New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-01
The Question OF slavery.

Tte Question Of
The question Of slavery i, under our form Of Gov
o,,ren, and IN our state OF society % frshtfll
cuestIor that VIC shrink back from with terror
when it's serious afau thAp1tss
We are not surprised that weak persons.
with few or 10 ideas. should shrink back
with terror from discussing this question, or
any question that presents difficulties and
REQUIRES thought, but such an avowal come,
with singular grace from leading iournal,
in the leading city, of the leading country
Of the universe. For, if there Is any sort Of
cowardice that is pitiful it is menta! cow
ardice if any confession is humiliating in a
public man or a public press, 1t Is that of ln-
tellectual fear; if any imbecility is unmanly,
il is that which dares not consider matter
of the first and most imperious consequence.
WHY is the question of Slavery fright
ful one? Mainly because men suffer them
selves to be frightened by it. 1t is phan-
tom which looms in terrible proportions as
long as YOU tremble at It's shadow but aP-
proach it boldly and humanely and 1t shrnks
into comparatively small and harmless dl-
mensions. Its difficulties are real no doubt :;
its dangers are considerable but they are
by no means 50 fearful as the fancles of old
women or the excited imaginatlOns OF tlmld
children, sacred by ghost-stOrles, are wont
to depict them Nor, whatever they are,
is ANYTHING gained by treating them after
the fashion of coward. Ii is far better TO
meet them, discuss them, know them, van
ouish them, than to shiver and chatter at
their appearance like monkeys at the lnya-
sion of lion.
In fact, the trouble with Slavery Is that
men will not look it in the face and inquire
what it is, and how it may be disposed OF.
| As has often been the case with false and
| despotic Institutions, some of those who
bear sway and reap its profits, are prone to
! delude themselves with the idea that 1t may
be perpetuated. Their interests and pas
siors cheat them into supposing that If men
will only not name it aloud, they and their
heirs may enjoy its pleasures for ever and
ever. Accordingly their endeavor Is to
prevent and silence discussion; and not
having the power to forbid it by law, they
endeavor to scare people away from 1t.
Some they scare, but others they do not,
and for that very reason the question Is less
| frightful under our form of government and
| in our state of society, than in any other
Before free discussion dangers and difficult
ties disappear.
It's an absurdity to suppose that Slavery
can be perpetuated 1t never has been and
never will be. When Society attalns a
certain stage, it ends by as resistess ne
cossity as the sun rises in the morning. In
! all history we see it either going out natu-
rallv and without dangerously convulslng
the State or, ending violently with lis de-
struction. The lessons of the past are per-
! fcctlv conclusive on this head, and As low
crs of our country and our race it behoove>
us to heed them. The alternative is before
US; shall we take the way of nature, or
risk the distant oncoming of revolution
Those who refuse to consider the question
virtually pronounce for the latter. We
may well be thankful that they are not uni-
( vCrsally initiated.