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

SAdAOu VI PAAubLuk otAtet no WVulu Ol
pose any scheme whatever OF emancipl
ton, gradual or immedIate.n His lsadln
organ In Virginia, the Richmond Hhi0,
late article, harmonizing with thss
opinions, denounced all plans for the n
moval Of slavery as visionary. Well ms
we be uneasy, apprehensiye and full {
fearful iorbodings, when We hear such doC
trines put forth In such high quarter
They are full Of evil omen for our believe
country. Acquiescence In the continue,
and permanent existence OF slavery In on
land, Is q fatal symptom Of the decay Q
Liberty among Us.
Such was not the temper Of our fathers
Doctrines like these constituted no mart o
the political faith Of jefferson, or Msdi
son, or Henry, or Wythe. Let Us recall 4
your recollection, fellow.citizens, the testi
monies OF our statesmen on this subject
In his notes on Virginia Jefferson said
THE who 10 commerce between nastel
aud slave Is perpetual exercise Of the
most boisterous passions; the most unre
hitting despotlsm on tho one side, and de
grading submission on the other, The
parent storms, the child looks or catche.
the lineaments OF wrath, puts on the same
airs In the circle OF smaller slaves, RiyeI
loose to the worst Of passions, and thus
nursed, educated, and daily exercised In
tyranny, cannot but be stamped with obi,
Gus peculiaritieS. The man must be a
prodigy who can retain his manners aud
morals undeiaCed In such circumstances. Il
Judge Tucker, in q published letter to q
member Of the General Assembly in 1907,
speaks OF the "baneiul effect Of domestic
slavery on our moral character, and OF lts
inconsistency with the truest principles Of
Republtcanism." Mr.. johnson, In the
Convention Tor revising the Constitution
10 1929, said: slavery has been the ioun.
dation Of that implety and dissipation
which has been so much disseminated
smong our countrymen." Mr.. Moore, in
the Legislature Of 1882, said: "a think
that slavery as 1t exists among US NAV be
regarded as the heaviest calamity which
has ever belRllen any portion Of the hu.
man race" Hear, also, q statesman OF
Kentucky, Thomas P. Marshall; in his let.
ters on the act OF 1893, he remarked as
follows: II have said that | consider.
ed negro slavery a political misfortune.
Thu, phrase was too mild, 1t is cancer,
SLOW consuming Caucer-a whitening
pestilenCe, an unmiligated curse.
was born in slave State-I was nursed
by a slave, my life has been saved by q
slave. | was never north OF the
Chesapeake Bay. My friends, my family,
my education are Virginian. Yet l con.
slider negro slavery as a political cancer
and curse, and and abe has taught me 80 to
consider Il"
Nor did TIE statesmen. OF Virginia con.
tine themselves to single expressions OF
hostility TO slavery. They proposed, they
advocated, and they anticipated the adop.
ton OF plans for its removal. Jefferson
declared his belief, that the spectacle OF
Justice in conflict with Avarfce, for the
overthrow OF slavery would soon be wit
messed in Virginia. Washington ex.
pressed his conviction that the day when
Virginia would have laws for emancipa-
ton was mot remote"
Far from desiring that the powers of the
general government should be elected to
uphold slavery, Virginia did all she could
10 Impress upon that government, the
character OF hostility to the system.
The hrst American Congress assembled
III l7T5, Our Fathers, then convened for
the purpose oil comforting together on the
best means OF deliverance from British
aggression, upon their own rights. were
reminded, naturally and necessarily, OF
the rights Of the enslaved. Acting under
q deep sense OF the responsibility which
their relations to slavery imposed upon
them, they SUBSIDIZED and published
solemn declaration and covenant against
the traffic in human flesh. These were
their words: we will not import or pur.
chase any slave imported after the FIRST
day OF December next, (l7T4) after which
We will wholly discontinue the slave trade.
and will neither hire our vessels, nor sell
our commodities or manufactures to those
who are concerned in it. This was the first
testimony OF the American people against
slavery. It was solemn testimony under
the most affecting circumstances; Vir.
GINA, through her delegates, united in it,
and was bound by it.
In les than two years afterwards, when
the people had been driven BY the pride and
violence OF transatlantic tyranny to the
lest appeal ofnations, the Congress of the
invoking the witness of Heaven
to the rectitude Of their intentions, put
forth tho justly celebrated Declaration Of
Independence. Scoring to place the
OF their own resistance to op-
preston upon lower or narrower ground,
they planted themselves at once upon the
lnalienable rights OF man. "We hold"
said they, "these truths to be self evident;
that ALL NES are created EQUAL; that they
are endowed by THEIR CREATOR with GER
LSALiRSABLE rights; that among these are
lie, Liberty and the pursuit OF happiness"
This declaration pledged the nation anew
against slavery. 1t announced for the
hrst time to the world, the doctrine OF the
equal rights Of all men to liberty, as the
fundamental principle Of a national creed.
It upheld this right to liberty, not as de-
rived from any constitution of human
government, or as liable to be Invested BIZ
any human law, but as part OF the consti-
tuition OF human nature, ordained by the
author OF the codeof Heaven. Let it be
that this declaration was the
Of Virginia statesman, con-
spicuous to- his detestation OF slavery, and
that It was so when We generously sup
ported and defended them in Virginia,
and by Virginians,
AAG war VI independence AZ length
ceased. But while the echoes Of battle
yet reverberated from our hills, and lin.
gered along our valleys, the Congress put
forth a final address to the people. "Let
It be remembered" they said, THAT it has
been the pride and boast OF America, that
the rights for which she contended were
the RIGHTS OF HUMAN NATURE. By the
blessing Of the AUTHOR OF these RIGHTS, or
the means exerted for their defense, they
have prevailed against all opposition, and
form the basis Of thirteen independent
States. No instance has heretofore occur.
red, nor can any instance be expected
hereafter to occur, in which the unadultcr-
ated forms Of Republican government can
pretend 10 so fair an opportunity OF justi.
lying themselves by their fruits" This
address was also the composition OF a
Virginia statesman, and adopted, as the
volcsot the Congress, by Virginia votes.
Not many years elapsed before an op-
portunity was presented TO the American
Congress, OF giving to the world signal
proof OF its fidelity to that doctrine OF