Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-04-16

subject race than is lett under our own
system, with much less regard to their
comfort in sickness and age. This vast
system Of servitude carries with itself the
elements of increase: nor. it is true, by the
African slave trade, hut by means not less
inhuman; that of organizing the subject
race into armies, and exhausting their
strength and life in reducing all around
to the same state of servi,ude.
But it may be said, that the East India
Company is but department of the Brit
ish Government, through which it exerci.
ses its control, and holds in subjection
that vast region. Be it so. l stickIe not
for nice distinctions. But how stands the
case under this aspect! lii be contrary
TO the laws of nature, or nations, for man
to hold man in subjection individually, is
it not equally contrary for body of men
to hold another 10 subjection? And if that
be true, is il not as much so for one uation
to hold another in subjection ? If man
individually has an absolute right to self
government, have not men aggregated in
TO States. or nations, an equal right !! If
there be difference, is not the right the
more perfect in people, or nation, than
in the individuals who compose it? And
If not the subjection ofone people to anolh-
er usually accompanied with, at least, as
much abuse, cruelty, and oppression. as
that of one individual TO another? Is it
possible to mark q distinction which shall
justify the Que and condemn the other 3
And If not, what right, then, I ask, has
Great Britain to hold India in subjeclion,
if it be contrary to the laws Of nature, or
nations, for one man to hold another in
subjeclion! Or, what ghtto hold Cana
da, or her humorous subject colonies, all
over the globe! Or, 10 come nearer to
the point, in what light does it place her
boasted abolition of slavery in the West
Indies! What has she, in reality, done
there but to break the comparatively. mild
and guardian authority Of the master, aud
10 substitute in its place her own direct
aud unlimited power! What bur to
replace the oyerseer, by the army, the
sheriff, the constable, and the tax callec-
tor! Has she made her slaves free p
Given them the righ, Of self-government! I!
Is it not mockery TO call their present sub
ject condition freedom! What would she
call it, ifitwer hers-if, by some calamity
to her and the cizilized world, she should
fall under similar subjection TO France, or
some other power? Would she call that
feedom. or the most CALLING and intolerable
slavery
But approach near home. I cross the
Atlantic, passing unnoticed subjucated
Island, with her eight millions of people,
and only ninety thousand voters, and Pla-
cling myself on the boasted shores Of Eng
land herself, ask, how will the principle
work there
Itwas estimated by Burke, ifmy memo
ry serves me, shortly before the beginning
Of this century, that the British public,
estimating as such all who exercised infu.
ence over the Government, did not exceed
200, 900 individuals. Since then it has,
no doubt, greatly increased by the exten-
sion Of the right Of suffrage and other
causes. Say tha, it has trebled or quad
rupled, and, to be liberal, that it amounts
10 seven or eight hundred thousand. In
thi, small portion, them, is vested the.
supreme control and damininn over the
twen-fve millions. which constitute the
population of the British isles. II, them.
il be contrary to the laws Of nations for
man to hold man in subjection, or one ma
tion another, how can small partor class
ofa community hold the rest! Or on
what principle, according 10 that maxim,
can these few hundred thousand hold so
many millions? If the right of self-gov-
ernment forbids the subjeclion OF one man
10 another, does it not equally forbid that of
q small portion Of the community over the
residue? And. If so, must not the maxim
terminate in the utter overthrow of the
present political and social system of
Great Britain, and the rest Of Europe.
To be concluded in our nert.
British Force in the Cdnadas-A para
graph is going the rounds in most OF our
city papers, in which It's stated that the
military force in the Canadas consists of
twenty thousand men. 1t is not so: the
calculation is baced on the number ofregi-
mentes stationed in the provinces, as it is
found in late number of the United Ser
vice Journal. To make up the twenty
thousand, it is estimated that the three
regiments Of Guards "are one thousand
strong and the foot eight hundred" Now
such is not the fact. Not one OF the regi-
ments is full, and the entire force in the
Canadas, we believe, is not more than
thirteen lhousand.-N Y. Com ADJ.
Another Boundary Quesiion.-The leg.