The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12
.AmeJwg 5h moAh, 1852.
FALSE ISSUES.
/, II w

/ imS,bUg jN month, 1892.
FALSE ISSUES.
Opposition to the system OF American chattt
Slavery Is distinguishable into as many kind
as the principles and interests are variou
which the system violates The continents an,
methods of action of Anti-Slavery people ar
in many instances 50 much unlike that the
are even rcpugnant to each other. One sc
rests its opposition on the ground of philan
thropy another on the obligations of religion
another on public policy, another on the sent
ment Of human equality, another on the inter
estS of labor injuiously affected by it. anothe
hates it for the limitations which it impose
upon the rights of free speech. and for the con
scious dishonOr Of aifording it Il constrained
support; and there are still others who embrace
several of these points rejecting the rest, anC
some who feel them all in one comprehensive
detestation of the monster crime of our coun
try-each in proportion to his breadth of view
and according as his soul was made to sink
or climb
The policy of these several styles of Opposi-
ton is conlormabIy varied Some persons are
satisfied with such opportunities of action as the
regular political parties are capable Of; some
look to Independent party organization rs the
only consistent and promising form Of political
efficiency a considerable class relies exclusive
! ly upon moral suasion, condemning even that
constructive support of the system which Office
holding under the Government implies and
not few maintain silence and inactivity in
their uncertainty Of plans and despair of sue
cess and they all have excellent good reasons
for their respective pecularities of method
This diversity of opinion and drift occasions
not little conflict among Anti-Slayery people
and an embarrassing confusion in the conduct
of the great controversy with the common
enemy. Wrong is often apparent by its evil
workings where the right is not quite clear,
may be apparent enough to those who have no
guess at the true order, or the means of reach
ing it A battle may be lost for WANT of skill
in the array, though every soldier be hero
and all equally intent upon victory. The
mischief Of disagreement is especially conspicu
GUS in those strifes in which the appeal is t.
reason, and the force relied upon is public
opinion. would not call any man Pro. Sla
very, except those who think the system righ
or inevitable, or both and that class alone
Abolitionists, who oppose it for all the reasons
which bear against it, and in every interes
and incident, and would end it by instan
emancipation without pausing for municipal
| laws, constitutions, or consequences None o
the parties, for or against, understand eacl
other perfectly, except these utras of the op
pOsite sides and they alone may be rghtl
held answerable for all that can be fairly fast
ened upon the respective sides Of the question
whether in principle or practice They ar
respectively responsible for all error in prcmi
SEES and all evil in results which can attach t
the conditions which they would give to tn
colorcd race among us in all time to come. an,
they may be fairly called upon to obvate ever,
objection that arises within the sweep of tin
broadcast principl of freedom TO the slave On
the one side, and to his perpetual bondage Oh
the other This is not so with any set or sec
who take less general ground within the wild
limits of the subject
1t is, for instance, no good answer to tn
Wilmot Proviso man, to deny the black man
capAbility of the highest civilization in til
presence of the white race, or to urge the ms,
perable repugnance of the white man to tn
black mans equality. The extension of Sla
very into the Territories, and the competitio
of slave labor against free labor there is nj
in the least affected by questions of race an
color.
naturalized lriShman, or the American
born son Of Irish parents, migh4 oppose iurthc
immigration from Ireland on grounds who'll
free from any question Of the lrishmans fitnes
for citizenship among MS, just rs the miners i
California are opposed to the introduction
Chinese Coolies articled TO work at the rate .
four dollars per month for long term of years
A patriot may desire to check the progress
the slave system for reasons which concern tn
national honor and prosperity, whether tn
black man is capable of social and poltica
equality with the whites or not and withou
being ut all responsible for the decision of tina
question here, any more than for the feasibilit
of Republic in interior Africa.
II man takes the ground that SLAYER
Ought to be abolished in the District of Colum
bia and that the Federal Government shoul
withhold all support and countenance from tn
slave system, he is no more bound TO marry
black woman, or admit black man to his tabl
for the sake of consistency, than he is boun
to avoid fashionable society because he adyt
Gates the freedom of the public lands to actua
settlers And the tariff policy may be correc
though Its advocates wear white kid gloves
for 1t may be policy and an interest of tn
professional classes though it also concerns til
artisans who are to be Immediately affected b
it. The free aborer of the North and Soutl
in like manner, is deeply and dearly concerne
to abolish the system of work without wage
that his own compensation for toll may not b
dragged down to Slavery rates; and the dem,
crat or demagogue who turns from the poir
rs question of dignity to labor and interest
the industrial classes and presses the mpra,
ktcability Of amalgamation and social and y,
Ifical equality only lodges the question
Some millions of white men in III
United States and all the white women WI