Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-05-29
REV. DIR. BAsCoM ON SLAVERY.

Kew DR. BAStoh YIN SLAs Eh1s
The Rev. DR.. Bsscom, Of the Methodist
Episcopal church, has recently published
a pamphlet on the subject OF slavery. and
as his distinguished talents eutlila bis
opinions to great weight. we give the fol.
lowing extracts from it. 1t will be seen
that he boldly and eIoquently defends the
South from the attacks OF the North lana
tics:
in their miserable freedom, so called
they have died at the rate Of TWO TO one,
IN state OF slavery, but the int position
OF Omnlpotence seems necessary to re-
lleye the negro from the weight Of dIs,.
biIties beneath which he is crushed. The
declarstion of his freedom is u fraud IN
every State of this Union. Both preju.
dice and law proclaim # impossible, in
the existing state of things. The ordna.
ny eliglblItes Of citizenship are no where
his. The white man and the negro may
not separate, as to the bounds Of habta.
ton" but they do not, cannot combine.
They may be together, bu, TO mingle is
impossible. The distinction, for example,
as it relates TO color alone, appears so
founded in an lnvlncble law of nature,
that in no instance, in the history Of CT
viliza,ion, has it yielded TO the influence
Of circumstances. This may be all and
utterly wrong; our business with the
fact only. Kindred reasons and argument
may be multiplied indefinitely. D.spro-
por,onate, inadequate compensation Tor
labor, is assumed as fundamental ele-
ment- one of the chef Disadvantages Of
slavery, and it is argument principally
relied upon by aboilIonisis, OF every sect
and color, and yet il is susceptible Of the
clearest demonstration, that the slave oil
the South. On an annual esimate,) gets
more than the free negro Of the North /;
and, by the showing Of the Northern ar
gument, IS less "A save. Every victim o.
injustice is a slave, and such is the negro
every where in the North. Crushed by
the indirect tyranny Of law, and .he intol-
erance of public opinion, he IS the miser-
abe victim of ell kinds of injustice and
hardship. And what must be the sober
decision Of history with regard TO those
who pity the negro until he becomes free,
and then starves INN to death? The
mooed question of negro rights and worth
and his title to Northern sympathy and
protection, are dropped the moment the
negro becomes free, and appeals TO the
Northern court of errors Tor the promised
boon Of equal, social and political rights.
Notwithstanding all the parsded humani.
ty Of the North on the subject, no actual
abolition Of siareru has ever taken place
in the United States. The proc ama,ion
to this etfec, IS an imposition upon the CT
viized void. The serviude of the ne
gro, and the injustice and hardship Of his
lot have merely changed their form. The
legal principle of slavery is abolished in
the North. but all New England, New
York, Pennsylva ia, Ohio, &C., do not
contain single negro who IS free, in the
sense OF the Declaration Of American In
dependence-no one. No where does
the negro meet the white man--nn where
is he met by him upon terms of equality.
There is no civil, social, domestic, or even
religious intercommunIty of enjoyment or
suffering. They are deprived of the most
important rights Of mankind. Both by
law and public opinion they are condemn.
ed 10 hereditary degradation and misery.
Their liberty is a lie and "a cheat. 10
what do they fnd themselves free, ex.
cept TO be neglected, scorped, and rod-
den under foot. Prejudice, manners aad
custom, turn aside and bear down the
frutless provisions Of legislation. There
is that constituency interviewer with the
popular feeling oil the American people,
in relation TO the unfortunate negro, which
law can neve: efface. 1t is even true that
the prejudice against the negro increases
with the progress of emancipation. Take
any Of tbs Northern Stales-,hat which
nearest approaches the Utopia Of modern
abollionsm, and notwithstanding the ar.
(ranchlsement Of the negro in law, il a
white person marry negro, iafamy is the
result. Free NJ grees, with very lew ex-
ceptlons as to places, dare not avail them
selves ofihe right of suffrage, even where
It is allowed. They ar" no where credit
Ole witnesses against white s--(he
attempt OF the late Geteral Conference TO
make them such, Notwithstanding
There is not State in the Union
where negro is essentially an equal par.
,y in an action at law. Where is the ne.
gro admitted as equal peer and compa.
trint with the white man? Where as ju-
ror, Judge, or counsclorl Is there any
office of trust or honor to which he is eli
gible2 What school receives the two
races together without being placed under
the public ban 7 Can the negro s money
procure him a seat at the Theatre or
Opera without some signal of his infer.
erlty offered in atonement to those who
wish it 10 be understood they but tolerate
his presence, albeit they have sporn him
free and equal? What hospital or poor
house receives him, except apart from
the privileged white sufferer, without, II
may be half the sense or virtue of the
negrol Even the Caurch assigns him a
distant seat and different altar. The
grave itself perpetuates the distinction, by
disowning the fellowship Of his dust. Ia
life and death alike, he is prescribed and
trodden under foot as an alien and his deg.
radiation IS thus made to accompany hun
to the very gates Of Heaven. And all
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