The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-08-18
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The responsibility which they assume WHO
undertake to control the conduct Of others,is
fearful one. This kind Of responsibility slave
ny always imposes on masters. They who vol
unfairly assume such relation 10 others should
have brave hearts, as Il Is not unlikely that Oc-
cssions may arise in which great sternness and
rigor, and perhaps cruelty, will be exacted Of
them, for the effect of which, they must be held
accountable to Power higher than of man.
Whoever undertakes to control others neces-
sarily makes himself accountable for the con-
duct Of those under him. This accountability
cannot be set aside. 1t adheres Of necessity to
the position Of a master. The servant cannot
exert his own independent yoltiOn, and where
there is nc freedom Of volition, reason teaches
that accountability cannot exist. II the ac-
countaklity Of human being is affected or les
seDed, he who lessons it must, to the extent
which il Is lessened, assume accountability. 1t
is impossible 10 avoid this con clusion. A man
Is accountable for his own conduct only, be-
cause, he himself determines what that conduct
shall be- II be voluntarily steps in and assumes
the c, ntrOl Of another, he necessarily, by that
act, assumes to himself the accountability Of
all such conduct as he requires.
What fearful thing it is thus voluntarily to
assums accountability in the sight Of Heaven
for the conduct and character of othersf All
right-Iaind hearted men feel that to be
sccOnntabls for themselves il a perilous thing
and he who adds accountability for others to
his scc0H inability for himself, places himself in
a position Of great disadvantage and great
danger.
A Kentucky master owns a negro child. he
brings that child up in state Of moral and
mental blindness-in consequence Of that blind
ness, the child commits many blunoers and Is
guilty Of many crimes. Can the child be held
accountable for the crimes which resulted from
the control which his master exeTted over him1
II man could render his neighbOr insane and
could induce him, while in state Of insanity,
TO cut the throat Of a third person, no one would
hesitfie 70 excuse the mailman and to hold the
man who caused the insanity and induced the
murder responsible. Now, although the master
who holds a slave may not be to that fata ex-
tent accountable for the slaves transgressions,
yet, those vices and crimes perpetrated by the
slave that are directly, clearly, and only tracea-
bic to the power exerted over him by the master.
must be charged on the master. We cannot see
how masters can escape accountability for the
conduct Of slaves TO the extent that the will
Of the slave is directly under their control. If
there were no other objections to slavery than
that IL imposes additional accountability on the
81 40
deter ell rejecting men from involving them
selves in its perils.
All parents feel that they are accountable to
some extent for the conduct and character of
their children. This conviction, cooperating
with Paiernal affection, induces them to studi-
oasly sndsavsr Ia enligkssn the ssaEt4 = nd in-
strpet the minds Of their offspring in alton to
subjects Of the most solemn importance. All
agree that, II a father sets an example Of drunk
enness to his son, and the son adopts 1t, and
lives a nuisance, and dies in gutter in conse-
auence, the father cannot be guiltless. Or if e
child Is debarred by the parent from acquiring a
knowledge Of sound moral principles, and in
consequence Of his ignorance Of those pTinci-
plies, leads an ungodly life, the parent cannot be
excused. He is nearly as guilty for the child's
ungodliness as il he had committed 1t himself.
Those parents whostrive TO discharge their du-
ties to their offspring, are not accountable for
the conduct Of their offspring, while they who,
in Consequence Of their vile examples, incite
their children TO the commission Of sin, or by
keeping their children in a state Of mental and
moral ignorance, foster habits fatal TO their In
tegrity, are very generally and very justly look
ca upon as involved in the guilt Of their Off
spring.
Now il is precisely as true that masters who
control the character and conduct Of their
slaves, thereby are accountable for their slaves
a. that parents are accountable for the character
and conduct Of their children, who, in conse-
quence Of parental control, are led into vice and
iniquity.
The penalties Of the violation Of any law
must take effect somewhere and on some person.
IL slave lie caused by HE master 10 grow up
unable to read the Bible, and utterly without
religious instruction, and then ignorantly CON-
mits crime, he is not accountable, because be-
ing ignorant Of the law there could be nc
transgressiOn Of it by him. But the law was
tr>nssrsssed, and. the master kept his slave
n ignorance Of the Law which was violated.