The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-21

exist probably feels himself less bound 70 re-
spect those made in favor of others. When
arguing for ourselves, we lay it down as fun
damental, that laws to be just, must give re-
ciprocation of right that without this, they
are mere arbitrary rules of conduct founded in
force, and not in conscience; and it is prob
lem which give to the master to solve, wheth-
or the religious precepts against the vioiauon
Of property were not framed tor him as well as
his slavel And whether the slave may not as
justifably take little from one VINO has taken
all from him, as he may STAY one who would
say him. That change In the relations In
which man is placed should change his ideas
of moral right or wrong is neither new nor
peculiar to the color of the blacks. Homer tells
US it was 30 1900 years ago.
'Emisu, ger t aretos apOainutai europa Zcus
| Haneros, cut an min kota douhon ema elesln'
| Old. IL, 1913.
| Jove fx'd it certain, that whatever day
Makes man slave, takes hall his worth away.
But the slaves of which Homer speaks were
whites. Notwithstanding these considerations,
which must weaken their respect tor the laws
of property, we find among them numerous In
stances of the most rigid integrity, and as many
as among their better instructed masters, OF
benevolence, gratitude and mistaken hdellty
The opinion that they are inferior IN the fac
ulties of reason and imagination, must be haz-
srded with great difhdence. To justify gem
eral conclusion requires many observations,
even where the subject may be submitted to
the anatomical knife, to optical glasses, to
analysis by FIRE or by solvents How much
more then, where it is faculty, not sub
stance we are examining; where it eludes the
research of all the senses where the conditions
l,f ~ md yarin alu
bined where the effects of those which are
present or absent bid defiance to calculation.
| Let me add, too, as circumstance of great
tenderness, where our conclusion would de-
grade whole race of men from the rank in
the scale of beings which their Creator may
perhaps have given them. To our reproach it
must be said that though for century and q
half we have had under our eyes the races of
black and of red men, they have never yet been
viewed by US as subjects Of natural history. |
advance it, therefore, as a suspicion only, that
the blacks, whether originally distinct race,
or made distinct by time and circumstances,
are inferior to the whites in the endowments
both of body and mind. 1t is not against ex-
perience to suppose that different species OF the
same genus, or varieties of the same species,
may possess different qualifications Will not
lover of natural history then-one who views
the gradations in all the races of animals with
the eye of philosophy-excuse an effort to keep
those in the department Of man as distinct as
nature has formed them? This unfortunate
difference of color, and perhaps of faculty, is
powerful obstacle to the emancipation OF these
people Many of their advocates, while they
wish to vindcate the liberty of human nature
are anxious also to preserve its dignity and
beauty. Some of these, embarrassed by the
question, "What further is to be done with |
them?" join themselves in opposition with |
those who are actuated by sordid avsrice only. |
Among the Romans, emancipation required but |
one effort. The slaves, when made free, might |
mix with, without staining the blood of his |
master. But with us q second is necessary
unknown to history. When freed, he is to be |
removed beyond the reach of mixture. The |
revised code further proposes to proportion |
crimes and punishments. This is attempted on |
the following scale-Pages I49-l5l.
1t is difficult to determine on the standard |
by which the manners of nation may be tried, |
whether catholic or particular. 1t is more diff |
fcult for native to bring to that standard the |
manners of his own nation, familarized to him |
by habit There must doubtless be an unbap- |
by influence on the manners of our people, pro. |
duced by the existence Of Slavery among us |
The whole commerce between master and slave |
is perpetual exercise of the most boisterous |
passions-the most unremtting despotism on |
the one part, and degrading submissions on the |
other Our children see this and learn to imi- |
tate it; for ihan is an initiative animal This |
quality is tho germ Of all education in him |
From his cradle to his grave he is learning to |
do what he sees others do. IL parent could |
find no motive, either in his philanthropy or his
selflove, for restraining the intemperanee of
passion towards his slave, it should always be |
a sufficient one that his child is present. But
generally is is not sufficient The parent
storms, the child looks on, catches the Inca
ments Of wrath, puts on the same airs in the
circle Of smaller slaves gives loose rein to the
worst Of passions; and, thus nursed, educated,
and daily exercised in tyranny, cannot but be
stamped by it with odious peculiarities. The
man must be prodigy who can retain his
manners and morals undepraved by such cir
cumstances. And with what execration should
the statesman bo loaded, who, permitting one
half the citizens thus to trample on the rights
of the other, transforms those into despots and
these into enemies, destroys the morals OF the
one part, and the amor patria of the other; for
If slave can have country in this world, it
must be any other in preference to that in
which he is born to live and labor for another
in which he must lock up the faculties of his
nature, contribute as far as depends on his in
dividual endeavors, to the evanishment Of the
human race or entail his own miserable con.
dition on the endless generations proceeding
from him. With the morals of the people, their
industry also is destroyed; for, in warm eli
mate, no man will labor for himself who can
make another labor for him. This is 80 true,
that Of the proprietors Of slaves very small
proportion indeed, are ever seen to labor And
can the liberties Of nation be thought secure
when we have removed their only firm basis
conviction in the minds of the people that
these liberties are Of the gift Of God! that they
are not to be violated but with his wrath In
deed, | tremble for my country when | reflect
that God is just that his justice cannot sleep
forever that considering numbers, nature and
natural means only, q revolution of the wheel
Of fortune, an exchange of situation is among
possible events that it may become probable
by supernatural interference! The Almighty
has no attribute which can take side with us
in such a contest But it is impossible to be tenn
perate and to pursue this subject through the
val pus considerations Of policy, of morals of
history, natural and civil We must be con.
tented to hope they will force their way into
every ones mind | think change already
pcrceptible, since the origin Of the present
revolution. The spirit Of the master is absting
that of the slave rising from tho dust, his con-
dition modifying, the way hope preparing
under the auspices Of heaven, for total eman-
cipation, and that this is disposed, in the order
Of events to be with the consent of the masters,
rather than by their extirpation.-Pdgss 1862
Ill.
Extract from Plan Of Constitution for Vir-
gina, draion up BY Mr. Jeferson, in 1888.
The General Assembly shall not have power
to infringe this Constitution to abridge the
civil rights Of any person on account Of his re-
lgious belief TO restrain him from protesting
and supporting that belief or to compel him
to contributions, other than those he shall have