The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-11-18

Still further, the deprivation oil personal
liberty is so complete that it destroys the
rights Of conscience. Our system, as es-
tablished by law, arms the master with
power to prevent his slave from worshiPPing
God according to the dictates Of his own
conscience. The owner Of human beings
among US may legally restrain them from
assembling to hear the instructions OF divine
truth, or even from ever uniting their hearts
and voices in social prayer end praise to
Him who created them. God alone is Lord
over the conscience. Yet our system, de
lrauding alike our Creator and orr slaves,
confers upon men this prerogative Of Deity.
Argument is unnecessary to show the guilt
and madness Of such system. And do
we not participate in its criminality. if we
uphold ii!
Sd. The deprivation Of personal sec'iri-
iy is the remaining constituent Of our sys-
tenn of slarery.-The time was, 10 cur own,
as well as in other countries, when even
The fifc VI si.s f. -L--i-A-i,- = H.
hands of the master. 1t is not so now,
among us. The life of bondman cannot
be taken with impuniiy. But the law e1.
tends its protection no further. Cruelty
may be carried to any extent, provided lille
be spared. Mangling, Imprisonment, star
walton, every species Of torture. may be In
fiicted upon him, and he has no redress.
But, not content with thus laying the body
of the slave defenceless at the foot Of the
master, our system proceeds still further,
and strips him in a great measure oil all
protection against the inhumanity OF any
other white man who may choose TO NAL
treat him. The laws prohibit the evidence
of slave against white man from being
received in a court of Justice. So that
wanlonness and cruelty may be exercised
by any man with IMMUNITY, upon these un-
fortunate people, provided none witness II
but those Of their own color. In describing
such condition, We may well adopt the
language of sacred writ: Judgment is
turned away backward, and justice stand
eth afar off; FOR truth is fallen in the street,
and equity cannot enter. And the Lord
saw it, and it displeased him that there was
no judgment"
Such is the essential character OF our
slavery. Without any crime on the part oil
its unfortunate subjects, they are deprived
for life, and their posterity after them, Of the
right to property, OF the right to Liberty, and
of the right to personal security. These
odious features are not the excrescences up
on the system-they are the system itself
tthey are its essential constituent parts
And can any man believe that such thine
as this is not sinful-that il is not hated by
God-and ought not to be abhored ant
abolished by man?
But there are certain effects, sPringint
naturally and necessarily out Of such a sys
tenn. which must also be considered in form
ing proper estimate Of its character.
/. It's most striking efect-is. to depraE'
and degrade its subjects by removing Iron
them the strongest natural checks TO humal
corruption. As there are certain laws I'm
pressed upon the elements, by which TO
works to preserve the beauty and order q
the material creation; so there are certal
principles OF human nature, BY which b
works TO save the moral world from rum
, These principles operate on every man l
his natural condition OF freedon-restralr
/ ing his vicious propensities, and regulatln
|, his department. The fires Of innate d.
pravity, which if permitted to burst toTti
|, would destroy the individual and desola'
society, are thus measurably repressed; an
the deceneies and enloyments OF life al
preserved, The wisdom and goodness
r God are thus seen in implanting IN man,
!. sense of character, desire fer property,
love for distinction, a thirst for power, ar
:, a zeal for family advancement All the
= feelings, working in the mind OF individual
rhough not unmixed with evil,) combine
4 promote their own happiness, and the we
. fare of communities; and they are Inier
> in the good which they produce, only
. those high religious principles which cons
y ,ute the image of God, and the soul OF ma
i The presence Of these principles only. c.
4 COMPENSATE for their absence. Whenev'
!, then, these natural feelings are crushed
:. eradicated in any human being, he is deg
:, ded into a creature Of mere appetite a
: passion. His sensuality is the only cord
? which you can draw him. His hopes a
t. fears all concentrate upon the objects oil
y appetites. He sinks far down toward le'
:. with the beast Of the field; and can be n
Iv we'd to action only by such appeals as mi
II ence the lunatic and the brute. Inns
"a the condition to which slavery reduces
49, mass of those who wear It's brutalls
- woke. Its effects upon their souls are
a worse than its effects upon their bod
IA Character, property, distinction, power,
vi family responsibility, are all withdra
10 from the reach Of the eleve. No object
80 presented to excite and cultivate those HI
er feelings, whose exercise would rePfess
,es passions and regulate his appetites. l
~ slavery deranges and ruins the moral
hy chinery of man--it cuts the slnews oil
\: soul-it extracts from human nature
o0 0 salt that purifes and preserves it, and le'
it corupting mass Of appetite and pass
rty 3. II dooms thousands of human ben
ne. 10 hopeless ignorance, The ACOUSTIC
his knowledge requires exertion; and the
, to who is to continue through life in bont
his has no strong motive OF interest to I'M
an such exertion; for knowledge is not valu
are to him. as to one who eats the fruits Of
nav own labors. The acquisition OF knowl
nav REQUIRES also facilities of books, teac'
lon. and time, which can be only adequi
d to furnished by masters; and those who q
SO, 40 ,o,,o,,a,e slavery will never fur