The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-19
For tho National Era.
PROGRESS OF HUMAN LIBERTY.
The greatest glory Of q free born people
Is, to transmit that freedom to their children.

The greatest glory of free born people
Is, to transmit that freedom to their children.
| Hazard.
The fathers of liberty who sought refuge Oh
the shores of an unknown country, took then
flight from the storms and prosecutions of Q
people, whose minds were envelopsd in a re
stricted policy, and whose zeal in the defence
and maintenance of established doctrinal no.
tons, led to the withdrawal of few score Of
determined souls, who deemed the enjoyment
of "purer worship and a greater liberty Of
conscience even in the wilds of American
forests, preferable to all the endearrnents OF
their native country and their natal air.
The flight of the Puritans from the old world
to the new, and the motives which actuated
them in encountering all the dangers of their
eyentful journey, must ever be regarded as
truly characteristic of that indomitable perse-
verance which springs up in the bosoms of
those to whom liberty Of conscience and Gber-
ty of speech is prescribed That flight, which
was one of the most important events in the
foundation and history OF great nation, took
its origin in dsscnsion and disquet.
The greatest calamity which can beiall any
country is the prohibition of the natural rights
of man among which ranks first the liberty
Of conscience. Whenever this occurs, Gov
eminent becomes despotic, and civil strife and
commotion are inevitable. Despotism may
hold the balance Of power but the minority
will not rest under the iron yoke of grinding
oppression. Sooner or later, a resort is made
to those means which must prove effcacious
The history of the world sustains this position,
since it Is, in ITSELF but detailed account Of
the progress of human liberty. The establish
ment of any important system or code among
an enlightened people must gain ascendency
amidst agitation, and the more extensive and
decided that agitation, the more certain is the
system to receive test by adoption. If adopt
ed, 1t cannot attain to permanency so long as
any considerable portion of human beings are
made to suffer from it's restrictions especially,
whenever those restrictions affect their innate
and IMAGINABLE rights. 1t is thus, that sys-
TENS rise and fall. No system of Government,
of morals, or religion, which is conducive to
the best interests of a few, can exist where the
voice Of thepeOplc is omnipOtent. But systems
not unfrequently take their origin with the
birth of nations and become interviewer with
their progression. SO it was with the institu-
ton Of slavery in the United States; and while
the country was distracted with foreign diff
culties and embarrassments, it grew insdous-
ly, till, when free from the oppression of the
country's foes those whom it favored and whose
interests were connected and identified with it.
insisted that it was fundamentally correct, and
that its overthrow must inevitably result in a
complete overthrow and dissolution of the
| Union and country
The first slaves ever brought to this country,
about twenty in number were landed on the
coast Of Virginia in 1919, by Dutch ship. II
it astonishing with what rapidity this terrible
evil increased In 1884 they amounted to six
hundred thousand in 1890, to six hundre and
ninety-sev thousand six hundred and ninety
six. These slaves were transferred mostly to
Southern planters They, however, soon appear
cd in large numbers in all of the colonies At
this time, as early as 1910, it was patronized
largely by the British Government; and al
though disgust was excited against the inbu-
man traffic in the colonies, it was unavailable,
for it had fastened itself upon the country.
The United States, however, very early man.
ifested much aversion to the slave trade and it
appears that long before the European nations
would in any wise consent to relinquish it.
many of the American colonies had utterly
prohibited it. In l645 Massachusetts made n
law prohibiting the buying and selling Of
slaves, except those taken in lawful war, or re.
duced to servitude by their crimes" In 1903,
the same colony imposed heavy duty on every
negro imported; and in n subsequent law on
the subject they, called the practice "ths un-
natural and unaccountable custom of ensidping
mankindn In 1892 Virginia undertook to re-
press the traffic by the imposition of heavy
duties
These and other facts 60 to show that the
North American colonies, under a strong APP
probation of the dreadful wrongs attending
human slavery, would, if left to themselves, Of
their own accord have put an end to the I'M
portation of slaves even before the era of their
Independence. Thus, the subject of liberty was
questioned and agitated in the early days OF
our country, until it was besct with greater
difficulties and while repeIling an invading
| foe, the monster evil thrived undated. Now
We are q great and powerful people, whose
name is respected in every land, and whose
ships sal upon every sea. IT, in taking re-
Prospective glance at the age and progress Of
our country, we can discover any improvement
or amelioration in the condition of the slave,
let US consider what that improvement is, and
how far we are justified in indulging a hope
that the time has already arrived, when the
limits of slavery are certainly fixed and cir
cumscrbed, and that henceforth its tide shall
increasingly ebb, until it shall not be known
or recognized as the right of any man to hold
his brother in unwilling bondage.
And what are the means which shall be en-
ployed to bring about reform so decided and
so deslrabet II We glance at the exciting
scenes in Congress, and inquire what are the
causes of the disturbances which for few
years past We have witnessed, we are told that
1t is slavery, and sectional prejudices and
jealouses and these have been carried tC
such an extent that Union lovers have trem
bled, and declared that our Union and country
must suecumb to the pernicious Influences O
fanatics
During few years past the subject of ala
very has received more attention than it eve,
has before. Indeed, much has been accom-
plished in the face Of these TO whom the insti
tuition is so dear. The exciting scenes which
attended the downfall of slavery in those State.
near and adjoining the non.slaye States, il
within the memory of many whose eye per
J chance may peruse these columns. Let those
who are 80 tenacious Of their rights and whC
are 50 ready to predict the evil consequence.
: attending the adjustment Of slavery in these
States point any particular evil which ha,
boiallen those who have liberated their slaves
and made saveholdlng q crime. Is il to b,
wondered at, that shareholders, seeing thcil
danger, threatened disunion What other re
source had they, when their favorite institu
ton seemed to totter beneath the scathing in
} iiuences of an agtatcd public opinion Ant
what other resort could have proven 30 effect
ual, as that OLD and tried hobby, secession
: Doubtless their compatriots Of the North wer'
frightened by the prospect Of impending dan
} ger, and were willing to forego their iayorit