New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-05
The Eternity Of SLAVERY.

The Eternity Of slavery.
TIE Southern Press, after lecturing the
Westminster Rerlew and The Tribune. for
presuming to discuss slavery, instead of
devoting themselves exclusively to the re-
moval of evils ard vices from the cities of
London and New-York. promises the
patriarchal institution 4 very long Life, as
follows
African Slavery : now Advancing. BY rs natural
increase and the comforts Of The slave. rapidly
( ever. II overSpreads the farest ami most prolific
chimes and soils Of North ana South America. and Is
| more important now 20 the commerce. wealth. and
/ comfort OF the civilized world than ever before"
/ When the independence OF these colonies was de-
/ clared there were about half million Of slaves. and
| there was then 4 more prevalent repugnance 10
I slavery tnGn now. seyenty-iye years have
since elapsed. The number of slaves has increased
SIX fold. The labor OF slaves has extended over
regions. ana culture far better adapted 70 II. than
then. The sentiment OF hostility 70 slavery has
ceced from the South. and Is rapidly becoming eK-
tnct. SIX seven millions of whites now are con-
necet With slavery. instead of a million then. And
! the whole practical argument against slavery has
failed Instead OF the poverty. disorder. and vice
which then were assumed % be ltS companions and
! consequences. fifteen states nave risen with the
highest degree OF wealth. orGer. morality aud pro-
| greSS OF all civilized natIons-dnd the people who
| have rejected It have been growing year BY IN
! crime poverty and disease. t'ncer such circum-
stances. what are the speCuatlOnS Of scnbblerS m
! Newly ork md LONDON worth We care very 1t
| tie about them. But i is important for every man
/ IN the South 20 Know that Southern slavery WI
| stand as long as modern civilization VII stand.
! unless those who are connected with L. and Will
! be The frSt 10 fall by - overthrow, are weak
/ enough 70 desert themselves and their section.
and 10 make their families tie first victims 10 the
! fanatic and mobocratc spln Of the age. which me
naces the foundation Of society and government all
! over the civilized world
The assurance that African slavery is
advancing in this country, is not borne out
by the facts The number of slaves is In
creasing, but the character of their bondage
fciently inhuman at the best The slaves
are approaching freedom daily. Unless our
correspondents in various parts of the
slayeholding States are mistaken, they now
enjoy more liberty, and have larger priv
legeS and better treatment. than formerly.
The rapid increase In their numbers indi-
Gates the same thing Such, too, is the
natural course of things, the growth of
wealth tends, by inevitable necessity, to
freedom for all persons.
The contrast between the Free and Slave
States, complacently drawn in the above
extract, needs No comment beyond the
smile which every reader. who is not de-
mented, will bestow upon it. To say that
Virginia and South Carolina are ahead of
Massachusetts, and New-York in s. the high
est degree of wealth, order, morality, and
progress" is rather strong.
What is especially worthy of attention
in the extract-If indeed any part of it is
worthy of attention-Is the opinion that
slavery will stand as long IS modern civil
izatlon In the first place, this is All ana
chronism, because slavery has no legiti-
mate place in modern civilization, but be-
longs back among the iniquitieS and stu
pidities of barbarism In the second place,
ii is blunder, because in this country the
Institution is rapidly extinguishing itself, and
only such operations as that of Texas and
the Mexican war can prolOng us existence,
/ by giving it new territory, thus postponlng
that density of popula ton before which
slavery must utterly disappear. Every
step which the slave States make in the
career of industry and material progress is
so-much toward the abolition of slavery.
The only way by which the institution can
be endowed with the immortality desired
for II by its fanatlcal and foolish adhererts,
is TO keep the country IN state OF en-
IRENE poverty. Then it will be easy for
few lordly spirits to concentrate into then
own hands the mass Of property and retain
the laborers in the lowest bondage, but
where wealth IS increasing the chains must
gradually be relaxed till at last they are re-
moved altog ether.
In the mean time great work OF moral
and intellectual illumination is going on, eS-
peciallv in the frontier States. Free dis
cussion is having It's effect there, and IS dis
proving the dictum OF those who contend
that silence IS the only policy for all who de-
sire the extinction of the barbarous custom
OF holding men as property. Contrast the
present state of feeling in Kentucky and
Western Virginia with that which existed
there five or ten wears ago, and say II the
men who have raised their voices against
slavery have done So IN vain. The world
moves slowly, and, to the view OF those upon
lis surface. not at all but II yet moves
~
The Express = Nicaragua.