The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-17
A LITTLE SINGULAR.

The National Era has the following, whic
would not have sounded at all strange in an
of the Pro-Slavery journals of the country, bu
az coming from DR.. Bailey very forcbly arres
| ed our attention
" Religious Freedom The persecution an
Imprisonment of the Madiai family, by tn
Grand Duke of Tuscany, for exercising TIN
rights of conscience, have aroused the ndigna
ton of liberal men all over the world At thi
time of day, it is too bad that any tyrant grea
or small, should dare to punish a man TO
reading the Bible, or worshipping God accord
ing to the dictates of his own conscience, with
out interference with the rights of his neigh
Dor. Such oppression justiGes intervention o
most decided character.
"The United States, recognising as they do
in their organic law, the rights of conscience
and faithfully securing the full enjoyment Of
these rights to immigrants, sojourners or citi
zens, without distinction of sect, are bound to
promote the cause of religious freedom through
out the world; and especially to secure for
Americans, in other countries, the freedom OF
conscience guaranteed to citizens of those coun-
tries while sojourning or settling within our
borders
Here is clear declaration of one of two
things-either that our three and One-third
millions of slaves are neither immigrants, So
journers, or citizens or else they are protected
by the Constitution in their rights of conscience,
their right to read land of course to learn to
read the Bible and worship God according
to the dictates of their own conscience The
Doctor, for the time he was writing this para
graph, must have forgotten the existence OF
slavery Slavery Bugle.
The remarks of the Bugle might have been
called for, had the position of the Era on the
question of Slavery been at all doubtful But,
as the Era is an Anti-Slavery paper, and has
never neglected to bear testimony against the
oppressive laws OF the country concerning col
ored people, nobody can suspect it Of hypocrisy
when it undertakes to denounce the expressions
of other countries.
Negro slavery is not the only kind of sla.
very oppression is not confined to colored
people spiritual despotism is as bad rs physi
cal the world is full Of evils to be remedied
wrongs to be redressed.
The wisdom that comes from above is with
out Partially and without hypocrisy. but We
suppose it recognises the truth that "there is {
time for all things' The sincere and intelli
gent enemy Of Slavery will take good care t.
set his face against every form of oppression
but it does not follow that he must never make
declaration against one form, without speci
flying at the same time every other Nor will
he rashly denounce the efforts of others to es.
tablish freedom in one quarter, because they
may choose to overlook its interests in another
He will rather encourage every right move.
ment, whatever its special object no matter
though the views of its supporters may be par
tial and their conduct in other respects incon.
slstent; first because it is right movement
and next, because one reform always prepares
the way for another by educating and eleva
ting public sentiment, and throwing light upon
the fundamental principles on which all reforms
rest.
As to the remarks of the Era on which the
Bugie comments there is not one we would
take back OF qualify SO far from having for.
gotten the existence of Slavery we selected our
words with special reference to it, We said
| that 81 the United States 1.-THE nation" recog
nising in their organic law the Federal Con.
stit,ttion-" the rights of conscience, and faith
fully securing the full enjoyment of these
rights to immigrants, sojourners, or citizens
without distinction of sect lis not this a
IT." are bound to promote tho cause OF
religious freedom throughout the world and
| papppIallu h, c.
countries the freedom of conscience guaranteed
to citizens Of those countries while s0journing
or settling within our borders
We state fact strictly true, and draw an
inference clearly logical. The fact is honor
able to the country, and furnishes good rea.
son Tor the kind of interposition indicated.
Hut, says the Bugte, here is clear DECLARE.
ton that slaves are neither immigrants go
journers, nor citizens or that the Constitution
secures to them the rights of conscience. Tho
answer is obvious. They are neither immi.
grants "scjourners," Temporary resident.
nor +" citizens: hence our statement il liter.
ally true. If We had used the term, ,nhabit.
ants, residents, persons or mattress the statemen,
would be false and deceptive.
While on this subject, we must be excused
for adding few remarks suggested by the
comments Of the Bugie
We are far from thinking our country DER
feet, but in all the elements of Christian civil
cation we think it in advance of other coun
tries. Its political institutions and its law
we do not regard slavery rs a part of them
are not perfect but they are, beyond compari
son, preferable to those Of any nation we ar
acquainted with. The motto, "Our country
right or wrong in its popular acceptation, i
an internal one but We 20 for our countr,
when it is right and shall never abandon il
but labor TO save it when it is wrong W.
hate its slavery, but admire its freedom, an,
shall never suffer our adherence of the for
mer to lessen our admiration OF the latter.
There are some among us who hail ever
manifestation Of English sympathy for tn
cause of freedom in this country even whe
made by those who are blind to Englis
oppression, while they fsrcely rebuke any di,
play of sympathy with the cause of Englis
freedom by their own sountrymen. We do nc