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Stephen Shaw to Frederick Douglass, May 1854

D6589

For Frederick Douglass' Paper.

MEDINA, Mich., May, 1854.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ: DEAR SIR:—Having had nothing better for many months than Free Soil milk and water pop, for political moral nourishment, I have almost starved, and, consequently become weak.

Enclosed I send you one dollar for your paper awhile, hoping thereby to gain strength. This Free Soil doctrine that "Congress has nothing to do with Slavery," don't set well in my mental stomach. How they reconcile such doctrine with the moral law, the Declaration of Independence, the rock on which the Constitution was built, and this clause in the Constitution—"The United States shall guaranty to the several States a republican form of government"—they have not informed me. Guess they won't.

When parents have nothing to do with bad conduct in their children—when police officers, magistrates and judges have nothing to do with theft, robbery, and murder, then, indeed, may Congress have nothing to do with slavery. Has the above pledge of the Constitution been sustained? Is that a republican form of government where one-fourth, one-half, or any number of persons are held (by what beings in the shape of men term law) as slaves? No! No!! How many slaves, Mr. Editor, think you there would now be in these United States, if we, the people, had sustained that truth which we know to be self-evident that all men are born free and equal—if we would regard the moral law, doing unto others as we would that others should do to us? Ah! not ONE.

I feel to bless the Lord that we may hope that He has, in his good providence to this nation, sent one man at least to Congress, (the Hon. Gerrit Smith,) sound in politics and religion, to speak and vote for right and righteousness. Long may he live to do good to his people!

Yours respectfully,

STEPHEN SHAW.

Creator

Shaw, Stephen

Date

1854-05

Description

Stephen Shaw to Frederick Douglass. PLSr: Frederick Douglass P, 9 June 1854. Sends a dollar for continuing his subscription; attacks Congress for passing proslavery legislation; praises Gerrit Smith.

Publisher

This document was calendared in the published volume and has not been published in full before

Collection

Frederick Douglass' Paper, 9 June 1854

Type

Letters

Publication Status

Unpublished

Source

Frederick Douglass' Paper