The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-27

: eaSton otdeVout thanksgtv wing 10 Almight,
God. II was the last important act OF III
! Congress Of the confederation, and vel
does II correspond with the solemn caven
ant (which was the first.
The framing Of the Constitution Of th(
United States, was contemporaneouB Will
the PRONUNCIATION OF the ordinance. Il 4
sometimes said that this constitution
guarantees slavery; but the assertion is {
libel on the memory Of our Fathers. The
original articles submitted by the conven.
ton for ratification to the States, did IN.
doubtedly, notice the fact oithe existence
OF slavery In the several States under the
State law, and provided for the represen.
tation Of three hiths Of the slaves In Con.
gress; but there was, then, no provision Ia
the instrument which madeit the duty OF
the National Government to maintain
slavery In the States. Much less was
there any provision which would warrant
Congress In establishing or continuing
slavery In any territory or district within
ita exclusive Jurisdiction. But the Con.
stttution after being ratified by the States
was amended by the People in l775. One
OF the amendments proposed by Virginia,
declared explicitly that. mo person" not
mo freeman or mo Citizen" but "no
person, !" shall be deprived OF life, liberty
or property, without due process Of law.b
It has been argued that the continuance Of
slavery even under State law, Is incon.
patible with this amendment. Without
stopping 70 discuss the validity OF this
argument, we may at least assert, that the
National Government cannot by any law
or treaty create or continue slavery with.
IN the limits OF Its peculiar jurisdiction.
The language OF the documents which VIC
have cited, the policy Of the government
as indicated and settled by the ordinance
OF 1857, the history OF times, the recorded
opinions Of all Of the leading men Of that
day, and the provisions OF the Constitu.
ton itself, clearly show that It was the
understanding OF the people, that the
powers OF the government should never
be eSerted for the support OF the exten.
sion Of slavery.
1t is notunknown to you, fellow citizens,
that large and rapidly inCreasinp port;on
1.-THE American People, feel deeply 40.
grieved by the departure Of the General
Government from this plain, salutary, ,anI
Indispensable principle. They COMPLAIN
that slavery has been continued In Inc
District Of Columbia, by acts of Congress
without constitutional authority; that
Louisiana and Florida have been success.
sively acquired at the common expense,
and that slavery has been continued in
both by Congress, in manifest disregard Of
Treaty stipulations, and in plain violation
Of the provisions Of the Constitution. |
They complain, moreover, that the Nation.
al Government has strenuously exerted |
itself to extend by negotiation, the mar. |
kets for the products Of slave labor, while |
the interests OF free labor have been |
slighted-that the offices of the marion
have been chiefly filed by slayehoIders,
aud that slavery rather than Liberty L.
the leading object Of Governmental care.
It Is very manifest TO any one who will
examine the history OF the country that
these complaints are not without founda.
ton. They daily become louder and
deeper, They compel US to look forward
% dissolution OF the Union, ssan event
almost certain to occur, 1.-THE wrongs com.
planned Of be net redressed,
And why should not these complaints
be heard? Why should not the wrongs
be redressed? What interests have tbe
PEOPLE oil Virginia in this peryersion Of
the General Government to the mainten.
ance Of a system which has crippled her
energies and destroyed her pfosDsrityP
W hat interest have the people OF Virginia
IN providing home market for the slave
grown sugar OF Louisiana, or foreign mar.
Eet Tor the slave grown cotton OF Carolina
and Georgia, at an expense to the nation,
Of millions OF dollars per annum? Isthere
any thing in the system OF slayeholdinV
50 attractive and so dear that for il We are
willing TO give up substantial wealth.
honor and power?
Does anybody In Virginia believe that
slave holding is right in itself? that It will
Dear the test Of the golden rule, "whatso.
ever We would that men should do unto
you do ye even SO to them" There nav
DC here and there an individual slave
holder, who will maintain that he is war
ranted In holding slaves by the precepts
Of the Christian religion. But such per.
sons are lew. Most admit the wrong and
aeplore the evil. But, they say, what can
%e 90! We answer 10 the individual
stakeholder, cease from doing what YOU
Ieel to be wrong, Give fair wages to your
ah,oreF, and let their service be- not com.
puisory but voluntary. We answer 10 the
people COilectivel ", repeal the laws which
'anctlon slaveholdtnG. Purify tho statute
book from all enactments which authorize
one man to take another mans work with
1ut wages. Look the monster evil
Slavery, directly in the face and 90 about
Setlhs rld OF 1t, as you would in the case
y any other statute made evil. Surely
ne men Of Western Virginia, especially,
ought to consider this matter. In all the
western District, there were, according to
he census of 1910, only IS, 727 Slaves,
TSh!e the ires population was ST. $40. In
ne Eastern District, the free white popu.
alton was 369, $50, while the slaves num-
9ered S90, go. The Western District has.
n the House OF Delegates IS Representa-
iyes-the Eastern rs. In the Senate. the
Western has l3 Represeutatiyes-the
Eastern 10. Tho odious principle Of rem.
for slaves, which has been al.
owed to prevail in the National Govern.
ne1ts,. prevails also in the States, and
With the same consequences. The fixed
interests OF the majority concerned In free
aoor, are sacrificed to the claims and
'aprices OF the minority interested in
-. Ano fOIlClCHI power OF the
!. is East OF the Blue Ridge. Ought
his 50 to be? We appeal to The candid
ana dlspassionate among the shareholders
themselves, and repeat ought this so to
00eT WeGppeal to the Notwithstanding
Farmers, Mechanics, Laborers, and other
industrious citizens Of the State, and
ask them II a system which subjects
me majority, which brushes labor,
and makes it dishonorable, which
must forever prevent the establish
nent OF an efficient system OF general cd.
lcatiOn ought to be upheld BY them? The
whole number Of shareholders in the State
does not exceed by liberal computation
30, 1000; that these may divide among them.
selves the ownership OF $4,000 Colored
Iaborsrs and carry on trade in their in.
tustry and their persons; the rights and
interests Of the non.s!aveholders are com.
paratively dis,egarded, and that too, with.
out comforting any real benefit on the
shareholders themselves.
In view OF these facts. fellow citizsns