The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-17


physical suffering. He would discover fewer
symptoms of want, or crime, or disorder, or dis
content. lie would find society of the highest
grade Of intelligence, hospitality, and manners
lie would find order, and law, and liberty, aud
progress. lie would see a portion Of the most
barbarous race of men in The highest degree OF
civilization it has ever yet attair ed. He would
see portion of the most renowned of the civ
ilized races-the Anglo oman--at the very apex
of its own race, and producing in profuson the
first among the statesmen, orators, and warriors
Of modern times
IT, while he beheld delighted such scene as
this, his musings were disturbed by a clamor
from below--if he heard chorus of condemna..
ton and derision against the vast region and
people he was just contemplating, how would
he be astonished. But if, in his surprise, he
were to look more intently down to know who
they were that thus undertook to pronounce such
judgment, and were to behold vast and mot
ley crowd, composed of the inmates of Eng
lands palaces and poor-houses, of her cellars and
garrets, Of her mines and factories-of the in
habitants of Ireland's boys and hovels--of the
gan,ins of Paris--of the Lazaroni of Italy-of
the rude and listless jewellers on the Rhine
"Or on the lazy Scheldt or wandering Pc,
Or onward where the rude Corinthian boar
Against the houseess stranger shuts the door
Or those who live in fallen Poland or those
who come from the ruins, yet smoking, of Hun
gary, Or any of the people who belong to modern
Europe, where law is spoken by score or
two of princes, and enforced by two millions of
bayonets-we might the spectator turn with
pity and commisseration from such jury, and
such verdict.
England and Europe contain many philoso-
piers, and scholars, and statesmen, much ciyili-
cation, and wealth, and genius, and industry, and
skill, but it is doubtful whether they all contain
six millions of people, equal in average, wealth
and intelligence to the white people of the South
and it is almost certain that majority of all
Europe is inferior, in comfort and abundance, to
the slaves of the South. Certainly no class OF
population in Europe increases so fast
But the crusade Of opinion-of princes and
people, of the pen, the press, and the pulpit-of
philanthropy, philosophy, and politics, goes on
against African slavery. And opinion ever
aims to become law, to become fact, to become
history.
The cloud rises yet and gathers. 1t hangs
all along the Eastern and Northern hori-
zon, and fitfully the lightning occasionally
flashes out of its darkest folds. But when this
moral vapor is condensed and descends in tem-
pest, the devastation will be far more compre-
hensive than is dreamed. African slavery ex-
tends over the fairest and richest part of North
America, and over one-third of South America.
1t produces the commodities that move the ship
ping and spindles of Europe and America. Let
the destroyer 60 forth, and the first cotton field
that is desoated, will send, by steam and tele-
graph, the message Of ruin and starvation to the
cities and capitals of the civilized world. The
engine will rust in the factory, and the ship rot
in the harbor-And want, and violence, and anar-
chy, will go forth and spread over the land.
The moment the fire of fanaticism is heated
hot enough to ignite single dwelling of the
South, it will be the signal for conhagraton
that will sweep over Europe, from London to
Moscow, with rapidity that leaves the march
of conquest in the.distance-and whenwill the
Kremlin rise again from it's ruins-and when
will the structures of eighteen centuries of civil
ization re-appear!