The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-10

the poor and rich, the naughty and humble, on the
same platform of equality before the law. Like
everything from the pen of its author, it is a
model of chaste and felicitous diction. In the
closing paragraphs, the author, leaving tn ground
of legal techpicaities and judicial precedents, APP
peals directly TO the highest motives which can
influence human action. We have only room for
two or three brief extracts:
.Nothing unjust, no thing ungenerous, can be
for the benefit Of any person, or anything. Short
sighted r-ortals may hope to draw from some seem
ing selfish superiority, or from a gratihed vanity
of class a permanent good but even handed JUS
tice rebukes these efforts and with certain power
redresses tie wrong The whites themselves are
injured by the separation Who can doubt this ?
With the law as their monitor, they are taught to
regard portion of the human family, children of
God created in his image c'equals IN his love, as
n scp1r-1y afa >lvI,rSS~sa e.ts---vs4s - >., SO
practically to deny that grand revelation of Chris
tianity, the Brotherhood of Mankind. Their
hearts, while yet tender with childhood, are ne
cessarily hardened by this conduct, and their sub
segment lives perhaps, bear enduring testimony to
this legalized uncharitableness Nursed in the
sentiment OF Caste. receiving il with the earliest
food of klt4w!aafe, !hey unable to eradicate 1t
Sfrom their natures, and then weakly and impious-
ly charge upon their Heavenly Father the preju-
dice which they continue TO embody and perpetu-
ate in their institutions. Their characters are
debased, and they become less fit for the magnan-
imOus duties of good citizen
"The Heots of Sparta were obliged to intoxi-
cate themselves that they might teach to the chill
dren of their masters the deformity of ntemper-
ance In thus sacrificing one class to the other,
both were degradsd-the imperious Spartan, and
the abased Helot. But il is with similar dou-
ble-edged injustice that the School Committee of
Boston have acted in sacrificing the colored chill
dren to the prejudice or fancied advantage of the
white.
Ii is fit that a child should be taught to shun
wickedness, and as he is yet plastic to receive
impressions TO shun wicked men. Horace was
right. when, speaking of person morally wrong
false, and unjust, he called him black, saying
HE niger est, hume tu Romano, cave'o'
The Boston Committee adopt the warning, but
apply it, not TO those black in heart, but only
black in skin. They forget the admonition adj
dressed to the prophet But the Lord said unto
Samuel, look not on his countenance, for the Lord
seeth not AS man seeh for man looketh at the
outward appearance but the Lord looketh at the
heart Il Samuel, chap. l6 v. ~
"Who can say that this does not injure the
blacks? Theirs, in its best estate is an unhappy
lot Shut out by still lingering prejudice from
many social advantages, despised class they feel
this legalized exclusion from the Public Schools
as peculiar brand. Beyond this it deprives
them of those healthful, animating influences
which would come from participation in the stu
dies of their white brethren. 1t adds to their
discouragements 1t widens their separation from
the rest of the community. and postpones that
great day OF reconciliation which is to cone.
4
"The civilization of the age joins in this APP
peal 1t is well known that this prejudice is pc
cuiar to our country. You have not forgotten
that two youths of African blood gained the high
est honors in the college at Paris, in the year
1888, and dined on the ssme day with the King
Of France the descendant of 81. Louis, at the
Palace of the Tuilleres And, let me add if
may refer to my own experience, that in Paris
have sat for weeks, at the School of Law, on the
same benches with colored persons, listening like
myself, to the learned lectures of Degrando and
Rossi-the last is the eminent minister who has
unhappily fallen beneath the dagger Of a ROmln
assassin nor do | remember observing in the
throng OF sensitive young men by whom they
were surrounded, any feeling towards them ex-
cept of companionship and respect. In Italy, at
the Convent Of Pal,azuola, OF the shoYes OF ths
Alban lake and on the site of the ancient Alba
Langa, have seen for several days native of
Abyssnia, only recently conducted from his tor
rid home, and ignorant of the language that was
spoken about him. yet minglipg with the Francis
can friars, whose guest and scholar he was in de-
lightful and affectonate familiarity. In these ex-
amples may be discerned the Christian spirit.
q And, finally, it is this spirit that invoke.
Where this prevails there is neither Jew nor
Gentle Greek nor barbarian, bond nor free but
all are alike. 1t is from this that we derive new
and solemn assurances of the equality of mankind
as an ordinance of God The bodies of men may
be unequal in beauty or s'rength-these mortal
coaks of flesh may differ as do these worldly gar
ments--these intellectual faculties may vary, AS
do the opportunities of action and the advantages
of position but amidst all unessential diferen-
ces, there is essential agreement and equality
Dives and Lazarus were equal in the sight Of
God They must be equal in the sight of all just
institutions
{" But this is not all The Wanted superiority
of the white race imposes upon it corresponding
duties. The faculties with which they are en-
lowed and the advantages which they possess,
are to be exercised for the good of all II the
colored people are ignorant, degraded, and I'M
happy then should they he the especial objects of
your care From the abundance of your posses
,ons you must seek to remedy their lot And
this Court, which il n parent to all the unfor-
tunate children of the Commonwealth, will shew |
itself most truly parental when it reaches down |
and, with the strong arm of the law elcvates, en-
and protectsits coored fellow-citizens0
We are not able to see upon what grounds this
argument can be set aside by the
Court. ip oil probability it viii be affirmed In
any event, however its author merits and will re-
ceive the thanks of the friends Of freedom and
equality, as one who has applied the resources of
his vast scholastic and legal erudtion to the de-
fence Of the rights Of the poorest and weakest Of
his felow-citizens 1t is in such generous and
heroic efforts TO yindicatc the oppressed and &C.
cure TO the poor man his rights Of equality before
the law, that the legal profession has acquired its
chief title to respect. 1t is not to the learning
and logic of Bacon and Coke Blackstone and FL |
don, employed too often to darken counsel and
excuse "the laws delay that we are to look for
the true and lasting glory of the profession. Frs
kline defending the cause Of British freedom in |
his noble plea for Hardy; Romly urging the
ameoration of a sangunary penal code; Mack
intosh and Br9ughsm pleading for the reform of
legal and political abuses, and demanding that
law should be no longer two-edgea sword 80
craft ard oppression, but the staff of honesty and ]
the shield OF intermediates, and such as these
redeem and ennoble the the character Of the Law
YER q. w.