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

ny Nltnln lt-tne pOrpOiscs SulhuVi oio"hu ~
light breezes fan its sails the water parts low
ingly from its well-shaped bows, like the best
affection of true-hearted women, (which clings
not, nor is exigent;p in truth, the powers OF
nature, sublimely Indifferent to right or wrong,
Epcurean divinities in their way, refuse no aid
to this dark devlish thing, as it skins grace
fully over the waters; and, if it escapes our
cruisers, the Santa Trinidad lands half or two
thirds of its original live cargo and is consid-
cred to have done good stroke OF business.
Truly, the apparent silence of God is the most
awful thing the sun looks down upon.
1t is somewhere said that evil is good in
the making" This is brave and noble say
ing. 1t were to be wished, however, that our
part Of the process were little better under
stood and less dilatory AT the same time, 1t
must be admitted that good deal Of nonsense
is thought and talked about this question of
evil and we sometimes seem to want sugar
ed kind of universal benefcence and happiness
which really and truly may be very low form
of either
How supremely dull, for instance, perfect
ly wellgoyerned State would be. On the other
hand, how exquisitely humorous, though very
sad withal, is the present condition of things
You see rabid attempts at freedom result IN
twisting the chains more closely and painfully
around the shouters for freedom. You see the
effort to bring more and more assured wisdom
and virtue, under the shape of popular opinion,
into the administra ton of affairs, result Occa-
sionally in reducing constitutional Governments
to dead lock in all the most useful purposes
of government. Then, look at the men in
power. | believe We British have been quite
as well governed as we deserve, perhaps bet
ter but we sometimes have men in high au-
thOrity amongst us, even as Cabinet Ministers,
to whom no prudent private person would give
slx-and-twenty shillings a-week for anything
they could do. This is very humorous, posi-
bly, shade too comic, when you think what Il
vast nation this is flowing over with unused
men of great ability. But life is full of such
deep drollery.
Look at the way men rise to honor. You
see person whom Nature meant to be indus
trlously obscure and yet such a man will be-
come the founder of a family and his children
will bear titles and enjoy substantial power as
long as the Kingdom lasts If you ask what
were this mans public deserts, it is a matter
which few persons well informed in political
affairs might be able to explain to you but for
the great mass of mankind it is perfectly I'M
lntelllgible. They never heard of the mans
name or gave the least heed to it, before they
heard of his ennoblcment This, too, is humor-
Gus.
Do not pretend however, because you have
no system of hereditary honors, that What hon.
ors you have are bestowed much more wisely
than ours. For ! should beg leave to doubt
that.
Nor again, is it in government alone that
the drollery have spoken of before is visible
Success in ordinary life often depends as much
upon defects and redundancies as upon merits
There are even instances of men who succeed
in life by the fear and aversion of their fellow
men and these disagreeable persons are got
rid Of by being pushed up big her and higher,
in consequence of the very qualities which their
In the mean time, persons of real worth are
too much priced by those around them to be
advanced. Thoughtful men have often fretted
over-much, as it seems to me, about such
things; tor, putting aside higher views, with
out these motley occurrences in life, where
would be its tragedy, or its comedy or its
tragl-comedy, all so deeply interesting and so
Well, what wanted to come to is, that if
the systems of perfect good, which men often
propose to themselves in their fond magma
tons were adopted, all wit, humor, contrast.
forbearance in the.hghest sense bravery, and
would run some chance of being
done away with. This may be sufficient an
swer to any weak repinings about the moderate
evils and anomalies which have been abiding
to. But in the proceedings in slavery there is
an excess of evil which really tends to over
come piety, and which all good men should
combine against, if it were only to check the
murmuring, probably very unwsc, but very
natural, which will arise with the first thoughts
of most men when contemplating such horrors
If we are left alone here on the earth, to do al
most what we please with each other, the very
awfulness of the situation should breed in
mems hearts n profound responsibility With
one voice, spreading round the world like an
electric message, mankind should say, There
are things which clearly we are not to do 1t
cannot be right to sell away an infant from its
mother. This must be put stop to, at all
hazards. Here is an evil so large and tren-
chant that the subtlest casust would be puz-
zled to explain it away into benefcence. Let
us clear away this doubt of the very destines
of man which springs from the permission only
of such monstrosities"
have now said all have to say, and more
than ! ought to ask you to read, about Uncle
Toms Cabin If had the honor of any ac-
quaintance with the authoress, | would send
through you my best regards and most earnest
expressions of encouragement to her She is
evidently noble woman and an excellent
writer And her book is one Of those which
insist upon being read when once begun
You are very good to tell me that | need not
reply to your letters and should probably
have relied upon this goodness, but could not
keep silent after reading that book. Else, in
general | must say these regular correspond
ences between friends are rather a mistake
Indeed, | have theory Of my own about them
which will impart to you-namely, that one
begins with a certain definite amount of regard
and affection for person, of which one gradu-
ally writes Oft small portions as one writes each
enforced letter to him or her. till at last though
the beginnings and endings grow more init
mate and affectionate, the original affection
has wasted away
My little boy, after writing letter to play
mate the other day, land you know what work
OF legs, and arms, and tongue, children make
OF wrlting) threw the pen down with some inn
patience, and exclaimed, "When grow up |
shall write no more letters" All, my little
master, thought |, when you come TO that age
OF JOY and freedom, as you suppose it. which
you call growing up you will know some
things you don't know now; and, amongst
them, will appreciate this endless punishment
OF letter-writing. Often think, what a joyial
thing it must have been to have been as igno-
rant as baron in the middle ages, and to have
been capable of nothing but a rude cross in the
way of signature.
Such nm avowal as the above is rather in
consistent with the length of this letter but
We human beings from our weakness have at
least the privilege of being inconsistent some
times, However, must not linger any more
with you but must now turn to abors which
am rather weary Of but which work on at,
not without the hope that they may be of some
use in showing the difficulties which fnrnnnr M