Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-01-29
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an interview with the Quaker poet,
Whittier, which l have now before
me. 1t appears to me surprising that
one who could write such soft senti-
lnsntal namby PANTY poetry should
have been such turbulent agitator
on the slavery question as he seems
to have been. Bound asa Quaker to
I lsand upon the platform of peace, he
yet warmly enters into contest which
was bound to produce discord and
strife, and, as he says, twas proud of
the part he played in that controver-
sgsH although he also says he "de-
aires to bury in the waters of obliv-
ion all the bitter things he said in that
strife. He is mistaken if he thinks
pride and repentance can stand to-
Ise.her, even under the cloak ofa
Quaker Let us look at his position:
"Por long time my position was diff
ferent from that Garrison had taken.
/ recognized that the Constitution le-
fgalized slaveholding, and therefore my
efforts were directed against its extern
tion in the Territories and in behalf
of gradual and peaceful emancipation
In the South. But when the war broke
out | was with Lincoln and Garrison
heart and soul" Heis quite mistaken
when he says he differed with Gar
irison, for Garrison declares, as he
Whittier, does, that the Consultation
protects slavery" Garrison denounced
the Constitution because it did, to use
JWhittier's expression, legalize slave
ry. He was for disunion on that &C.
count; in his view ''the Constitution
was q covenant with death and an
agreement with hell" He was for it's
overthrow. up" says he, with the
flag Of .diaunfon;" and, moreover, this
same British spy was allowed TO burn
the Constitution Of the United States
on the common of Boston amid the
i, hurrahs Of those who were called the
ladies' and gentlemen of that city, and
probably in the presence of Whittier
himself. Did Whittier utter or pub
lish one word of Interpretation Of
those sentiments or that outrage of that
paid British villain ? Oh, no in his
heart he wished this work should 90
on, and when war should be the CON
sequence, then II will be with Lin
coin and Garrison heart and soul. "
That heart wants improving and that
boul wants washing in the blood OF
!. ~ 1-.''1, in oraaSS- 70 be .c!sansed
sv-AA-.I1-aRE It is covsraJ J. -. -
y sxient of the |1cKeu sPs-seas III
proud he took" in bringing about and
prosecuting the late fraternal strife
! hope, lift is possible, that his declin-
ing years may be extended sufficient.
ly to relieve both his heart and sou,
from his monstrous crimes. But tc
return. How did be find out that the
Constitution legalized slavehold.
ing2" The word slavery is not used
at all in that instrument and was eau.
tiously guarded. 1t must be then
r. from certain indirect expressions used
in IL and in the Convention which
|, formed it taken in connection with
The history Of the times. In this view
of it the Supreme Court Of the United
States has often decided that slavery
was protected by the Constitution
The decision of the Supreme Court o.
course was the law Of the land, unless
legally reversed. But, says Whittier
my efforts were directed against the
extension Of slavery in the Terrific.
ries." Now, if the decision of thii
Court was binding which legalized sla
very, why should not the decision O.
the same Court be just as binding
when it declared that q shareholder
had the Constitutional right to carry
his slave into the Territories Of thu
Union and be protected in that right
Whittier cannot deny that such wa
the decision of the Court by larg'
majority Of its members. Can he a
good spsaceable Quaker citizen jus
tify his course in opposing the con
sequences Of that decision? He mus
have known, if he did not chose to b.
ignorant, that such nm opposition t.
the exercise of that adiudicated RICH
would bring on, what no doubt h
wished, strife, war and bloodshed
Quaker as he was and is, be no doub
cherished the gospel that it was ISL
to shoot at q STAKEHOLDER and mis-
him." But look at his pretense I'll
behalf Of gradual and peaceful eman
cipation in the South ?" The vanit,
Of this poet must have been vastl,
greater than his sense if be though
for moment that any peaceful efor
| of his or Of all his oadiutors combin
ed could have effected such pur
pose. To any man Of any sense sue
result was utterly impracticable. |
could only be done, as it was done, b.
| such desolating war as we have had
| and ! will add that no man who
versed with the history of the trans
actions which led to it can with a.
honest conscience say that Whittier
Z "with his bitter things" Lincoln
Sumner, Wilson, Wendell Philips
i Seward and the great crowd of othe
per6dious wretches who followed then
did not cause that war, and are befor
| God responsible for the vast crime
which resulted from it. How nav
| kish for him to talk about "buryin
in the waters of oblivion the bite
things he said in that strife p LIE
him publish them---let history loo
back over them, aud If they are wort
Il. -. A A 4