Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-11-23

| illllC III LDC oldNO ObbJCo
e Massachusetts, one bundled and twenty
seven. Nobody will argue that tn
q South cannot sustain as delse pOpla
tiOn as sterile Massachusetts. Here
then, is room for increase to numbe
greater than the I otal population of tn
whole country, Oh seventeen and a hal
4 millions. }-
My next question was:
p "DoeS that anSN er the former QueS
ton? To puolong the institution of sla
very, must there MT be found a marke
e for slaves ?"
Mr.. Giddings replied again, as genial.
as though his Questioner were his equal
instead of a mere lae:
"Uncultivated land is always de
mand for laborers. TWo-thirds of thu
South are uncultiyated, thus affordinl
vast space for more ls.borers, and. hence
market for slaves. Besides, give sla
, very no room for increase, and | know
not by what rule or precedent it could
be expected to die. II might not grow
J l admit ;but ceasing to grow is not death
according to my observation. Does my
young questiOner expect to die as soon
as he ceases to grow?"
The audience laughed at this sally,and
l answered:
Il hope not"
But not sati-fed, 1 asked again:
Would Mr.. Giddings set the slaves
free, without regard for consequences ?"
1 No; but especially aCith regard to Coli
| sequences. Slavery is an evil; liberty
| is good. The consequences of evil are
always disastrous; the consequences of
good are always advantageous. There
4 fore m uinu of ka
would set the slaves free. Perhaps my
friend means to ask if would free
them by sudden and violent measures,
regardless of results. l would not do
that. This is a government by the peo-
pie. l would argue the subject with
them so peaceably, reasonably, and ex-
| tensively that the great majority, if not
all, shall come to think that slavery
ought to cease. When that is gained,
some method, the wisest in the judg-
ment of the people, will be adopted by
which to put an end to the institution"
'In this connection, what about State
Rights" ?" asked I. 4
"The grand foundation principle OF
our country.is liberty, as opposed to ev-
cry species of bondage, kings of many or
kings of few. The doctrine of State
Rights is wise and well until it is car
ried to extremes and begins TO strike at
this principle. as it does in shetering
the institution in question. That doc
trine involves a self-destroying contra
diction. Suppose man should say
This is free people; therefore, it is my
right to make it not free in the persons
of some of its people, my Slaves Does |
he not contradict himselfP And the
very idea of freedom is destroyed by his
assertion of it in that FORM If one of |
his slaves should say the same, and un-
dertake, as his State light, to make a !
bondman of his master, the two would |
kill each other in the attempt to prac-
tice their State Right of enslaving. Do
you not see the ruinouS contradiction |
in the doctrine. 1t is good if properly |
limited; but where it attacks liberty it |
is destruction. Apply the same doctrine |
to the counties that compose state, or
to the towns that compose a county, and |
how absurd it seems"
Again questioned: us not the Negro |
better off as a slave
"In what respect better off? AS a |
slave he has no legal right to his time, |
his wages, to any property whatever, to |
his wife and children, OF even to his life |
his own; he cannot be educated; he
cannot worship, save by lease from an
other. Now, wherein 90 such disabii-
ties improve his condition or make him
better OFF,. And. if better off. why do
not the masters hasten and become
slaves, so as to be better off 2"
Many other questions were answered
by Mr.. Giddings in the same exhaustive
and incontrovertibie manner; but
enough has been recorded to show
the grasp and spirit of the man. and
perhaps reveal the secret of his wonder
full influence in the Western Reserve,
among the same people who now so
idolize Mr.. Garfield. Indeed, the two
men were much alike. After the meet
ing, Mr.. Giddings went to the hotel and
Immediately sent for his Questioner.
Astonished and abashed, 1 was ushered
into his presence. Cordiality is too
faint term to apply to his manner as
he met me at the door. There was
about him an indescribable air of tender,
winning equality that made even boy
feel at home with him at once. / had
thought he might censure me for quiz
zing him, or for showing too much for
wardness; but, instead, he thanked me.
he believed good had been
done by affording him occasion to speak
on the topics thus brought forward.
After expressing himself in this way
and putting me wholly at ease. he said:
But, my young friend, do you really
think, as vOur questions indicated, that
the Institution of slavery is justiliable?"
My reply was rather nOn-committal,
intimating that circumstances alter ca
ses, especially alluding to to the right
of inheritance or purchase on the part !,
Of masters as perhaps, inalienable.
HereupOn he resorted to the arglGDleys-
tam Gd honainena, saying:
Suppose that you were slave in the
South to-day. What would yOn do about
it?
But" said l, 81 am not a black man.
If l were, perhaps, ,-"
Perhaps what ? replied he. "YOu do not
mean to intimate that color selves this
problem. Color is but an incident. All +
colors are hun1dn Besides, have seen ;
slaves in the City of Washington as .
white as any man in the audience to- +
lay. Now, tell me if, just as you are,
you were slave in the South, what :
would you do?"
MAKE my way to the North and lib .
,rty without delay" replied. =
Liberty said Mr.. Giddings. "Why.
according to your platform, slave has :
10 legal right to liberty. Would you =
'eize that to which the law denies your !
light? A senator has declared that a :
slave is as much thief as :,
nan who steals horse"
"I4aw or no law" answered, 81 should y
POSSESS myself, at any hazard" 7
"But State Rights interfere" said he.
"Not between me and freedom" l re-
,lied, with the ardor of q Yankee boy.
"Would you not be better off as IA u
lave than as freeman ?" he asked, with u
roguish but friendly twinkle in his Q
yes. d
But l had gone far enough in per II
onal application of my own views, and Il
old hi m 90 cnnfessit,rr- that his nnns In