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Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: The New York Expr...

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: The New York Expr... image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
August
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ia ihe New ïorR Lxprcss of aUln Juij last. i 6 an editorial accotnpaiiying the publicnliou of a letter f rom A. K. Moulton, of Port land. which, for its jiecvlimly kind, gfntlemanly, liberal, arguiiK-nialivc anJ contistent style, tnnnner and chnrncter. roqnirrs nolice - and for its modett and TrtTtnTH3iJS who Fhall toy it is not entirely nba reproach or fiispicion? And who sim]] si.y. n'":er trading ttiis cdiroria), that thecditon. wlio have speir neorly all the vorabu'ary of billinsg.ite in endeavoring to find terms vle emnigh 10 n ply to Ihe L;berty purly- snd who mu-l llave expended all their poirers, if o moy jndge bj the enrnestness of t'icr onset, in enclenvorins. to prove that mirU. S. Conslitntion s n profhyery instrument,- ore not lbo leaders of the 'true Liberty Party?" But to the Express' facts. Il sar?, "The Srsi po;nt to which we slinll sllu e in answer tqj.he nbnve (Mr. MoiíHo ' is. thnt which relates to the (ii-'sa israciion of of the leadirifr men wU Hriiey 0H l'ieir Cnnddnte. Tho article ermpiained of, nnc which eontoined thp inteiliffnce. wns furnishpd to líí by n Icirlina abolilion'st of thi? city. w'ho at ihessme time lpft nu h nnme nu an'hority. Wiib somp riif&t altcration't il was adopted and pubüsiieü 10 the Express." Now a few Lbings 6lrike one ne Bipyularin tliis senïence. I. Why was -it r.ecessary to niake "sfA altenttions' in the abolitioniis" commnnicalion of complaint? Ifhe was a Jeadinf Liberty man, I hare no doubt hecouid have mn.ie his own complaint in his ovn way. S. Why not cali him Liberty man, nsteud cf "abolitionist?1' Bccause, c"oubtle3s, hp a nnd i?, a Garriso.iinn non-resis!ant friend of Mr. Express, and of conrse. nn enemy of the Liberty party, and of Rlr. Birney. - S. Why not out with a leadin man's nnme, to cpve force to his complaint, if he. n menber of the Liberty party? But we notice the next ?cntence of the Express' editorial, - "Thnt tl e party should have 'ost confidonce in Mr. Birney ader his shnmeleps avmval of a wiilinírness to iwesr tú siipitt the ('ons'itntion of the United Stare?, wbite fu? confeèsed thnt tliat in.-trument nnholii slavprv: Rtid further, t!-et he was willinL to tnke sucli an onth. nltliouorl) he dM not Entend to kpep it. nn;l did not coitsider it biudinfr, did nt surprie n. Sncli easy virtiie in V'liintecnntr to commit perjnry was cniculatcd io shock, we suppose, ovch an abolitionidt." This sentencf, I must b permiïted lo fnv, ie a most disinprnous aücmpt lo argne upon tlic prlilio qut'slio principie, by assitming in the face of Mr. MooHnn'e expre;-siors to tJie conlrary, thal the Liberty party aro dissatisfied with Mr. Birnev, and then drnwing concludions as if tlic facts wpre r.cimitted. Mr. Birney. it is tme, ha. admittrd often, thalby proslavery aotion aid fal.-e con6lruc!in thp Conslitution has bocom'? pi'rverted to the sup port of elavpJiolrüijor. Bul I nm yot lo lenri) where Mr. Biniey vcr admitted that, by an fair conptruction, tlul instrument is proslaverv. But vvhatever may be or mny h.nvt been Mr. Birney 's views upon this question. no one w il), after thi.-=, (inubt the pis,tion of the Express. For I think lansu'isre can ecarcely exprrss a more grovelling1, hekspit tle, croiiching to the slave pi.wcr, and to the slaveholding consiruction of the consiitution, than is couched n the editorial obovr not eed. But to the abive sentence aain: - after ad roitting that Mr. Birney does not hold iny problavery porlioB of the Constilution binding upon thoso who swpar to support it. the Ex prees, with an absurdiiy only tqualled b it eelf, yeí. acenses Mr. B. of perjury in 6weurin to support it - nccording lo itti true republicau intent tmd meaning'.And liere 1 il me sny to the Expres?, if hj is nol too far pone in proslavery motu maniit, to understond a cornmon mis0 argument, it f no öifncult task to establish beyond refulution tbat llio U. S. Constiiution is a lljorougltlv nntitlave.'y instrument. Cominon sense aiwell os BlackiUone, Kont, Story, and nr.ny other rejfiitnble wnters npn law and the construction of law and Constiiutions, have ]nng since seltïed bevond the rench pf tj Lilliputiansof die the N. York Expresa, tliBt the proeme, or prenmblc ofany aw, contract, or constituiion, furnisJe the Key to unlock the meanmg of euch law, contract ot constitutlon, and that any pi ris, or portions ol Bncli law, contract or com-titution which ar antagonist to this preamblp, nnd to the spin: and and general pnrpose of the instrument, art nuil and void and mtist be so tieatcd in onj fair construction of it. Now npply this prin ciplc lo the U. S. Constiiution, and to the profss:d and nvowed object of lts establishment. And for tbja purpose go back to Uudays of, anrl immedia'ely preceding: the Rev olution. VVhnt bronjjlii on that war? TluDeclaiation et' 177G e]U the whole story. - Briti'h Oppression, taxatino without repreenlalion nnd a great variefy of other unjuj-i g ievonces (but the whole of which comf.ared lo one hour of American fJ.ivery, ocenrding so Mr. Jeiforson. =ink into ui ter insigni6cnnce) causcd the b!ood - nnd with it the glorjous reeu lts of that Revolution - and more th.-n thi-, defined in that memorable (!en!;:ration of' Independence, the intliennbe rig-hts of ineu - not white mnn, Mr. Express - bui men. Our constitution was nvowedly nnd profrsEcdly aio)trd to carryoüt, iüustrate nd prr prtunte the piinciples ofth-tt Declaratiun. - That this iva t.s 'uitent, lel us ref'er to its preoinble - ot:d let me sny bfore qúótiñg it, ihai it waf nut then considered, as il lias ben b some tiorthern politiciaiif-, a mere flouri.ih of words - "ornamental parts'' - btit a toèï} mrions exponent of the principies tf th snn? n' that day and oí'iIip people w'no adopied it. - But to the prembl?. 'Wp, tlin peiiplé nfflie Uni'ed .S;a!c-, in order Ui form a more perfect nninD, fsitili-li jifiii( e, 0Ure dl nic-iir trnnf!iility, ptovidc tnr the coinmon defenea, promofe Up gpneriil welfare, and ?ocurp Ihe lilc-smir.s of librty t onrselvee rd onr rjoeterity, dn ordnin and ectshlish the Corrttitulton of the Umied Siate.of America." Wilbout sloppinf to exnmine mnnv of tlir artiulea and provisions of the Constitution w'jich mostclcarly and consistently clx-, uotonlv t tic anii-slavrry principies of ihetnen, wlio fir(iic(l it, a tul Ü1B ppople who tuioptcd it at that t.rm ln'. ilial lig ufier lliis tlio nme prinrifji' glnr'.onsiy sliin s on: in mnny of iho atneniJiiiHij.'á to fhaï itutrumouf, now teil Mr. Exfin-i-s ihl iny President, Virq Prwideni nnd cvury o;li?r eflficer ond citizrn m iio 'tBSSWoinlo 6tiport the coiisiituliön, nnd who had afterwnrdd to rive il n pros-luvpry CirtWtroctiun, in hb oflScinl ncl.s. hns been gtnliy of the loule.-t perj-ny a;.iin.-t ilml Constituiun, ond tteasoti f.s'!iv-t liie !,b-rty ofthe pc -ple nftlie United Stnls, Bu: I c.nnot eny myseU' ihe pliosre of qtiqtÍDg, in conclusión, r.ne nj.ote rnillrm-nli. pulile, k'gh mndid. and hunonth'.e pasi-age froui this Editorial. "The b!ock's! lum. from lie Sn-qnplinnnnh to the Mifrsijppij oovv Kr.oivs utiderd.an:ls :mJ de-pises you, nnd would Torn to tnl:p liberty from such n set of re crennts nnd poliiicnl ccoimilrt la as je nre." Ifvveare "frantic nbolitionistts'" al the last plecii'in, we hope we wcre nol novv eo lost to all terse of Ircrncy and self-reypect ns to retort, os we mijht vith perfeci jnsiice, upon :hecditors, tbeir virse tlian frautic pro tAnvaryism. Hut th6 pafsngu is quoted to gbow np tho trulhlnlness of thB editorial. If il be t'iie, thnt the negroes despise tis, how happen? it that on their way to Canadian freedom thpy alweya f'tu thtir way lo onr obodes insiead ol pro-s-lavery whigs? Hov hupjensii ihat a' all onr cnnventions nearly every negro in the neigliborhuod isfuuud on the spotearnestly attentive to every word that falb from Liberty men and every mearure thry ndnpt - and j'imng us willi their voice and pnrse to carry forward the car of Emancipation? IIow happens it thnt o', the Liberty Convention nt Ciiicinnati the eleven! h of June last, the thou snndi, yre, the en' re t house nds ofthe neorroes of that city and neighbnrhood, so despista the L'bprty party that they not only welcomed iliem to iheir home?, but when they were nol t'o'iitd Inrge enough, convertid tlieir cliurciiep into tetnpornry boarilinjf lioupes fr their accomtnodiilion, and nvst plen'ifully fed them, nnd besrowed the most unweaMed care for their wants and cmforip, duritig the time of the convention, nt a voluntary expense of hnndreda of dollart? Who, Mr. Expres, now proves to be the fxnntic inadmen bui thoe bö can in the fabe of tlie world, unb!tihin.'ly ti'fer euch bold, silly faJsehoudá as above quoted?

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News