Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-10-04


l advocate measures like this. i, is no fyur
of speech to say. that their words are tn
e clanking Of multitudinous letters: eacl
o gesture Of their arms tears human hesl
: with ten thousand whips; each exhalatior
q. of their breath spreads clouds Of mora
: darkness from horiz IN to horizon
: Twenty years ago. sharp sensation
a ran through the nerves of the civilized
I world at the story of young man. named
e Caspar Hauser. found in the city of Nur.
} emberg. in Bavaria. Though sixteen or
seventeen years Of age. he could no, ak
nor talk. H. heard without Understands
, ing; he saw without p ,rceiving; he moved
without definite purpose. Ii was the sou!
{ of an infant in the body Of an adult AZ.
ter he had learned 10 speak. he related
that. from his earliest recollection. he had
always been kept in hole 50 small. that
, he could not stretch out his limbs. where
he saw no light heard no sound. nor even
Witnessed the face Of the attendant who
brought him his scanty food. For MANY
years, com lecture was rife concerning his
history. and all Germany was searched to
discover his origin. After a Ion" period
Of fruitless inquiry and speculation. pub
lie opinion settled down into the belief
that he was the victim Of some great. un.
natural crime: that he was the heir 10 some
throne, and had been seluestered bv am
biti on; or the nheritor Of vas. wealth. and
had been hidden away BY cupidty; or the
offspring OF criminal indulgence. and had
been buried alive to avoid exposure and
shame. 4 German. Won Feuarbach. pub.
lished an account Of Caspar. entitled
1.-The Example Of Crime on the Life Of
the Soul" But why go to Europ. to be
thrilled with the pathoS of IA human being
shrouded from the light Of nature. and Gu,
off from a knowledge of duty and OF God!
To-day, in this boastcd land Of light and
liberty, there are three million Caspar
liausers; and. as it this were not enough.
it is proposedto multiply their numberten-
fold, and to fill up all the western world
with these proofs Of human avarice an!
guilt. 1t is proposed that we ourselves
should create. and should publish to the
world, not one. but untold millions of"Ex-
amples of Il Crime on the Life Of the
Soul" 1t is proposed that the self:styled
freelnen, the self-styled Christians. Of fiji.
teen great States in this American Union,
shall engage in the work Of procreating.
rearing, and selling Caspar Hau,ers, Of |
ten from their own loins; and IL any fur. |
Their development of soul Of body is al
lowed TO the American victims than was
permitted TO the Bavarian child. it is only
because such development will incre ase
their market value at the barracoons. 1t
is not from any difference Of motive, but
only the better to insure that motives in.
diligence. The slave child must be al
lowed TO use his limbs, or how could he
drudge out his life in the service of his
master! The slave infant must be taught
to walk, or how. under the shadon Of this
thrice glorious Capitol, could he Join a
coffle for New Orleansl
know, sir. that it has been said. with |
in short time past. that Caspar Hauser !
was an impostor, and his story a fiction.
Would to God that this could ever be said !
of his fellow victims in America.
For another reason slavery is an un- !
speakable wrong. The slave is debarred |
from testfying against a white man. The
courts will not hear him as a witness. BY /
the principles Of the common law, if any
man suffers violence at the hands Of an
other, he can prefer his complaint TO ma.
gistrates. or to the grand juries Of the ,
courts, who are bound to give MIN redress.
Hence the law is said to hold up its shield !
before every man for his protection. 1t
surrounds him in the crowded street and /;
in the solitary place. 1t guards his treas
ures with greater vigilance than locks or
iron safes; and against meditated agrees I
sions upon himself, his wife, or his chill !
dren. it fastens his doors every night more /
securely than pie bolts of brass. But .
all these sacred projections are denied. to /
the slave. While subjected to the law Of
force, he is shut out from the law Of right !
To suffer injury is his. but never to obtain /
redress, For personal cruelties. for stripes
that SILVER his flesh and blows that break I
his bones. for robbery or for murder. neith- |
er he nor his friends nave preventive. REM !
edy, or recompense. The father, who is
a slave, may see son or daughter scored, !
mangled. mutilated. ravished, before his
eyes. and he must be dumb as a sheep be- .
fore his sheareIs. Tn, wife may be dis.
honored in the presence Of the husband,
and, if ne demonstrates or rebels. the mis- {
creant who could burn with the lust. will
burn not less iercely with vengeance to ,
be glutted upon his foiler.
Suppose suddenly, by some disastrous
change in the order Of nature. an entire
kingdom or community were to be envel- T
oped in total darkness-to have no day, (
no dawn, but midnight evemore! Into /
what infinite forms Of violence and wrong
would the depraved passions ofthe human
heart spring up, when no longer restrain
ed by the light Of day. and the dangers Of
exposure! So far as legal rights sgainst |
his oppressors are concerned. the slave
lives in such a world of darkness.
hundred of his fellows may stand around
him and witness. the wrongs he suffers, but
not one of them can appeal to jury. mag t
istra,e, or Judge, for punishment or re- /
dress. The wickedest white man. in
company of slaves, bears a charmed life. ,
There is not one Of the fell passions that !
RACES in his bosom which he cannot in-
dulge with wantonness, and % safety. and /,
the count has no ears to hear the complaint |,
of the victim. How dearly does every /
honorable man prize character! The law |