The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-06-03

stitution" would be when carried to its
legitimate extent. We have read others
full as bad, and doubt not there are
thousands of even worse cases.
It is sometimes said by by those who
rank themselves as the decided oppo-
nents of slavery, that it is not fair or
honest to select insulated cases which
are of an aggravated character, either
for cruelty or injustice to the bondman,
and hold them up to public view, for the
purpose of of exciting or conirming.op-
position to slavery or shareholders. But
all such cases grow out Of the system
which recognizes one man as having a
right of property in his fellow, and in a
community composed of the great varie-
ty of character which human nature pre-
sents, such cases Of crime, howerer re-
voting to the ordinary sense of right,
are inseperably attached 20 that system,
and are exponents of its inherent evils.
1t cannot be otherwise, where men are
educated froms their earliest years, in
q belief that the white color of their
skin givvs them q superiority over the
darker colored race, which no circum-
stances can obliterate or change, and
that the construction of society renders
it necessary to keep the cOlored portion
of it deprived of all the inalienable
rights of man, and in degradation of ig-
norance, but that in the many, the sense
of Justice, must become more or less vi
tiated, and the feelings of mercy or
kindness stunted or perverted. The
golden precept Of the Saviour of man,
"Do unto others as ye would have
others do unto you," cannot be 80 uni
versally disregarded, without the moral
tone of the whole community being con-
taminated. How constantly do we see
this illustrated by the occurrences, in
what are called the higher classes of So
ciety in the slave States, as recorded in
the daily papers published there: as for
example, the duels, the street fights, the
reckless disregard for human life in the
efforts to crafty private revenge, or to
pursue private interests all of which
are almost uniformly allowed to escape
unwhipped of justice. 1t is no marve
therefore, that this state of demoraliza.
ton shows itself occasionally on the
Bench, and that when strict justic,
would demand that the rights and claims
of the poor black should be recognized
and protected, the ermine is found fa
from being unsoiled.
The following, which we take from
late paper, is a case in point. Th
Judge Sharkey who gave the decision
was appointed recently United State
consul to Havana, and as the case made
some noise at the time of its occurrence
and had been reported in print, it could
hardly have escaped the knowledge ot
those at Washington who bestowed hi
present Office on him, and thus in some
measure became abettors of his crime.
CA man of the name of Elisha Bra
zealle, a planter in Jefferson county
Mississippi, was attacked with a loath
some disease. During his illness, b
was faithfully nursed by mulatto slav
to whose assiduous attention he felt tn;
he owed his life. He was duly impress
ed by her devotion, and soon after b
recovery took her to Ohio, and had h
educated. She was very intelligent, ar
improved her advantages so rapidly, th'
when he visited her again he determil
ed to marry her. He executed dee
for her emancipation, and had it rec ,rC
ed both in the States of Ohio and Mi
sissippi, pursuant to the laws of Missi
sippi at that time-the infamous prohil
itory statute of that state, not havis
yet passed-and made her his wife.
"Mr. Brazealle returned with her
Mississippi, and in the course of tin
they had a son. After few years
sickened and died, leaving will,
which, after reciting the deed of emant
patton, he declared his intention to ra,
fy it, and devised all his property to th
lad.
"Some poor and distant relation
North Carolina, whom he did not kno,
and for whom he did not care, hearir
of his death, came on to Mississip
and claimed the property thus devi
ed. They instituted suit for its r
covery, and the case (it is reported
Howard's Mississippi Reports, Q vol.
1917 came before Judge Sharkey, o
new Consul at Havana. He decided
and in the decision declared the act
emancipation an offence against morali
and pernicious and detes.able as an e
ample; he set aside the oiA gaze
property Of Brazeals to his distant rel