Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-03-23
Ear The ENQUIRER.
For ne FHqHut''
SLAVERY is NOT AN EVIL!

that we should present an undivided oPposi''ol
| 10 the encroachments which have now assuiheu
so exciting a character, and which, in one form
or other, have steadily advanced upon US SINCE
the foundation of the Government.
II is much TO be regretted that our eEe"iie'
! arc enabled 10 turn upon us with the ianguas1
of some of our most eminent and ihnuen.,a'
citizens, for We have absolutely furnished 'ne
Abolilionists with the ground upon Which 'ueJ
stand. beginning with the Declaration OF HUG
pcndence, and its theory of the equality Oh man
and ending. if you choose, with MT. hNcs'
avowaI-l quote from mcmory-"that slavery
&c n moral. social aud political evil" The
EAGLE may see that The arrow by which ne IS
stricken was fealhered from his own pnon.-
What is TO be expected from MIR. Rives IN Inc
hour OF action on this subject; supposng him
10 be honest and bravei Why, that nc VIII 90
something 10 mitigate or remove this evii-or'
at least, that he Will not resist others VINO have
that object in view. Is il sufficient repy 70
This imputation, for such he would POSSIBLY c.
slider H. for us 10 be told that the above IS Ms
opinion, viewing the matter abstractly, Out ina.
slavery, as VIC have it, j, better than any ''''ns
the Abolllionists can put in its place! II So ~
the name If common seEse why do lhqse "no
hold slavery to be an evil, involve themselves
in the contradiction oil declaring, IN one
breath, that it is The best thing we can na'e,
and in the next that il is a monstrous e'h' ~
considering acts mola III Sc teyil IN themselves
as murder, or any other violation OF tne laws
of God and Nature. man may very properly
speak of this or that course Of con"ucl, OF coh-
dliion Of affairs, as evil; but does il not seem
misapplication OF words-it certainly produces
confu.ion of ideas-when we a'e examining
work of human hands, where good and bad are
merely relative terms, 10 adjudge 1t TO be evil
ard al The same time conccde il 10 be better tnan
any thing eIse' In such case the true evll
would, properly speaking, consist IN The absence
of the evil objected TO- if such contradiction IS
ineligible. Abstracty 'thc government OF lbe
people is The government oil the whole commu'
nj ".ihe self government Of all the parts, TOO
perfect To be reduced 10 practice IN this or any
past stage Of human society,"
Would The ex-senator maintain mat tEe pre-
sent, or any other government iOr Massachusetts
which does not attain perfection, though Inc Desi
that The wisdom and willie OF me PuEltans can
aevise, is bad Thing, an evil that ought straight
way 10 BE- abatei2 Assufedly not. And il Lot,
what is the sense Of calling it an evil at ALT
And so, il slavery is The best allainable thing NJ
knows Of Tor Us, why speak OF il as a moral, So
cia and polltcaI evl2 II tneie is necessi y
that eniuIces The continuance oi the institution,
like that which compels society 10 MAINTAIN
government Tor instance, il can only be because
The stale would be in a worse conGlion without
il. II becomes an actual good, and 10 call u
evil, SOUNDS absurd. But perhaps these een'le-
men will take The other h0' n presented oy Inc al
gumcnt Tney may choose 10 JON The conscience
Abolilloniss, and, following ihe inhef-lIeh's Of
these lat;er-,iays, fnd themselves cchong me
amiable cant that 10 hold man III slavery IS
MOI only against good morals, but sin IN The
sight OF God: aud it would he better tnat they
should, for nothing can be more unwise Than 10
deceive oneself or others into the attempt 10
serve Two masters, God and Manmcn Lei 'hem
put on and openly wear some one OF The many
cha mcleon coors in which Abolition arrays IL
sell, that We may know Them and that they may
know themselves. Anr il they really think mat
The form OF suciey in the Souh, by which Atri-
ca are held in bondage, is deserving OF The Ge-
nuncia,ion visited upon II by Mr.. Rives, II be-
h0ovcs ihem rot only as patriots, but as men
who bear cnnscienccs, 10 offer sCme'nIng more
than lain, lip.sefvice 10 The cause oi Right and
Justice.
Time, that proves all things, has long since
vindica ed the VISION Of The position taken by
The srea, Caruliaian when this Slavery question
presented Itself to him. He said hen, what
every body sees now, that The really serious
phase ui The movement was the attempt 10 give
i. The semhlancc OF moral truth and justice. The
wisest and best that haze gone before Us, dId no.
fer 10 change the relative situation OF the Two
races with any hope Of 5ci.e,ins The condition Of
either, aud c, RAINY the question is not now one
wnit ,asier Of solution. Things are no nearer
infant in The hands OF man nor Go We uEder-
stand our more modern philaDlhropists Of the
South as preiening that they can unwind Inc
twisted cabl. ol socIety and plaiI il more smooth
~ an strongly. They merely join in the point
less defamation about the righls Of man, and
the cni.e OF Slavery; with no other visible effect
han 10 give aid ant comfort 10 he cnrm:.
ihe most dangerous ASS Of abo!ilionsts differ
from Rives, iet III onne,) moi m opinion, out III
position, aud they Try honestly aud openly 10 car
ry INTO practice what they profess IN hco'y, D.
AGING in lhe only way thai can be lTuly enec'lVc
against Us: they talk, and write and aeiale IN
cesssnlly. When these men NEE Inc statesman
OF Caste Hill on This subject they have every
way the advantage OF him. How, indeed, Can be
defend himself and u>7 Agreeing with lnem IN
opiDion-concedln the justice OF Their charges
sympdlhlzing with the object they have IN view,
would not his humanity naturally and properly
be on the watch 10 discover some remedy tor lhi>
moral, social and political evil Gan vnluous
men long contend, not only against uniled Cnris,-
enaom. hot against their own coDsctnces ana
sense Of right And, even il they could, and u
our friends fas we sincerely believe they THINK
themselves Notwithstanding The loss ot mora
force 10 which they thus submit, snould be hlm
and unyielting in maintaining what they pro-
claim beforehand 10 b. an nnmi1ed EVIL, u lney
resist the attack ot aholiIlonlss when armed ci-
rccily al our lives and property, they moi The less
give up the whole question and abandon Inc de-
Irnce Because the war waged against US is no
one o. force, no such wild scheme as an armed
crusade 10 libcraIe our slaves, IS ehier'alnec; bu
i, is war of moral ard religious ianalici>u
against our character, against our Sell.resir-t
designed 10 humble and debase rs. Anc, 50 idf
as Inc opinion OF the world is concerned, hey
nave succeeded. The warmest friends anc most
ardent admirers OF the Unred States, out Of ~
sIavehudng STATES, never fail 10 make an e1cep-
ton against and mention "a q b"i, Inc cohGtioh
II Southern Institute rs in relation Ia >laVrrv.-
We are taunlet or cummisera Ell oeca use we i've
in the same state OF society, from the bosom 81
which came The chief heroes Of American iiher-
w. Tie na;iua. h.Firtins on he Atlantic, from
he Delaware sonihwafd, who actually turned
aside !rom The path ri prosperity and rrnefess :"
90 10 the aid If The North, whose pcris were
closed and wao.c men were shot down IN me
streets are rcpruachcd with maintaining an un-
natural aud criminal oppression IN lheir bosoms.
an. somp If their own sons chine IN with tive
confess il 10 be moral, socia and political evil"
Let The Soulh lake The lrne ground, the on.v
ground upon which she can sustain herself, 81
even Justify herself, that u is an evil in The alb
s,faci, and only in the ahsracl-just As West
Point or a Penileniary is An evil, the absence
Of which would entail upon US much greattr
evils.
LOUISA, February, lS49
To the Efi,ors Of the Enquirer.
Gentlemen SO much na> oeen said and
written of late about "aholiion, and the bad