The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-02-12

her, wishing to buy, and he hears questions as
TO her eye, her habits, her soundness. Notcon-
tent with this, he sees one rudely feeling her
muscles, TO be certain that she il strong and
healthfu As man, as a citizen, unaccustom-
ed TO such scenes, never realizing that such
things could he, must he not be shocked VIII
not the blood rush from his heart, and Jingle in
his veins, as il it were all on fire. Yet there 10
no slave State, no partof any. slave State, which
is not forced TO witness, scenes sad as this
3. Nay, as TO that, darker picture remains
to be unfolded. In that auction room are many
slaves The old and the young are there. Faith
ers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers
and sisters set side by side, fearing everything,
yet knowing not what they fear. Arc these
family ties needed As the father ascends the
block, does his wife accompany him, do their
children gather round them-Rnd do We hear the
slave-seller say, "this is one family, they can
not be separated 20 Alas, it is not so The
father stands alone. The wall of his wife may
be heard-the agonizIng sobs of tho children
may ring in our ears, il is of no avail; the sale
goes on, the hottest ties rudely snapt tsun-
der, and they whom God had ordained should
love each other, and live together, forcibly and
forever separated Tell us, friend, tell us hu-
name Shareholder, il any stranger could wit
ness sight like this, or read, or hear of it, and
not denounce the institution as accused Can
We expect, do we ask, that men afar off should
deal gently with il, write OF speak kindly Of il,
when it concentrates within itself terrors which
shocked the heather, and which, il narrated to
us of any other people, would make our very
blood boil with indignation
! 4. And now imagine that the stranger seeing
these things should turn to cur statute books,
and look closely at our slave laws! Here, the
freeman may be sold into slavery forever, if he
be unable to pay trifing fine. There, 1t is q
criminal offence to teach the slave TO read the
word Of God-that word which we are com.
manded to study and know--that word which
the Savior died to teach. In one State, maria.
gcs are not allowed the law making the off.
spring of any union among slaves illegtimats
In none are they legalized. Everywhere is pub.
lie opinion in advance of our slave code. Eve.
rywhere are slave owners really more human.
and christian than the law. That, in spirit, /,
vindictive, cruel, irreligious no barbarian cod,
is so bad. Yet il is that, and that alone by which
the great majority Of the people of the world
judge us, by which they Judge the institution
of slavery. Is it strange, that they should
Judge harshly ? They were more or less than
men if they did otherwise.
This being so, what should those slaye-hold-
ers do, who are resolved to defend the institu
ton to the last What those other slave hold
ers, who, like our friend are ready for smanci-
patton Demand instantly change of these
barbarous laws-demand that slaves, Ignorant
and desPised though they be, shall have and b,
taught to read the word of God, and know o.
Him who died for all /; demand that their mar
riAges shall be held sacred, that no home o,
family ties shall again be rudely broken. Thi,
is what shareholders should do instantly, in
justice TO themselves, in justice to the blacks
in justice TO their country, and their God