The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-06

| llOI. DuI TIE Introduction Vi the COlIOIl-
having made slaves valuable the sentiment
went down at once and forever. After the
constitutional time had expired, negroes
| from Africa were landed and sold in Georgia
with impunity, and when at last grand jury
at Savannah was com pelled by law to find
several bills against persons engaged in the
traffic, they protested against the law they
were compelled to support. "We feel hum
bled, they said, "as men, conscious that we
are born freemen but in name, and that we
are living, during the existence of such laws
under tyranny as supreme as that of the
despotic governments of the old world.
Heretofore the people of the South, firm in
their consciousness of right and strength,
have failed to place the stamp of
condemnation upon such laws as
reflect upon the institution of
slavery, but have permitted, unrebuked,
the influence of foreign opinion to prevail"
Such was Georgias attitude. An Indictment
brought by such a grand jury would not be
worth the paper it was written on
IN LOUISIANA ledUluS ClIiZeuS euSdSSu III
scheme for legalizing the traffic, under the
guise of what they called the AFRICAN La
bor-supply Association" The True Southern,
published in Mississippi, suggested the ''pro-
prlety of stimulating the zeal of the pulpit by
founding prize on the best sermon on free
trade in negroes" This proposition was APP
proved, and ministers were 1mpelled to new
i exertions. James H. Thornwell D. D.,
president of the Presbyterian Theological
Seminary at Columbus, S. c., asserted his
conviction that the African slave trade
formed the most worthy of all missionary
societies! We have here the undivided sem
timent of the press the pulpit, the bar and
commerce in the South unequivocally in
favor of slave trade and slavery.
The Missouri compromise is too familiar
to the reader of American political history
to be recounted. The same is true of the
omnibus bill, the Kansas-Nebraska bill that
dishonored the agreement made by the
Missouri compromise, and of the brutal
assault by Mr. Brooks, OF South Carolina,
upon Senator Sumner on account of his
argument against the extension of slavery, in
compliance with the demand of the South.
In 184S upon The acquisition of territory
from Mexico, the old-time wrangle was re-
newed over the Wilmot proviso, resulting
practically in a victory for the advocates of
slavery. In that year the Free-soll party
| Cd No P,,ra
and Charles Francis Adams for Vice-presi-
dent, for the purpose of furthering emanci-
patton interests. In the election that fol-
lowed Van Buren, received 291,039 votes
303 in the fifteen slave States, or one in
seven in the total vote of the Northern States,
and but one in 2797 in the Southern States.
This is a pretty fair indication of the general
sentiment on this question at that time,
North and South, and the situation remained
unchanged up to the election of Republi-
can President in 1860.
The News and Courier is evidently deter
mined to ignore the truth and defy the facts
of history or it would not so soon forget
the position taken by South Carolina
on the oath day of December, 1860
On that day, in the same city of Charleston,
in which the News and Courier is published,
the people passed an ordinance of secession,
the first proclaimed in the South. The men
who made up that convention understood
the animus of the South as well, probably, as
| @10 af tbo
twenty-three years later. In the course of
the ordinance the following sentiments were
uttered
can increasing hostility on
the part of the Northern States to
the institution of slavery has led
to a disregard of their obligations. Il
The States of Maine, New Hampshire, Yer
| mont, Massachusetts,, Connecticut, Rhode Is
land, New York, Pennsylvania Illinois, In
DIANA Ohio Michigan Wisconsin and Iowa.
have enacted laws which either nullify the
acts of Congress, or render useless any at
tempt to execute them. These States i II =
have denounced as sinful the institution of
slavery" etc.
The secession ordinances of the other
Southern States had paragraphs to the
same effect Yet, despite these estab-
lshed facts, known to every intelligent
schoolboy North and South, the News
and Courier would seek to have us believe
that it is sincere when it says that the North
was equally guilty with the South for the
existence of human slavery. There is no
ignorance so stupid and inconvertible as will
full ignorance An unlettered person may
be taught, but he who voluntarily deceives
himself and attempts to deceive others can
never be instructed. If the News and
Courier lives long enough, editors will come
into control who will not dare thus