Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-01-11
From n, Proo. JIaraR.
North & South versus Slavery.
To khs Editor Of The Journal:

impress rohtctlng mlnlS WIN tho "'"0' 49,
an eri il approaching in which the Perhanen-
CIV of our institutions may bs severely tes'e',
The inaa,n uatory acts and denunclalions "i |
ths ultra pro-sayery AMI tn, ultra antl-slavery |
factions see n 10 have greatly allenitad ihe
iralernsl fsslings which on:, existed b'tw''h !
the people of IN, Nnlhsrn and SDath'ra /
States /: aud the recent orginlzhon oil great
political party. avoweily fornsi VITA esp,c'
and paramount references 10 the 'esllon o' STA
very, nader the auspices of wily p)liuclih'
whoss movements there is TOO mich reison
90 bsevs, ara inhuencsI by personal ani Po-
litical motives. rather than devotion 10 ths
Gauss he has embarked 10 for tn, public good
will dou5tlessly tend to widsn ani agSravais !
the brsach already exlsiing bstw.sn ihs TWO
sections. Judging from past experiences ana
from the energetic and persesering character
of the American pc, pie, II seems hardly pos |
sble that the most hop,ful spirit shoald oelievo
that the poison which has been 80 long 'nin.
sing itself into the public mind, can bs stayed
10 its progress by temporary expedicnt', or
that il can be e!f,c,ually ejectcJ otherwise
than by the removal of the great Upas oi s'a-
very from whence it eninates. Ifihis be true,
il should b, IN, study AL prayer ofeysry non
es. minJ,i citizen of ths Uiitsl States, with
out rsgirl u se;tl0n or party, to nave ms
tree Of evil removed from an 'ngst us.
that they the nsalyes assisted in planting ths
evil tree. an that its pestlferons leaves once
oyershadowed their land. From local circun-
stances perhaps, rather than superior morality,
we gradually Topped It's branches. ana dug IT'S
roots from our soil. They became more dcsP-,
ly rooted at the South; they now penetrate
every foot of her soil they are interviewer with
the foundations Of her habltations; they are
roted beneath the thresholds and h.arthstones
k,, sbn Atla A. on
the Fast, they are making rapid advance 10
the Pacific on the West. How shall its pro-
eress be stayed. How shall the tree itself be
removed Uproot it by force and the nation
may be convulsed by the elIori, perhaps crush
ed by its fall. BY seeking 10 avoid Charybdls
we may rush on Scylla. ln the mddr course
is safety. course by which great social evils
Of long standing can alone be safely removed.
We should avoid left hand as well as right
hand errors this Christianity teaches, and
,hai we should act on all occasions with prd
tence and discretion, seeking to prevail by per-
saason, By entreaty, by torheaIance, by self
sacrifice, and by long suffering rather than by
threatening, violence and bloodshead. This Is
the spirit whoa eTadicates as well as over
comcs evil, and in this spirit alone en- ihl
dreaufil evil OF slavery be removed from ou
country without endangering its peace. ltha'
grown gtl1uay, II nut be gradually remov
ell. The North and the South have beeI
both Engaged 10 fostering il, they must unite
in destroying it. How shall they proceed =
the No.lh has no constitutional right to de-
mand The freedom of The slaves thc laws oi
the $outhern States forbid his enIncipaiiou
unless he is removed from their limits. Where
'""' NO r-""'" .S5 Avs vi some oi lnc
States whose people clamor loudest for its free
dom, forbid his entering their borders. He is
dlsfranchised by the laws of most of the South-
ern States, and by the customs and prejudlcrs
ofthem all. lie Is there rarely employed by
individuals, excepting in menlal services; his
participation in public aiflirs is mainly confined
TO the work house and penlleniiary. With nc
honorable mark in view to which ths coored
race can aspire, their best energies are paraly
zsd, the better class become detected and re
tIlng the more worthless, lmpudent an,
reckless. The former are driven into the ob
ecure hooks and by-lanes of our towns or scat
tered on the impoverished hills and 0u!s'ilrt
Of our farms.
The latter are sent in crowds 10 our prisons
Is freedom such as th 10 he coveted, even b.
slave In case Of inn ,date emancipation
on the soil, what will be the probable cIndlio
of the col0red man al the South At pre-
sent il is there penal offence to teach hin l.
read his bible or 10 write his name. HIS wf
or daughter nay he violated IN his presence b
white man. against whom neither his ow
nor any other coored person. evidence wout
he received IN court, whilst the husbands an,
faLhsr's life would he forfeited by Law shoul,
he rails. his hand ! their defence. Husband
wife and children may at any moment b. sapara
ed, aud sold into slavery, beyond each o,he-'
ken, the law not unfraluently making tn. kin,
treatment OF an inds gent master or minister I,
its crnelty as III case of his dying lesoIve I,
his slaves are sold at auction in lots OF SUI
purchasers In some of the Southern Slate
free co'ored persons may be tirown into priso,
and cumpelled Ia prove their freedom If the,
succeed IN proving their right 10 liberty. the,
are sold into perpetual slavery To pay the ex
penses Of their unjust Imprisonment A refine
ment Of iniqnty probably unexamped in the
annals OF lhe human race, and which goes IA,
TO prove the capabillty of man to become per
feet in wckedness in this present life
A spirited horse would be appIluded fo
spurning servitude or slavery al the South /: ;
coored man is punished for attempting 10 es-
cape from it, III, is there a non descriyt, tha
is, denied both the rights Of 4 man and the priyi
leges Of brute.
Nrary equal in numbers in many ni the
Southern States. ia il probable. IN case ol
.mmrditte ema"cipat on that tie two race,
will long dwell in harmony on the SINE
soil ny Ue slnple Ihssaye Ot YPnerf
Law will the present domnerrinn spirit o
the white nan be converted inIo the LIANT
Ike disposition. necessary TO enable him =,
frdlerniZe with race he has been iauph
from infancy TO dspise 7 A present. whlla
the laws nf the South are cruel 10 the slave
the masters are IN general humane an,
protect their people from the law 3 severity
rather than subject them to its abuse. In th
event of immediate emancipation on The soil
the whites would undoubtedly relan in ,hrI
own hands all political power. The
will both make and administer the laws, an,
whilst the colored man will he crushed b,
their weight, he will have lost his former pro
tector. Unlike the n groes of the West H..
dia colonies. iks only sovereign power he car
appeal to for justice, will be to that Of his cp.
pressors. Feuds and contentious wiIl per.
petually arise, and driven perhaps by despera
ton to rebellion, pretext will be afforded f.,
the banshment or destruction of the more g
norsnt and weaker race. How then. shall The
alive he made tree and where nm earth shol