The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-07-28
COMMUNICATIONS.
LIE TT = 4 Ill

ploy this language; 1--WE WISH oe
tinctly TO understand that we admit thal inc '"'
stitution of slavery, through the cupdity anu Id
-naciouspess of wicked men, has been awiuiiy
nerverted and abused. That il has been the oc'
cason Of enormous and crying sins by both
master and slave; and that we do not appear as
the apologlst, much less the defender OF any pei
yer,ion or abuse of the institution" &c. Inc
system of slavery, then, according 10 your o""
concession is susceptible of peryersion ana
abuse. and the peIversion and abuse are induceo
by cupidity and rapaciousness. You restne'
"cupidity and rapacIousness" to wicked men
shall not call in question the proPriety Oh INC
restriction: but | will say that it Is to be feared
that many men who are rspnted good christians
even exemplify the cupidity TO which you Teiei'
have heard professors of religion say That slave
labor Is comparatively Improbable IN heli-
lucky, and that il is much more lncratl'e -"
misc Negroes for sale" They absolutely speak
of "raising negroes" as they do of raising mules
cattle and hogs. The idea is horrible. Rational
beings, on whose souls God has stamped I'M
mortality, are placed on an equality with beasts
that perish. You will say this is an abuse OF
slavery. Very well. II is just such an abuse
| as the Constitution and laws of our State tole-
rate, and you are of opinion that they should re-
main unchanged. Your kindness VIII permil
me to say that / consider you obnoxious TO ire
charge Of inconsistency. You are unwilling 10
be considered either the "apologist' or "deien-
der" of any "peUesion or abuse" OF slavery;
and yet you wish our present Constitution which
permits the peryersion and abuse you deprecale
to remain as il is. Now it seems to me you
ought either to become the "apologist," not to
say the defender" Of the abuses Of slavery, Oh
advocate such change in the Constitution as
will correct the abuses of the system. Let the
abuses, however, be corrected, and predict thai
slavery will not exist in Kentucky for genera
ton shall perhaps say more on this point IN
another place.
You express the opinion that there Is less
"destituton" in eountries in which SLAYER,
exists than in those in which it does not-that i
would be better for the poor in Ireland to b
slaves &c. You say, "Take Ireland for an exam
pie and suppose the Government had so provides
that, instead of an oppressed and impoyerlshe'
tcnantiy, subjected to the rapacity and heartles
exactions of overgrown Landlords, the poor Of tn
country could have sold themselves for givel
period TO the wealthy, so as TO make IT the dut
and the interest Of the wealthy to provide 70
the health and subsistence of the slave" &c
Do you intend your readers TO infer that the poo
! should be made slaves because they are poori
would seriously object to an arrangement of thi
! kind. Sonumerous are the changes which occu
! in the course of human events that would
constantly apprehensiye of being placed in Gil
cumstanees so necessitous as to require my en-
slavement- And you might be placed in a sim
lar predieament, if indeed it be courteous 70
me to draw an inference from illusions 20
, sometimes make to your pecuniaIy embanas'
, ments In such a case we would both oppose
with all the intensity of personal objection, tn
philosophy which would make poverty the bas
. of slavery.
You say could the Insh "have sold themselvs
for given period TO the wealthy" &c. Pleas
observe your words, '.toT givsN period" VII
this qualification of the sentence? Why not II
quire them TO become slaves for life, and ais
put the fetters of bondage on their posterity
This would be something analogous to America
= slavery. II our system be defensible, let II
u the model Of every system that may be establis
ed, and even when a supposition is INDUCED ]
= reference to slavery in Ireland OF any whe
else, let our own "institution" suggest that SUI
v position. But the poor in Ireland could not sc
A themselves as absolute slaves. They might b
q come hired servants-but not slaves. Suppo'
"wealthy landlord" were to propose TO b.
: his poor neighbors, for a certain sum, with Il
!, intention of enslaving them, and they were
i. accede to his proposition. Just as soon as II
n contract was consummated and the money pa
to the suffering poor, not only would they, b
the very money received by them would beloI
n to the Landlord. The guild pro gao, the pnnC
pie necessary TO the validity Of a contract, wou
be wanting. The bargain would be null al
: void. You are aware that Blackstone in
chapter on "Master and Servant" presents III
view and shows the folly Of attempting TO ba
slavery on a contract between man and man
Iproceed to notice your remarks in regard
the original purchasers Of African slaves. Al
here think you have drawn very largely
your imagination. You suppose that there we
g three classes Of purchasers and that these pu
chasers care the representatives of three distin
classes Of Shareholders in this coxnty at this time
The first class of purchasers you suppose "st
E fish and sordid" their object being to "enri,
themselves" Pecuniary gain was the only CO
: sideration which operated on them. The secor
class ''from mere impulses of humanity-lO
: to their neighbors-resolved to purchase all tn,
could" &c. "The third class of purchasers,
you observe, were christians, who did not on
feel all the sympathy and generous philanthroI
which influenced the second class, but lookil
beyond their temporal condition, miserable
that was, contemplated them as being witho
! God and without hope in the world, and sinkil
: downssto the death that never dies; and in ado
ton to, and above, the impulses of philantarop
their souls were stirred within them for the say
A ton Of their souls as well as their bodiesi; tn
: therefore resolved to buy to the utmost OF tn,
I Means
What you say Of your 'second and third ella
Of purchasers am somewhat at a loss to u
e derstand. am tempted to believe you intend
. to present fancy picture, and yet, from d
: sober strain in which you write, it seems y
o designed to state the facts in the case. But q
: they fscts9 Can you name a class of men W
Q in the early settlement Of America went acre
! the Atlantic to Aftica "from mere impulses