The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-29
COMMUNICATION.
rssuxh,. ON Emaneipataen.-No. 10.

Tbougnls on
Ii was argued in my last, that the authors
If the Declaration OF Independence believ
al that call men are created equal" and
that this belief accounts satisfactorily for
the part they acted in our revolutionary
Struggle. 1t prompted them to say, the God
If Heaven has made us free, and We will
hs free. II it be true that ''all men are
created equal, they must have equal rights
and the doctrine of equal rights comes into
direct collision with slavery The system
If slavery assumes it as fact that some
men possess superior rights, and that these
rights are so extraordinary as to Justify them
IN subecting other men to bondage. But
to be more specific: 1t assumes that the AZ
ncan race does not stand On an equality
with other races-that it is mmeasureably
inlerior-and is not entitled to the blessings
of liberty. call this assumption. What
else can it be! Is there any thing in the
principles of reason, Justice, and philan.
thropy which denies to the African nation
the rights that belong to other nations?
Would il not be as accordant with the will
Of Heaven for Europeans to be enslaved as
Africansl Would il not be rs UNSUITABLE to
reduce the copper-coloIed tribes Of Asia to
bondage as the sable tribes Of Africa! Is
there not as much propriety i'll dePriving the
red man Of his liberty as the black mani
And what superior claim to liberty has the
white man! If there be any righteousness
in slavery, it is as Just 10 make slave OF a
white man as a negro. Where is the au-
thority for slavery at all! And even if there
were such authority, is il to be presumed
that the color Of those who might be enslav-
ed would be specified In all that pro-
slavery men have written, have they Pre-
.ented any such specification? Why, then,
this mysterious prejudice against the AfIicani
What evil has he done? Has liberty no
charms for him! Has he no rightsi Are
his wrongs to be perpetual! Is the day Of
bis degradation to have no endl Is he for
hidden even to hope for an improvement in
bis condition? Is Africa ever to weep over
her children The Noble Of nations,
then she stands.
Are not her tears to be wiped away Are
not her sorrows to be turned into Joy! They
must be-Ihey must be. Her emancipaied
children must yet rush into her arms exult-
ing in the sweets Of liberty. Heaven
speed the day-the day Of universal free
dom
But | had almost forgotten the Declare
ton Of Independence. Ii asserts that among
the Invaluable rights" with which the Crea
Tor has endowed all men. are "lile, liberty,
and the pursuit ofhappineSs." 1 was about
to inquire whether this was not intended as
satire on slavery. The slave is allowed
to have "life," but what is to be said Of
elderly and the pursuit of hsppinessl"
The liberty Of a slave is lfcontradictory
expression. We may as well talk Of the
slavery Of freeman. Where is the lib.
ery Of the slavel What liberty does he
ENJOY! Is he not bound to obey his masterl
Gan he control his own course of action!
Il father, can he appropriate the necessary
time to the training Of his family! Can he
perform the duties which the paternal rela-
non originates! Are the proceeds of his
labor his own! Is he at liberty to use them
iOrPersOnsl or family purposes! To ask
such questions Is to answer them. The
slave has not liberty. The very essence Of
bondage consists in deprivation Of liberty.
And what shall | say about the slaves ''pur-
suit Of happiness" Whether he shall Dur.
sue that which will contribute TO his happi-
ness depends on the will Of the master. =
whether the family OF which he is a men,
Der snail remain together, or be widely sun
oeFed, IS optional with the msster-and Of
zen with the masters creditors. Talk not
o. the slaves happiness when there is in the
Statutes oil Kentucky no recognition Of the
legality OF MS marriage. Whether the ser
want shall learn to read the Bible--or hear
me gospel Preached-or enjoy any other
Pnvlleges-lhe master must decide. Say
not that the slave is hsppy-or that he is
permitted to pursue happiness, when his
Pinlual and eternal interests may be seri-
ously lnterfered with by the master. An,
now sad is the truth that the negroes of Ken
lucky DO not enjoy the ''unalienable rights"
referred to in the Declaration Of '76. "All
men, according TO this document, ''are en-
ooWed by their Creator with heir rights. :"
he state Of things among US. however. is
sOch that a large portion Of Our population
oonot enjoy these rights. The Declaration
o. independence and slavery are as opposite
As light and darkness-as antagonistic as
Immortality and death.
A SOUTHERN KENTucKIAY.