Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-11-01
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE yExED QUESTION.


it's pages. Among The subjects elaborstesy srassed
il s number is die ever Interesting one Of 9 Ia
perry in the United States, its erits. alterations,
and remedies which is discussed very temperate
ly, judiciously, and completely. Wecan cordially
commend il for it's tone and discriminating justice,
while its style and acquaintance with facts evince
practised writer and careful and impartial investi-
gator. Perhaps, in the present feverish excitement
upon this topic in certain neighborhoods It de-
manded some boldness, and strong love OF truth,
to admit SO fair an exposition of the whole ques-
ton of slavery in this country, and therefore we
most cheerfully award the need of our praise to
this laudable and patriotic article.
II is quite beyond our power to copy the whole
thiry-nne pages of the Review but, at the risk OF
injuring much Of the force of the facts and reason
ing by breaking their connexion, we subjon an
extract or two, as specimen of the spirit and bear
ing Of an essay, the perusa of the whole OF which
would afford instruction and qualification to every
one possessed Of liberal and national views on this
vexed subject whether they hail from the Northern
or Southern extreme Of our Republic.
I conceded on all hands that the right to egsate in
regard slavery belongs exclusively to the individual States
in which that institution Each State has the right to
abolish slavery within its bordes and no other State Is
permitted interfere with its action The General Govern
ment may admit into exclude it from the Territories
which belong to it. but its authority when the Terri
tories become States This single fact without reference to
any thing else shows that the direct power both the Gem
era Government and Of the free States over slavery con-
fined within very limits Instead Of the several States
deriving the Union authority interfere with one anoner
domestic institutions the organic law by which they are united
excludes them from such interference and at the same time
relieves them from corresponding responsibility
= kA~--. Gvurfaf nf
very far more nvncbIe than any imposed by arbitrary laws
q treaties growing Of the 10 which it is wrought
into the general framework of institutions Putting aside
which relate 70 ns s aEH r. eaa
fact which strikes one s that implies certain
condition of soceya stage OF civilization N which ALL
whites well blacks, arc Implicated. Were negro sa
verv a seems sometimes be thought mere excrescence
on the surface Of society something exceptional and alien to
lie general structure might with comparative ease be re-
moved But instesl Of it's being an excepionabe e1cres
encc il an essesa and controlling element IN the whole
social organization of the Southern people, penerates
hronoh and this organization. All the laws OF the
South s cvtoms, its industrial pursuits its social habits
are mod6e BY slavery The education Dotn .. nome anu
the resct paid labor the condition Of the church, me mo-
raj eamates Of the ends Of life, all more or less de-
termined by it. IL different ways its influence Is equally de-
cvs on the condition of the savchoiders the nonsave-
hoers and the slaves. The whites need to go through
training for freedom scarcely less than the blacks The mas
tr s as much eeed end of the chain as the slave TO
tho other and would be difficult to say which least pre-
pared for emancipation.
Il Il obvious that to reconstruct the whole fabric OF So
ceywhich il what is implied in any wise method OF ABOLISH
ing savery-can be the work of day. Had the slaves
been introduced few years ago into community whose
industrial habits and social judgments and moral feelings had
been formed under free institutions they might DC suddenly
removed and the transient void soon led would scarcely
be observed But to change the organic lie OF ten mhon
Of peope to change institutions and ideas rooted IN the past
and wrought into all the customs Of common lie, mu a.
the best be very slow and gradual process 10 exPuoge
sverv from the statute book would he the least and easiest
hios requed-ar easier certainly, than 70 'egsa'e ino
the minds Of whites or blacks the IDEAS which belong 10 free
institutions Were legal slavery abolished at the SCUM,
would probably be centuries before could be abolished from
the Southern mind. Even a the Nortf the black tnougn
euua with the white before the law, is as far as ever rom
having Wind Gated for himself any position Of social equality
In England in spite of ani:es OF race, color ana
equality Of culture, eight centuries have hardly euacea ne
Distinction between Norman and Saxon, and still less 'nat
tween Saxon and Cel And thus far all expements emahc
pstion which have left the negro in the same country with
his former MASTER show how nearly impossible is Tor eine
party the barriers Of race, and CASTE and Color
and historical association, and for them to meet eacn one on
equal terms.
The slaves of the Scuh are, comparatively, not only
civilized peopo but doubt il in the whole history OF man
kind, single example be adduced OF race OF mer
starting from such depth of moral degradation and babasm
and in century and half making vast advance IL
civilization This progress has baen owing, we believe
in no small part the fact Of their being slaves Through
this relation they have been brought into close contact with
ment which have compelled them abstain from some OF th
most debasing vices form habits Of industry, and which
have led catch rapidly the social moral and regiou
ideas Of their masters This does not extenuate the mora
wrong Of savey. for originated in no such phanhropu
purpose. Is fact however, not to be overlooked nov
great this progress has been is the moment they ar
sent back to Africa and placed side by side with those Dc
scended from the general stock The native African
still brue bowiDg before stone, offering human sacrifices
without industry, with scarcely notion Of right
wrongs savage, and Of the degraded kind. Tb
omancpsted slaves who have colonzed Liberia have gone
10 prove themselves competent Establish and conduct
the greatest work Of man on earh-a free and Christian
Commonwealth. They have churches and schools and
ofjuce and representative government and laws to whic
Sney know how obedience The marriage bond
much respected hcms sacred and the education
o The young anxousy provided for, among the ges
mass Of the people in the civilized States Of Europe
And this progress and than this is the fruit Of gradua
culture under coEdon Of slavery and could scarcely have
existed without those habits Of obedience, industry, and tenn
ance which, exacted by the master for his own advan
age have in the end redounded fsr more to the benefit
Inc slave We confess that fear IT, one hundred or one
hundred and fifty years ago, any large NUMBER OF nauve
Africans had been landed in New England and lei wiz
hsr Freedom provide for themselves that their descend
ants 1, this moment any still existed, would be 10 ar more
ehssed condition than n their fathers had been trained VI
lkom harbarism under the restraints of slavery.
1.-THE moral Of the world demands OF the Soun' 90
that shall Abolsh slavery in day year, but hat fns
show by some decided action that institution which
oneses keeps the in low debased and inferior state
Soss not intend Of ito preabeness nor Tor any
sssou but the direct necessity, to be spermanent one won