The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-23

", W
to, my good friend You have maintained
that the evils of slavery are not exaggerated
| i'm this book-that American slavery is not JUS
tilted by the Bible, and that the English laborer
bears no resemblance whatever to the Ameri-
can slave. But what is to be the result what
am to do in the matter, what are others to
do in it," TO this reply, as have often re-
piled before to similar questions it is impossi-
bic for one person to lay down the exact wheel
track of duty for another. No lawyer no man
of business, could give advice in the way that
writer's are often expected to do-that is to
give advice in detail without having the de-
tails before them. For instance, in this case
Of slavery, what man should do in one slave
State may be very different from what he
should do in another. Nothing is more unwise
than pedantic application of one partiular
theory, or system, to various sets of circum-
stances. Let any man in America say how he
is surrounded in this matter, what he already
thinks of it, and what manner of man he is,
flor that is importantly and might "hazard
wide solutOn0 to use Sir Thomas Brownies
phrase as to what man so situated might
most advsedly attempt
SO much for minute or detailed advice but
there are certain general remarks which may
be useful. In the first place. you must really
try not to be disheartened at the magnitude of
the evil. You must not suppose that you gen.
tlemen in America are the only people who
have great difficulties to contend with. With
us there is want of space, and perhaps, too,
want OF knowledge how to use what space we
have. We are crippled by laws, and practices
in reference to law, which | fondly trust are
not equalled in absurdity not only in any part
Of this planet, but in any other planet that
circles round the sun the history Of many
great law case is a thing which, if really well
written, would convulse the world with tears
and laughter. In many of our ways and hab-
its we are 80 constrained by the most thought
less conformity with the past, that the nation
is like tall boy of poor parents, who is pain
fully tight in his clothes. Then, in any great
question submitted to the public here, religion,
or rather religious rancor, springs up like the
vines which, at the will Of Bacchus, rose sud-
denly from the earth, and entangled the feet
of some poor mythical person-wh0se name
now forgct-but you, as being later from a
university. will know all about him Again,
we, as well as you, have constitutional difficult
ties to contend with. Before anything wise or
good can be done, innumerable people have to
be persuaded or OutvOted, or tired out All
the possible folly that can be said on any sub
iect has to be answered, and borne with, and
exhausted. The chaff has to be winnOwed
away many times before the grain can be got
at at all One conclusion from all this in my
mind IL, that, as more power OF all kinds is al
lowed to the individual in modern cOnstitu-
tons, las for instance he has more power of
obstruction.) more is demanded from him in
the way Of individual Thought and exertiOn
for the public good
At the same time, do not think underrate
the causes for occasional dependency know
how disheartenng it is, and how, to use the
expression of IA favorite old author of mine, it
sends one down to the abysses" to find, after
long toll at any matter, where some result of
obvious public utility has been proved to be at
tainable, and even the mode of attaining it
shown, that, notwithstanding this, little or no
progress seems to be made and the most con-
temptible Interruptions of great public meas
ures take place by reason Of the meanest him
derances.
] am sure that many n man must have felt, |
as | confess have struck down to the earth |
for the moment by vast and indefinite des- |
pair, at seeing how little il done, compared |
with what might be done in the great santa
ry reforms that ARE needed in this country |
and, indeed, in most countries; and then, on |
tho other hand to see the noble way in which |
smoke, filth, putridity, and miasma, stand their |
ground against the convinced, but not Judi |
ciously united intelligence of mankind Gov
ernments succeed each other, displaying vari-
Gus degrees of apparently resolutc incompe-
tency on some of the most important matters, |
and such as are clearly within their functions,
and within theirs only. You almost seem to
think that it is the business of men in Office to
hinder; but poor fellows, that would be very
hard construction to put upon their conduct.
As the present Lord Grey once observed, when
you find number of people, one after the
other. running into the same error, you must
look aside from the men to the peculiar cir
'cumstances which they have all had to embar-
rass them. A difficult mill to grind with is a
popular assembly, popular assembly, too,
open to the press, and with pretty nearly un-
limited power of talking Moreover, the total
Indifference shown in both our nations to the
adoption of any methods of securing n supply
of intelligent men to direct our affairs, greatly
puts it out of our power to blame with Justice
those statesmen we have, who are obtained in
such n hap-hazard fashion.
Wcare now just going to general election.
If the motives which will determine this cleo
ton could be laid before any superior being,
fear the whole thing would prove in his eyes
Il disgrace to humanity. Here triumphant
appeal will be made to the narrowest bigotry,
there to the lowest sef-interest in this place,
to the power of the purse in that place, to
the power of local influence and the densest
rural stupidity. An assembly thus collected
will not be enlightened by any men brought
into it from other sources though it is the
wish, will venture to say, of the most thought
full men in this country and those who have
studied government most deeply, that some few
members at least should be chosen by the
Crown or the Ministry, whose only or whose
chief recommendation should be their capacity
for the conduct of affairs
Notwithstanding all these difficulties, you
must allow we still work on; and, being
really great people at heart Il may say such
thing between ourselves, for we are yours kim
dred.) we silently endure whatmust be endured,
are contcnted with small gains, and patiently
strive upwards to the light. ---..-
But do not suppose that we have not our
difficulties, rs well rs you have yours
To come however closer to the question be-
fore us would venture to say that there is an
ample field of exertion for any one in America
who cares about this subject of slavery Let
right feelings about it pervade your literature
Argue the question well answer the argu-
mcnts said to be drawn from the Bible If you
are "a slave-owner, give every facility for the
education of slaves and for their gradual man
omission. Try to make different classes of
slaves, what mean is, not to keep them all
to the same functions for that will make free
dom easier to he given, and better used when
it does come. Perhaps all these efforts will
not settle the question. A great crash will
come some day to do that. Such is the way
even with us who are much older nation
than you are We never work out ANYTHING
gradually and patiently. A Reform Bill, an
Abolition of Corn Laws, or a Catholic Eman-
cipatiOn. ALWAYS comes ON n sudden md is