Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-03-26

ration OF the races, with the ultimate and provl-
dental design, it would seem, to maintain cn
the continent all the physical peculiarities of the
African on his own, would never have been eff
fcctual had it been left to the mere caprices of
sentiment or taste founded upon varieties of
color. These might have been overcome, and
the pe3uiarities to be maintained consequently
lost They are theretoFeplaced beyond the law
of taste under the protectloneot another ,physi-
cal law which lies tar deeper, operating indie
pendently of all human will, and enforcing itself
under the sternest and severe st of natural penal
ties The offspring of the two races is a by
brid--an offspring whose progression, though
not limited like that 7ofssome OF the lower ami.
mails to the first generation, is nevertheless so
and dumbne SIS and other the most crushing in
firmities ';that flesh is heir to- that it can
never become the sound parental stock Of self
maintaining population X
| Here. then. wehave always before u.s. the re-
markabe phenomenon OF one race 'of mankind
| living. and living for>upwards of two hundred
wears in the midst of another race, and vet inca
be BY reason of natural laws, of disappearing
by incorporation with it and thereby incapable
also of impairine or losing any of its original
and native characteristics. The final cause OF
this phenomenon must be looked for either in
that primitive doom upon Canaan 10y which he
was Sentenced to be "a servant of servants unto
his BRETHREN" or it is TO be found in some high
and renovaiing function which the American
! slave is vet totulfil in the redemption of the
continent from which he came
Besides the physical immutabiiy of the ne
gro as a race amongst Us: he has in association
with it another peculiarly scarcely less strik-
hing or.sgniticant than it is: ard that is his ex-
traordnary aptitude to1esse SIS himself, rs if by
intuition of all the tastes and social habits and
u III.
civilization of his master You may pick up a
wild negro in Dalomy, and bring him to Vir-
giuia, with his fettishes and his conjuring rod
and his sharpened cannibal teeth and his unll-
tellirible tongue. and give him there no other
instruction but what he can catch from his fell
low-slave at their common work, and in few
years he will be a civilized nan. Ard if he is
not, his American child in the first generation
will be. This is true OF no dher savage man
upon earth. Lock at our ownred man-as ul-
civilized almost as it centuries OF effort had not
been expended upon his improvement Look at
this very African himself in his own country a.
mongst the most incapable OF all savages for
self-flevation, but wonderfully capable of help
ing himself up by the hands ard assistance Of
others
In this connection, It may bestated, as one OF
a group of facts, mutually bearing upon and il
ustratingone another, that the climate of Africa
is too fatal to the white man ever to become the
f place of his safe and sperlpanelt abode This
our experience at Liberia, and the missionary
experience of our religious societies at other
points, very fully establish. 1t Is obvious, there
fore, from this, that whatever is done for the
moral improvement of that Continent, mast be
done by those whose entire fhasical nature is
suited to its baleiul and burning sun. 1t must
: in other words, be done by the black man him.
self. And here, in the absolute 1ecefsity of con-
tiding this high mission to him, or of leaving
Africa to her solitary woe, We find not
+ improbable solution OF so much that is pc.
, cullar and otherwise mysterious in his circum-
stances and position amongst ourselves. Here
in the light of this necessity, we see most pro.
badly, why it is that his perfect identity has
been protected by natural laws, which rendered
| his incorporation with us, and consequently his
disappearance as distinct race, absolutely i'm
T possible. Here, too we have, as probably, the
reason OF his extraordinary caracity to take I'D.
on himself the knowledge and the arts of his
master Here; too, perhaps, the reason of his
presence r1fh us amongst whom the habits Of
private intercourse are freer, and the rudiments
OF learning more pervaslve and universal, than
amongst any other people in the world; ano
here, ALSO may be the reason why he was bound
hand and foot, with the iron chain of persona
bondage, that thus he might be fastened to the
spot OF his trials and his training until all things
were ready for his final deliyeranee and ,depar
ture. 20
offer you, Mr.. Chairman, no hypothesis up
OH these facts. They are such however, I'M
doubleday, as to encourage the hope that oln
country may become to Africa as to Others the
nursery and store house of It's civilization and
its freedom that though it has tredden upon a
portion OF her children, and lmrnessed them fol
long years to the yoke of its labors, vet That e.
ven thus. it has becnalnconsciously but benef
Gently preparing the means by which the smi
tings OF this verysporion may be converted into
the uplifting OF a continent, and the superstition
and canlliballsm and tears of its sunken millions
be wiped away. The facts, also. are such as tc
surround this whole subject ofslavery with new
motives to torbearance, and new inFlltctions a
galnst the folly and the wickedncss of all un
authorized interrneddling with it,
When look, MIR. Chairman, beyond the
forms OF legislation, and consider no the rea
parties are to the controversy before us-tha
they are not individuals rushing into alteration
with one another, ander the tierceness of ignoblt
passions excited for ienoble objects, but power
tul and independent States, constituted into ONT
tor certain great ends OF mutual protection ant
advantage, and bound therefore, upon the frs
great kaW OF governments as we'll as OF persons
the law OF t-preservation-so to administe
that government as never to endanger or over
whelm it w hen consider, sir, who the par
ties are-what their relative charlottesville
their reciprocal dependence-ho infinitely ex
ceeding everything else is the interest of eacl
inahe mutual Justice and fidelity of all-~how a
mazing their presperity--how exalted aheir re
nown-how renovating the example upon thu
hopes and Liberties of the world-how inspiring
{ thethought that their republican banner not on
ly waves over an empire unparalleled,in all it
elements OF happiness and freedom and power
but is yet to wave, by It's influence, er,tlle il
imitable empire Of reborn and -self-governins
man when Iconsider all'this, sir, | cannot b,
otherwise than cheered withithe eonviction,ha
all will be well that parties-so. situated vii
never proiane their story their honor, thro
an act Of deliberate wrong by either on the 9th
er and the Esprit of amity and mutual defer
ence and concession which united them at first
will triumph over all troubles, dispose Alright al
contests, and thus continue to harmonize and u
mite them forever. In such brotherhood of par