The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-01-27
WASHINGTON, ID. c.
For the National Era.
SLAVERY AND ITS DEFENDERS.
RTA NORTH cARoLINIAN.
(ooNrINUEDl


only attempted TO render them odious and I'M
popular by showing their inconsistency with
all those maxims OF freedom which lie at the
basis of our institutions, and which have such
a strong hold upon the affections of the Amer.
lean people There was a time when tho>e
great principles were regarded as "selfevident;
that ell men ere born free and equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain IN
alienabic right; and that among these rights
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness .
Washington and letters, n, Franklin, Hancock,
and Adams, with all the great and patriotic
men Of the Revolution, were content to take
these truths for granted, as being too clear to
need, almost too plain to admit Of proof But
the modern school of Southern philosophers
and divines deny and scott at them, and have
succeeded IN driving them out of good society
wherever the influence Of slavery and conserv-
atism has a ioothold.
o. CarOln'an has contented himself with
pointing out the superiority of slavery over free
doD in practically securing to the poor great
or degree of happiness, and shielding their
morals and character from the dcbasing nfu-
ences If treedOm-he has not troubled himself
OF his readers with any metaphysical inquiries
into questions of abstract right The whole
question H. assumed 70 be one OF expedieucy. 10
] entertain n very different view Of the matter
In my judgmen', tho right wrong Of slavery
is the most important, end the first point to be
considered. The great fault of A Carolinian
Is this abne cation Of the great principles Of
freedom. He abandons the platform of Wash
ington Jefferson, and Madison and is content
TO stand upon the ground Of mere temporary
expe1O2cy
would not be understood as favoring rash
or precipitate measures; | know that mme-
date emancipation IL impO5sible-that wisdom
prudence, and time, are necessary 10 accom-
plish the great work but in following expe-
diency, which can last but for a season, we
should not abandon principles which are eter-
nal.
Pursuing the train of reasoning of "A Car
olinian,' then, let US inquire how far he is cor
rec: in assuming that slavery is preferable to
freedom, aud that it secures to the poor
greater amount of physical comfort and great
er exemption from vicious and deprayiug in .
huence9 A chief reliance Of the author in
support of this proposition is the fact that
slaves are IN many respects exempted from tn
cares which degolye upon freemen. They have
no debts to pay, no family to provide for, nor
even their own welfare to look after. They
are not liable TO lose their situations, and DO
munity from care which constitutes the hap 3
piness of the slave, according to the philosophy 4
Of "A CarOlinian" To my mind, there can .
be nothing clearer than that this exemption .
from Gaze is one Of the greatest If not the chief
misfortunes Of tho slave For what is it but care
and difficulty which call forth the nobler facul-
ties OF the soul Suppose that BENJAMIN
Franklin had been born slave-exempted
from the cares and trials of freedom, but at the
same time robbed Of the noble incentives TO
industry and effort which accompany those
cares--cgn IL be imagined that he would ever
have elevated himself above the sphere in which
he was born il is possible that tho hope OF
freedom might have inspired such natural tai
ent5 and energies as his even while vet in the
condition Of slavery; but supposing that nil
hone Of freedom had been ont OF the question
and thege can scarcely be doubt that he
would have gone down to the grave among the .
nndistngushrd multitude. | have instanced ,
franklin because he began life as an humble |
iaborer, and raised himself to the highest in |
tellectual and rocial rank, by manfully Ell.
countering and overcoming those cares and dif- |
hc1tles which A Caronian considers it the !
happiness OF slave to be exempt from IL is
remarkable and interesting fact that the
greatest number OF eminent men in this coun-
their parents were poor, and with great dihi-
culty managed to give them the rudimcnts of
an education. The hard struggle with pow
erty, which they were compelled to maintain,
vas the great element in forming their char
acters Had they been born in afluence, they
would in most instances have been deficient
IN the energy aud industry which aEe. essential
60 success 81
There con be no greater wrong inflicted upon
rational being than to strip him Of the re-
spCnsibllites and cares OF life and TO treat him
~ u minor or an imbecle TO rob hun of the
labor Of his hands is q trihing injury compared
with the deprivation of moral and intellectual
training. Ii lie who buried the talent which
waz intrusted to him, in order that he might
restore it without loss, was held guilty, what
most be thought of system which assiduous-
iy Iabors % bury the talents of whole race,
in order to prevent their increased
The tendency Of freedom to develop the in.
teleotual aud moral nature, and of rlayo-y to
depress and almost to extngush tno,e flcul.
ties may he Illustrated not only by contrasting
che white and oplored races, but by comparing
the different classes Of colored people Al
though the free coIored people OF the North
constitute bat q small fraction of the race in
tins country they have produced quite mum
Der OF men OF respectable talents; and the fu-
g'lws from slavery. who constitute still
Anat!or traction, NUMBER among them severed
able and eloquent speakers and writer's and
one who hss been honored with.a degree by a
German University These fugitives, while vet
in bondage, Dursed the generous idea of free
dom in their breasts and were thus stimulated
to Improvement But the mass of slaves, being
moved With no hope of changing their oondi-
finn ara ma hing mn off ,rt IA thrn,y off Tho
noranoe and imbecility in which their masters
are assduous t0 keep them. No slave. while
yet slave, has ever exhibited talents compar-
able to what we have seen in the handful of
iugItives who have escaped to the free States
aud Canada. Doubtless, there are instances
OF talent and energy among them, but they
must necessarily be united to the hope Of free
dom. Energy is n mental and moral quality
and can have no existence in mind destitute
of hope
am far from cOnceding that slaves are
exempt from ths usual allotment of temptation
though they may be less harassed by care for
the future than freemen. The very fact that
they are deprived Of the feeling of rcspOngibili-
ty which attaches to rational beings in near
ly all the relations OF life. necessarily tends h.
make them sensual and the ignorance in which
they are reared conspres to produce tho same
result Ii rs true that character-in other words
virtae honor, truth--will promote the happi.
ness of a slave, and, in u great majority of
GASES, will insure him kinder treatment than
he. would otherwise receive Bat no amount
of character will redeem him from Slavery
on the contrary, it only soryeS to rivet his
chSins by enhancing his value. Slavery, there
fore, acts poor premium upon virtue; and il q
slave I've really virtuous it must be from an ex-
traordinary proclyity towards goodness Slave
holders rs II general rule, have an exceedingly
low estimate OF the virtue of slaves and many
are 10 uncharitlbe a. 10 deny that there can
be an honest and truthful slave This class of
Shareholders, which by the way, IL quite pu-