Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-06-13
Begging the Question.


The Wilmington, IN. Co. Herald gives descrip.
ton of recent funeral in that city, which attended
by 500 negroes, clo ,cu dressed, orderly ard de-
corous and attracted attention they passed. by thar be-
coming conduct and agpearance'' and that charitable
Sheet from which the Egis quotes the account approx
ingy thinks that if the pretended friends OF the slave
had seen this sight, their opinions of the slaves OPP
pressed condition would have been changed.
Now we have very seldom this question Of slav-
cry met by its advocates apoogsts any other than
this meanest of modes. They do not have any
appreciation of the fact that there is abstract, in
alieaabe, eternal right involved in this question-hat
the issue is between Godgiven liberty and man.usurped
dominion his fellow man, and that il is not ques-
ton of mere pork and potatoes. If slavery shown 10 be
incompatible with republican professions, as express
ed in the declaration of Independence, the argument
met by the assertion that Great Britain left us the nsti-
tuition legacy, and that the Constitution accepted it.
If it is demonstrated that neither in spirit nor letter
does the Constitution acknowledge such acceptance,
the fact is trumphany assailed by the assurance that
the trainers of the Constitution meant to do so. Let
antislavery talk of the debasement of the human
soul, induced by this nsttution-let them show how
encourages nsolent tyranny the one hand and an
nhuman vassalage on the other, and they mmedi-
atey told that the STAKEHOLDER is hospitable and LIBERAL
and that The slave more comfortably provided for
than the Frolaai,es of Europe. To higher principles
than that of personal condition, the prosavery advo-
cate will follow the advocate Of universal liberty;
his logic is not the logic of reason, and manly princple
it is always larded with what the slave eats, swaddled
in the comfortable clothes he wears and full of the life
and vyacity which pertain him in his happy condi-
tion of satisfied bondage. The stakeholder of the
South, bold and nsoent in his dominion is generally
defiant and rude in his simple maintenance of slavery;
but when he attempts discuss its nature and prnci-
pies, like the doughlace of the North, he always begs
the question.
What matters it, in view Of the whole case that
those 500 slaves decorous and gentemany in their
conduct 1t does not touch the fact that slavery is
great wrong-that it is of distraction and ap-
prehension to every community into whose veins it dis
ills It's banefa vrustha it looms up in the future of
this republic, like great impending plague, which is
destined to produce the greater misery and run the
longer is permitted to into the heart of the body
polite, and the wider it is allowed to extend its nu-
ence.
But let the advocates and apolosists of sav-
cry on their own ground and, leaving out Of view the
iact that there cruel task savage overseers
brutal drivers, and all the train of demorazng circum.
stances which pertain to system, subversive of the
most sacred family relations-let us honestly look at
this case, mentioned by the Wilmington Herald.
To us it seems unaccountable, how men, protesting
to respect orderly, becoming conduct and decorous de-
pertinent in their fellow men, can, at the same time
consent with charitable uncton to the ensavemeni Of
those 800 negroes who possess the most respectable
attributes Of gentlemen. The logic Of expedency, i
seems 10 us, would issue in demonstrating the necessity
OF their emancipation.
1t is useless for the South to talk to Of the positive
good Of slavery We do not believe it; and all ash
OF the shareholders is, honestly to try if the slave
themselves desire liberty We cannot give them free
dom, and the South knows this; cannot even Civ
them shelter in sacred homes, if they pantin
to us from bondage, and Northern dough-laces hav
brought this humiliation upon us but discuss
and are willing TO this uhuman institution upo
any ground Of justice, morality, liberty expedenc,
The friends of the slave, whether Southern gentIeme
consider them real pretended, necessitae
to beg the question