Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-31

The last number of Blackwoods Magazine
contains long and elaborate article on "Slavery
aud the Slave Power in the United States. There
is less of rant and defamation in this production
than we usually find in British dissertations on
the same theme. The writer deals largely
in statistics and affects take cool aud phloso-
phical view of his subject. There is a vein Of
deliberate aud concentrated malice, however,
running through this essay, which more than
compensates for its lack of fanatcal fury and en-
thusiasin.
The object of the author is to show that the
founders Of government were guilty of an
enormous crime in not emancpating the slave
population of this country after they had achiev
ed their Independence of Great Britain. This,
he argues, is the original sin for which our
country is responsible. and for which it is suf-
fering retributive justice in various ways
The first form of retribution to which this
interpreter of the designs of providence adverts,
is the extraordinary increase of the coored race
in the Southern States. He anticipates another
St Domingo tragedy in this quarter of the Union,
and argues that slavery has been strengthened
and extended by special interpretations of divine
more surely be brought about.
After referring to the failure Of an attempt to
prohibit the extension of slavery west of the AL
leghany mountains-the introduction of the cot
ton plan. into the Southern States, and the in
ventions in machinery which gave so great an
impulse to the consumption of that article, he
goes to argue that the ''fnger of Providence
he trao ed in ~
interfering to strengthen aud extend for the pre-
sent the institution Of slavery. "For what final
purpose, with a view to what mysterious end,
(he says) are slaves thus encouraged and multi
piled and massed together! Is it that more
sure vengeance may at last be exacted-the in>
creasing coloured outnumbering the decreasing
uncoloured population? Is another Toussaint to
arise, palefa than the first, the descend
ant of Washington, or inheriting in his mixed
blood the spirit of Jefferson, to vindicate the
rights of his race? Or, before this arrives, are
the white lords of the South to become at last
weary Of the neddling benevolence and interfe-
ring humanity of the North, and letting loose
their hordes of desperate and unemployed poor,
to oVerrun and subdue the less prepared and less
unanimous, if not less brave regions, from which
IS excluded, and beside the early cradle
u american liberty, to trampIe it to deatb in if.
carly manhood! Into what form or f,sb;o, &C
"" - sle maj contingency to shape itseIfq any
""a' gracious Interference has Great Rr;t/
u''t''Sea TO snake herself wholly free IN 7
'he vie contamination p The writer me-
rates number of other evils political ,1ocial
moral and religious, growing out of very
aose ne says are visited upon US for q sins of
our fathers, who by their first legisyTe act re-
'0gn''ed and sanctioned this inst-tlon +.
b5 way OF Commentary on III this we have
only to say that if this write shall prove to be
as wide OF the mark in hiy1redetions respecting
the future ne has sho n himself in his obser-
yations on the present the people of the South
have little cause to b alarmed at his vaticina-
items. We are perfectly content to bear the re-
tribution which W. are now suffering, for it has
no existence sayein the imagina ion of abolition
fanatics. TheAssertion that slavery is ths cor !
ruptor of n.,rals, both individual and NATIONAL an
enemy to knowledge; barrier to progress; pa
raiysis Of industry; a peryerter of religion, and
despiser of the restraints ofaw-s too f1agruntly
ia lse to require serious refutation. This insti-
tuition, everybody ia the United States knows
has entailed no such evils as these on the South
srn States of this confederacy, and British aboli
tioni.ts delude themselves egregiousy If they
.eally entertain any such belief. The gross il
,orance or wilfu fasehood exhibited by this wri-
or 10 Blackwooi respecting the actual condition
If Southern society and Institutions. justiffes US
"a hoping that notwithstanding his bold attempt
1, fathon tho designs OF omnipotenee, he is no in