The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-09-21
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AN OPEN LETTER.

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resoIntion. ordered them to be banlshed
On main of death. Banishment, you will
not fail to notice, was in itself equivalent
ton lingering death, il the parties, were
moor and feeble; for it meant merely dri-
Wing them into the wilderness 10 slarve
from hunger and cold Southwick and his
,vife went out and died very soon. Bat
that was not all This unfortunate pair
had two children, Daniel and Proyidedl
who having healthy constitutions, would
bring a COOL price in the slave market
These children were taken from the par
ents and ordered to be sold in the West
Indies. 1t happened, however, there
was not shipmaster in any port OF the
colony who would consent to become the
agent of their expectation and sale The
authorities, being thus baulked IN their
views of the main chance, were fam to
be satisfied in another way; they ordered
The girl to be whipped, she was Iashed
accordingly, in company with several
other Quaker ladies, and then committed
ia prison. to be further proceeded with
History loses sight of her here. No rec
ord shows whether they killed her or
not.
This is one case out of great many. 1t
is very interesting and instructive when
taken in connection with yonr speech;
for it shows the germ of the idea winch
your party acted on when 1t kidnapped
and imprisoned men and women by me
thousands for believing in American lib
erty as guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Ouakers and Baptists had no printed
organs in that day through which their
private Judgment could be expressed;
else YOU would no doubt have cases di
rectly in point to Justify your forcible
suppression of two hundred and fifty
newspapers.
Enmity to the right of private judg-
ment comes down to the party of Ply
mouth ideas by consistent and regular
succession. 1t is woven like dirty trlpe
into the whole warp and woof Of their
history As soon as they got possession
of the federal government under John
Adams, they began to use it as an engine
for the suppression of free thought. Their
alien law gave the President power to
Danish or imprison without trial any for
eigner whose principles might be obnox-
ious to his supporters. Their sedition
law put everv Democratic speaker and
writer under the heel of the administra-
ton, Their standing army was used, as
it now is, to crush out their political OPP
ponents. Ifyou come into Eastern Penn.
sylvania, and particularly in the good
county of Berks, you will learn that the
people there still think with Indignation
ofthat old reign of terror when Federal
dragons kidnapped, insulted and beat
their fathers, chopped d wn their 'liber-
ty poles broke to pieces the press of the
Reading Eagle, and whipped its venera-
ted editor in the market house. When
YOU abandoned the harlot and rallied to
THE STANDARD OF THE THIEF,
YOU changed your leader without chang
ing your principles.
The slave code planted in Massachu-
setts was the earliest in America, and the
most cruel in all its provisions. It. was
pertinaciously adhered to for rgenerations,
and never repented Of or formally repeal
ed. It was gradually abandoned, not be-
cause it was wrong but solely because it |
was found, after long experience to be |
improbable. Their plan Of keeping |
twenty negroes as cheap as one white |
servant did not work WELL for in that eli.
mate negro thus used would infallibly |
die before his labor paid what it cost
They sold their stock whenever they |
could, but emancipation was forbidden
bv law, unless the owner gave security 10
maintain the slave, and prevent him
from becoming public charge. To evade
this law, those having aged or intirm me-
groes encouraged them to bring suits for
their freedom, and then by shame de-
murrers, or other collusiye arrangements
got judgments against themselves that
Che negroes were free, and always he'd
been. Females likely to increase the
stock were advertised to be sold, for that
fault alone Young ones were given
away like puppies Of supersbundant
litter. In this way domestic slavery by
negroes got loose in practice, simply be
cause it would not pay-but the princi
pie on which ole man may own another
whom he subdues by superior force or
cunning, was never abandoned, repudia-
ted or denied That principle was cher
ished, preserved and transmitted to you,
their initiative and loving disciples, and
you have applied it wherever you could,
as tyraniCally as they did.
You say that war without an idea is
simple brutality l submit to your jndg-
ment, as Christian man, whether war
is redeemed of its brutality by such ideas
as you and your political associates enter
tain of its purposes, objects and conse-
quences. In all your acts and measures,
and by all your speeches and discussion,
you express that the logic of blows proves
everything you choose to assert; that
invasion Of one people by an
Sther Las the effect to destroy all natu
raj right to, and all legal guarantees for
the life, liberty and property of the peO-
Pile so invaded and conquered; and after
a trial by battle, the victor may enter up
and execute what judgment he pleases
against his adversary; that the crime Of
a weak community, in attempting to de
fend their lives, their property and their
families against invaders who come upon
them to kill, destroy and subjugate them
is so objectionable that the whole body
of the offenders taken collectively, and
all individuals who partake even pas
sively of the sin, may Justly be devoted
to death or such other punishment, by
wholesale or retail, as the strong power
shall seeproper to infict;that the conquer
er, after the war is over, may insist that
the weak and unarmed people whom he
has Frustrated, shall assist him by not
only accepting, but adopting Il use your
own word) the measures intended to de-
grade and rob them and thus make him
self master oftheir souls as well as Their
bodies. All rights Of men are resolved
by.this theory into the nights of men.
I aver that this doctrine, in all its
length and breadth is false and pernic.
ious. 1t is the foundation on which all
slavery rests. and the excuse for all forms
Of tyranny 1t has no support in any
sound rule Of public law, and has never
been acknowledged by wise or virtuons
governments in any age since the advent
of Christ. You can find no authority
for it, except in the examples of men
oco oro ;,,an $40. -. |