.. Webster, your elec.
tion was regarded as an important
gain to tho cause ol impartial free.
dom. Your silence was the more in
explcable, and furnished just cause for
unsasiness. because in speech made by
you before going 10 Washington you said /:
The same subject will not admit oil post.
ponemcnt or hesitation. 1t is the subject
at subjects From this time forward it
will be entertained by Congress; j. will
be, rs il were, one OF the orders of the
day; il cannot be passed over or forgot
ten We demand, first and foremost the
instant repeal of the Fugitive Slave bill"
Y ou took your seat in the Senate, Deem
Der |. 1851 il WAS not sniiI the 9th Of
July, 1852, that you rose 10 advocate that
repeal, apoloselically preiacing your re-
marks by saying: Had | attempted this
duty al an earlier day, it might have been
said that rs new conner and inexperi.
enced ia THE scene. without deliberation,
hastily. rashly. recklossly. pushed this
question before the country" Surely, no
tue friend o. humanity would have made
such II fling, and the possible sneors OF its
enemies were not deserving u m~",l,nent's
consideration. Besides ,ho ,Iiscnssion
"N ossh Dl,-.ng on throughout the land
ever since the passage of the Fugitive
Slave bill. so that TO talk OF pushing
the question" upon the public attention
WAS miSapplication of language.
Nevertheless, once putting ,our hand
TO the plow YOU did not look back; once
breaking the painful silence, you have not
ceased to speak with great bodness and
rare eloquence, for the complete entran'
chisement of the colored lace: Nor have
failed to stand by you through evil re.
polt and through good report, cheering
you on. and both in public and in private
vindica;ing you from the unjust attacks
of your pro-slavery traducers. My
reference 10 the early days OF antslavery
trials is not 10 tear from your brow one oil
the laurels with which it is SO honorably
bound; but when-to make your intlu'
ence potential with the colsrcd electors
and secure their votes lorMr. .Greely-Mr.
Greeley's organ. the Tribune, untruth.
fully proclsims you To have been 1.-The
foremost enemy of human slavery when
abolitionist was term oi reproach from
one end of the country 10 the other
"the best and wisest friend for the Fl ieed.
men in the tying years since emancipa.
tion"--"loved and trusted by the colored
Ia ce above all other men in America
Justice requires that the deception should
be exposed, and the whole truth told. In
nothing OF courage and vigilance, OF
zeal and fidelity in securing equal rights
for the colored race, has your respected
co-Senator, Henry Wilson, been out
str;nnat hy xnu and no mnmher Of