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domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init
action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/goodspeedhist/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Disturbing news of late, somehow reminiscent of the lead-up to America’s first Civil War. Whilst scrolling through the Hunterdon Gazette recently, I came across an item that caught my attention, published on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1859:<\/p>\n
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\nTO THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY OF HUNTERDON.<\/p>\n
The lovers of the Union and the Constitution, and of the rights of the States and of the people under this hallowed charter, all who entertain feelings of fraternal regard to our brethern [sic] of Virginia, in this, their day of darkness and peril, and to all our brethen [sic] of the South, all who are opposed to the ceaseless agitation of Slavery and Sectionalism, the fruits of which have been only evil, and that continually, till the dissolution of the ties that unite and bind us together as one people in these United States, is seriously threatened, all who are willing to leave the rights and duties of the Master and the Slave where our forefathers left them under the guarantees of the Constitution, and all who love the peace, union, and harmony of the great American family, are hereby respectfully and earnestly requested to meet in the COURT HOUSE IN FLEMINGTON, ON WEDNESDAY, THE 14TH INST., and at 7 o\u201a\u00c4\u00f4clock, P. M., then and there to take such course as duty and patriotism may demand of us in this emergency of our history.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
There followed a long list of signatories printed in one paragraph, which is hard to read, so I\u201a\u00c4\u00f4ve alphabetized them at the end of this article.<\/p>\n
But what did this declaration mean and why was it published on December 14th<\/sup>?<\/p>\n
My first reaction on reading this and the reference to a \u201a\u00c4\u00faday of darkness\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 was that it was an expression of sympathy for those fighting for abolition. But no\u201a\u00c4\u00eetheir sympathies were with the slaveholders of Virginia, who were being attacked by abolitionists and \u201a\u00c4\u00fathe ceaseless agitation of Slavery and Sectionalism.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p>\n
The raid on Harper\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Ferry had taken place October 16-18, 1859, leaving 14 dead and 9 wounded. John Brown was arrested and tried almost immediately, and on December 2, 1859 he was executed.<\/p>\n