The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-10-21

exception 10 MS class. ne reIauoh' J"o'
named, SO far as they involve dependence and
subsection, terminate when the subject parties
are twenty-one years of age: the slave relation
is perpetual.
The three legitimate relations noticed, In
volve the possession of great power by the
husband, parent guardian-but the poweriul
instinct of parental affection restraints generally
the abuse of parental power, even where law
and public opinion are silent, as the Love that
consecrates matrimony is generally sufficient,
even were no safeguards provided by law and
public opinion, to make the headship OF the
husband safe and benefcent: while IN the
case of guardianship the law surrounds the
ward with abundant protection.
To class with the parental and flial rela-
tons, natural, necessary, divine with their
wise and good objects and powerful restraints
imposed by holy, ever-watchful, all-forbearing
Love- the relation of master and slave unnatu-
raj, unnecessary, at war with the progress of
the race and of society, selfish in its origin and
aim, securing perpetual supremacy on one
side perpetual degradation on the other, with
powers over the inferior party. stimulated into
activity by the hope of gain, and unrestrained
by natural affection, argues gross misconcep-
ton or gross heartlessness. Light and dark
ness, Heaven and He'll, the service of God and
the service of the devil do not differ more in
nature, aim, and spirit, than the holy relations
of parent and child, husband and wife, differ
from the unholy relation of slave and master.
The evils of Slavery, that is, cruel treat
ment prvation of education, separation of
families. &c, the Courier and Enquirer regards
as abuses of a legitimate relation. The con-
trast we have just drawn exposes the fallacy
of the assumption that the relation is legit-
mate. II is itself an abuse monstrous abuse
and what are styled by that paper abuses, are
the natural consequences of the relation itself
What is a slave! Under the slave code he
is property--in some of the States, personal, in
others, real property-but always PROPERTY
He can own nothing inherit nothing devise
nothing being himself the subject of owner
ship of SALE of transfer or transmission, like
the civil relations of husband or parent. ale
is entirely subject to the will of his MASTER X
He cannot move without the consent of his
master. He cannot live with the woman whom
he calls his wife, he cannot take care of or exact
obedience FROM tie offspring of his loins, with
out the consent of his master. He cannot
learn to read, he cannot teach his child, he
cannot become the COMMUNICATE of church.
he cannot attend public worship without the
consent of his master He has no control what
soever over his own powers no right to the
fruit of his own earnings except at the will Of
his master. In word, he belongs not to him.
self, but to another, to whose interests he is
made completely subservient
This is Slavery-ths is the innocent relation,
recognised and protected by the Law Of Sla-
very! The man who, on this brief statement
of the nature of it. does not admit at once that
itself is an abuse, greater than all the evils
which are styled its acknowledgements they
are but its legitimate effects-is not fit sub
ject for argument.
The shareholders are pronounced by the Cou
rier and Enquirer, absolutely guiltless of the
abuses of the system. Are they guiltless OF
the relation itself! Do they not sustain before
God and man the awful responsibility of the
ownership of human beings as property! Sup
pose the law should allow Horace Greeley to
seize Colonel Webb, appropriate him as prop
erty, use him as property, compel him to go
and come, work and sleep eat and drink, at
the discretion Of said Greeley. Greeley might
be very kind, considerable sort of master He
might feed the Colonel wel-give him the fat
of the land-keep him at work no longer than
clerk in one of our Departments-give him
a hair mattress to sleep on-allow him to 90
and see his so-caled wife once or twice a week
and even encourage him to improve his mind.
In fact, the Colonel would experience not one
of what he now calls the ev,Is of Slavery but
would he then see and feel nothing in Slavery
beyond it's incidents, as he styles them, SAVIOR
ing of an abu~2 All the fact that he was q
piece of property, subject Of ownership inca
pable of owning anything, the appendage of a
man, not a man himself, material for sale and
barter, not capable Of buying or selng-in a
word, entirely subject to the will of another
he would cry out against, as an abuse more
monstrous and horrible than all the incidents
he now thinks separable from Slavery.
And what would he then think of RESPONSE
! bility Would he hold the law makers of the
State of New York. and Horace Greeley, who
avaled himself of what the law allowed, guilt
less of this foul abuse
They are responsible for the laws, who pass
them, aid in their passage or consent to their
passage; and also, for whatever powers are con-
ferred acts cnjoined, or evils allowed by them
and he is responsible for the laws and their
effects, who avails himself of those powers, or
complies with their acquisitions If | support
by my act my example, my influence my apol-
ogies system which vests irresponsible power
in the hands of fallibe; man. share the respon-
sibilty of that abuse, and of whatever other
evils naturally or legitimately flow from it.
Sec Wheeler's Law of Slavery, Stroud's Sketches,
| and the Code of Louisiana.