The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-20
The Anti-Slavery Movement OF tho Women
or England.
From the London Times, December |.

among the nations of the earth. They all believe
that they understand their own difficulties better
than Their neighbors do for them. We have had,
and still have, many social problems. which events,
and the spontaneous changes Of society, rather
than Legislation, are solving in one way ano-
Their. But whether it be the condition Of the Irish
peasantry, or the Irish Church Establishment, or
English pauperism, or factory labor, or the excess
Of our female population, we have never attached
much importance 10 the opinions Of French or Ser
man writer's on these subjects Indeed, II their re-
marks upon our social questions are ever read in
this country, is rather in the hope Of coming up
on some ridiculous misapprehension. or some
queer intrusion Of foreign peculiarties, than for
any valuable suggestion are likely to meet
with. When we find this national jealousy 30
strong in ourselves, it reasonable to expect
thing OF the kind in our neighbors, and proper TO
make allowance for it, They all have their trou
blts more or less ancient and inherited-more
lees mixed up with their social and political ns,i
tutions, SO intimately ut any rate as to defy the
rude hand OF the a bstract reormer, aud still more
the unfriendly criticism OF the toTe gn censor
Negro slavery as it exists in the United States, is
just such a deep and apparently incurab!c sore,
and such are the feelings with which it is regarded
in the Union We, the great British nation, hay
ing our own save colonies some six or seven thou
sand miIes of. and having also more money and
better credit than any other nation in the world,
INDUCED our bcnevolence and our pride in abolish
ing savery and adding Ego 900 900 to the figure of
our national debt, with very little regard to the
suits either to the planter to the slave At the
present moment indeed, if there is thing in the
world that the British public do not like to talk about
- even to think about it ia the condition of the
Tor whom this great effort made. We not
TIE less proud however, of our achievement and It's
coat, aud think that, having done much our
selves, we may fairly impose the like sacrifce
on our neighbors. But the precept, GO, aud
do thou likewise seldom with much
force when the spokesman ia urging his own
example; and, as it happens in this case, the *.
do In the United States the evil ia CONSTITUTIONAL
and incorporate. 1t is political and domestic. 1t
is gigantic and household 1t is question that
affects families, institutions. States, and the whole
Union. IL affect slaves and freemen, both of every
possible shade. Confessedly, and on the showing
Of the lady whose work has spellbound every
heart and every mind in this country, there are
two great negro difficulties to be dealt with iu the
United States-tbe difficulty of the colored slave
and that of the colored freeman; and, of the two,
the latter ID the worse But, when England inter-
feres in this matter, what il to be the exact manner
and particular object Of the interior enCe? Are We
to tell the Americans to love those whom they
oathe, and associate with those against whom they
feel an actual repulsion? If we do, we dealing
hard measure; ii We do not, we not touching
the e. eater Of the two difficulties to be dealt with.
or course we are disposed to regard with every
possible indulgence the proceedings of the select
little convention Of ladies that met the other day
at Stafford house Never did any thing more defy
criticism; and 1t would really be breaking but
terfy on the wheel to remark on the affair as we
should on the rough tussle Of opinion in the House
Of Commons or the tempestuous rhetoric of Exeter
hail. We may be permitted. however, to doubt
whether women Of the calibre that assembled the
other day at Syracuse So will be able to appre
ciate the satin paper and rosewater Of our female
arstocracy; much more, whether the Haieys and
Legrees, or even the Shelbys and the St. Clares
of the Union will take much heed of 80 softly
whispered warming. The Americans are not
very kindly disposed to our aristocracy. They
may rejoin. care you SO ready to drop all dis.
tnctons Of classes? Do you consent, at the bid
ding of any monitor, to associate with all who
are your equals in education and meriG Are
there no castles, no quasi negroes, creoles, mu-
lattoes, or quadroons, in the eradations of Bri-
tsh society? The Court Circular and the pub
lish' catalogues OF guests at your banquets and
receptions tell another story" We will not an
icipate the American rejoinders on the mere ques-
ton of slavery itself, its physical distresses and
moral degradations. These must have occurred to
the nristocratic and not less pbianthropic circle
at Stafford house. who know too we'll the fra gile
materials OF their own social system not to fear the
damaging reply they are bringing on themselves.
Had We wished to say more, others have said it for
us. Three letters in our columns this day show
the delicate nature of the ground on which these
ladies' are trespassng, and how much exception
may be taken both to the advisers and the advice.
1t is too late to ask them to reconsider their
once before the world, we only hope it may receive
a respectable number Of lady signatures. Really
and honestly our chief motive in these remarks
ia to entreat the indulgenc of the American pub
lie to a proceeding calculated to wound their
amour propre, to rouse that jealousy which all
tons feel towards one another, most of all those
nations which are most alike, and possibly to
augment the difficulties ofthe slavery question.
Our fair readers who invited TO enter a
crusade Of somewhat international character will
excuse one little warning, which we venture to
make on the suggestion of "Academcus' in our
columns to day. We, of this free and happy
country, are just the most extensive employers
Indirectly, but not less really) of slave labor in
The world. Negro slaves, wor king under the lash
in the mid day sun, and excepting their toe well
up to the mark" as Mr.. Legree would say,
produce the material Of our cravats, our stock
legs, and the simple and comprehensive garment
| in " hich we take our repose. They supply the
musins and prints and nearly all the other fabrics
OF our female costume, from the dress of the
! sovereign to that of the poorest needlewoman.
Slaves produce coffee, and the sugar that
sweetens it BY day and by night, sitting down
consuming its produce The prime agent who
moves the wheels of southern slavery, told,
is the northern capitalist, who has his mortgage
the slave estate, or holds a bill of sale and who
| secures himself, when necessary, by an order to
his agent TO sell of every thing the estate, slaves
and all, for what they will fetch at the hammer.
This man, Mrs. Stowe tells US, ia really guilty
partner in the transaction if not the nost guilty
the most guilty because he supplies the strongest
etimulus of the system, and conpes the most vio-
lent measures But if the northern capitalist pulls
the strings of the southern planter, who pulls the
strings of the northern capitalist? Most assuredly
the merchants and brokers at New York are mainly
dependent on the British market we use the
slave cotton. We supply the siave capital Our
| money Uuya lne ncgTO-O" money Ouy5 DIS WOTR.
1t is an indissoluble union Of interests and ope
rations, OF which the white slave of thisscountry
10 at one end, and the black slave DIVA merica
at the other end Of the chain. This should teach
ps little more modcsty than if we were simply
preaching to the people of Timbuctoo to burn
( their idols and desist fromxfhuman sacrifices.
Perhaps 1t may suggest. also, Tint as beginning,
we had better not inc LIT abolition or even talk
about it, which is all. indeed, that the ladies of
England are invited to do; but rather suggest
regulation. There are many who think that, with
proper regulations. and particularly with system
for the sslf- nfrs nchisement Of slaves we might
have brought about the entire emancipation of the
British West Indies, with much less injury to the
property of the planter and to the character of the
| negro than have resulted from the Abolition act
Perhaps the warning will not be lost on the Anne.
ricsns, who may the necessity of putting things
in train for the ultimate abolition of slavery, and
thereby save the sudden shock which the Adolf
| topists may one day bring on all the institutions
| OF the Union and the whole fabric of American
society.
| NIAGARA FALLS As WATER POWER The
citizens Of the Falls and eastern capitalists
about to put to prac teal use this immense water
power, now nearly useless The Lockport Courier
says: