The North-Carolina standard., 1845-10-22
From the Democratic Review,
- WIVES AND SLAVES. sa -
BONE FOR THE ABoLITIoNIsTs TO PICK.

"A BONE FOR THE ABoLITIoNIsTs TO PICK. u
In contemplating the present aspect of Aboli-
tionism-its rapid growth its prospects of further
extension, the stubborn, headlong, unwavering
zeal of its partizans, the dangerous consequences
its future may bring, the boldness of its attacks
upon whatever obstacle has barred its course-en-
terng in everywhere, the political arena as we'll
as the church-confoundng the efforts of parties
and of sects, lifting its hand against the federal
Union, and rending asunder churches and unions
of churches-It has occurred to me 10 say some
thing of different kind and in different spirit
from the arguments heretofore used with these en-
thusiasts, which may tend in some measure TO mo-
idify their dangerous fanaticism. ..t-,-
shall not contradict them, for that would only
irriate and l shall avoid anything like ridicule
or abuse with which they have been so freely be-
spattered; for the fire of their enthusiasm is not
like the Greek fire, to be extinguishcd only by
throwing dirt upon it. Benevolence is the first
element of AboIitionism but not the only one
So strange a thing is human nature, so cunningly
conrived in even its imperfcctions that every good
impulse is allied to an opposite impulse OF evil to
which it is bound in so close relation that you
cannot excite the one without arousing the other
There is, between benevolence and malevolence,
a kind of mutual dependency sort of polar at
traction connecting antipodes We hate very much
according to our capacity TO love, and our anger
at injustice is in mathematical ratio to pity tor
the injured. The most heartily given kicks are
those bestowed by one urchn on smaller urchin
for having kicked smaller urchin still. The
most energetic enterprises of modern philanthropy
are TO large degree sustained and simulated by
hatred against the real or supposed supporters of
wrong. Hardly ever is complaint made against
any of the thousand mseries inwoven in the frame
work OF society, but in connection with fierce in
vective against some particular class, as Innocent
commonly, the very sufferers themselves Our
kind impulses seem to need the stimulating pres
encc of some object for our wrath before they can
attain proper action; and the sOupe naGigre Of
our brnevolence is only kept warm by the 6rcs Of
our hatred. .. ....
As by our moral constitution it is impossible to
hate ourseIces our phianthropic energies find lit
tie exercise on the wrongs which we ourselves
cause; and as we have 10 look abroad for objects
of our Indignation, we must seek distant objects
of our pity.
Hence we find that in England, whose island
shores enclose more misery than is in any like
space of all the world, with an equal measure OF
religious light and civil liberty--England, where
the progress of starvation keeps steady pace with
the increase Of wealth, and unrelieved suffering
spreads itself in exact proportion to the multiply
ing means of relief in this Eng land are all the
while originating the most mammoth enterprises
for the redress of grievances beyond the seas, to
the shameful neglect of the poor that lie Pershing
at her own door wasting in foreign philanthropi-
cal attempts, mostly Intellectual, those mighty en-
ergics which, applied to that homemade misery,
might wholly wipe it away.
And to second England's efforts against por-
ton of our own country, we see the best Of our
Northern phiianthl opists expending their best eff
forts in an impotent crusade against their slave
holding brethren Of the South-their kind-heart-
edness all turned to gall-pity for the slave con-
sumcd in hatred for the MASTER and the fate of one
fNp hnc an
other-the vengeance of heaven and the ire of the
negro invoked upon the heads of their co-ciizens,
and spirit of downright blood dthirstiness engen-
dercd, which would rejoice (can it be doubted p
in an emancip patton by fire and blood.
In distant states, linked with US only in certain
federal relations, under other internal laws than
ours long degraded race Of blacks are held in
bondage; made to plant what they may not reap;
confined and whipped 0d Abitum subject to be
separated husband from wife and parent from
child, at masters will, and for life bound to his
service; but tasked not too long, fed with food as
dainty to their palates as would be the daintiest
fare on the table of the rich, and as abundant in
quality as their appetites can crave; warmed,
clothed, housed and nuTsed; and for present fu-
ture food or cloihing, warming, housing or nurs-
ing, freed from all care--eGre that word~of evil,
which sums up nine-tenths of the miseries OF hu-
man life their chastisemcnt not so severe as the
so frequent as in our civilized schools Such is
the condition of the descendants of most wretch
cd race Of savage slaves-slaves 10 savages, whose
transportation to this continent was first begun at
the suggestion Of the humane Jesuit for benevo-
lent purposes, and subsequently persevered in by
our mother country for her own ina gined benefit,
and encouraged by the folly or submitted to by
the weakness ofour common forefathers centuries
ago-their condition in fact being far happier,
though less elevated, than that Of the working
masses in most Christian countries.
That such is their actual condition is here af-
frmed, but no issue is rendered, nor, if rendered,
would an issue be accepted for when all these
things have been told the Abotionists by those
who tried to set bounds their benevolent phren-
zy. their irascible philanthropy, their dangerous
pity their ferocious hatred of wrong, their vndc-
tive love of right, their answer has been, What
if in fact these slaves be suffered to enjoy fair
average of comfort-what thenf we war for
principle, principle of right unvarying and
eternal, which no mere circumstances attending
the present condition of the injured, no fattening
or clothing, housing, warming or nursing-in
short, no mere loosening Of the bonds, oiling of
the fctters or enlarging of the dungeon can any.
wise affect" 1t is, in short only the legal condi-
ton Oe slGre that Abolitionists will consent to
discuss His actual condition they seem to care
little about indeed, they knowingly adopt many
measures whose only result can be to increase its
hardships. ........-.,., ....f .s. - ..s.. =
On the ground of abstract right only do they