The daily union., 1854-07-22
rF,o sexree. and Negro ssvsy by !. H. Van Eyre d.
ROMAN SLAVERY.

The Romans practised system of slavery the most
tensye and probably the most barbarous ever known
Like all the nations of antiquity Of our race, and
like the communities and tribes of the inferior of our
own times they made slaves Of their prisoners of war;
whose lives held forfeited to the conqueror might be saved
or destroyed at his option
The legions led by Caesar into Gaul and Germany by
Pompey into Spain, by others Asia Africa indeed,
over the whole earth, il then known, were grand
plundering expeditions, originating not much in the
pride and vanity Of the Roman people as in the ayaree of
Roman senator's and the ambition of military chief.
The spos of conquered nations the gold and silver the
Heathen idols the glare and glitter of Roman triumph,
was always followed by nnumerabe hosts of hapess cap
yes doomed endless slavery These wretched beings
we're divided among the conqueros and most of them fall
ing the share of the chiefs leaders were often trans
rred by the latter TO senators to gain their influence
or they were sold to rich pebeans, many of whom
owned ten thousand-ndeed, in instances single
person was the owner of fifty thousand Their numbers
throughout the Roman empire have been yariousy etma
ted--somemes high fifty millions, again at twenty
but if only millions the fact that Notwithstanding the
numerous and terrible outbreaks of the serve population
the Roman republic generally controlled them is proof
of the inherent vitality and strength of the Roman political
sytem more wonderful than the extended conquests
of that extraordinary people.
The expressions and outrages pracsed upon the slave
popuations almost exceed belief The slave, though al
,Oays the with the MASTER had no right or
rights whatever His life deemed to be already for
fed and this power of the il of course
cd all other possible or conceivable right rights thus
seconrol or the slightest degree extent of free vo
tion the rights of marriage of ofspring-everythng
swallowed up this fundamental fact and anything per-
mitted him. or tolerated to him, matter Of grace
with the master.
The outrages inflicted upon them did not consist alone
in robbng them of their natural rights in king from them
the proceeds Of their industry in denying them the rights
81 workinp them death but the
very caprice of the master often diaboca than
his passions Thus slave who had displayed great ad-
dress and courage in killing wild boar was sent for by
the master who expressed much admiration OF the exploit
and desired to the hero of it, but instead OF sending
the poor wretch away with present for his bravery as he
was led to expect from his manner ordered him to be cru
cited under the pretex that the law forbade slave to use
a aven, the weapon employed on the occasion
The padatoral shows of Rome where rich senators and
consuls desired to amuse crafty the Roman popuace
and thus obtain their surages to advance their interests
or ambition consisted in comba Of these outraged beings
with each other with the most ierocious animals al
ways ending in DEATH and sometimes the destruction Of
vast numbers of them.
1t is supposed that of the more luxurious Ro
mans fed their fish ponds with em with the notion that
the flavor Of the fish became delicate paata
BILE when fed this human food but whether true or
false or however revolving to natural instincts this
may be- it scarcely surpasses other atrocities practised
upon them about which there be doubt whatever
The only redeemng feature of the system consisted in the
fact that when the slave became ee he entered the ranks
ofcitzenship and though there still remained draw
backs upon this both legally and in peverse public
tmen Nature always true to herself vndicated her rights
and that natural equality inherent in all men that belong
TO the generally manifested itself whenever the human
rather the nhuman, restrictions were removed and it
was permitted freedom of action scope given for its de-
velopment
The Roman slave denied the exercise of every attribute
that Nature had given him. often rose after his manumis
son to the highest Offices in the State to the spur
pleo itself
The Emperor Doclesan and perhapsso Others sprang
from the servile class and Stcho the ablet general of
his times the brohern-aw and protector of two Roman
Emperors belonged to this naturally equal but legally
and forciby degraded portion of the Roman population
Many of these Roman slaves distinguished scholars
elegant writer's eminent philosophers and among them
the of TeraDce is familiar to modern readers for the
lofty aspirations and generous sentiments attributed to
him,
OF course, these menof the their masters
with the organization, the natural cndowments
the inherent capabilteswere just as likely TO be
distinguished generals to be poets historians, eminent
philosophers, elegant writer's their masters, if al
lowed the opportunities for the development of their
capabilities and the fact is only referred to show the
of mental qualification which the abolitionis of the
day manages to reach ON this subject of slavery.
An abolition member of Congress, quoting q generous
sentiment from Terance exceims And he, too was
SayeR While another worthy of the school, deter
mined not be outdone in this disgusting exhibition of
intellect ensldued than the body Of his hero quotes
the lofty and generous actions Of Vincent De St Paul
illustration and proof Of what the negro will do
may be expected to do, one of these days-a display of
logic and common sense perception of fact and the
fitness Of things about equal to quoting the beard of Abra
ham something likely to become universal with
some future day.
The defeat of the Roman egons under Yarus by Ar
minas which struck the first vital blow at the mighty
colossus that had long bestrode the world and laid
foundation for the subsequent independence of Germany
also shattered the vast fabric of Roman savery and the
"sysem or less modified by several succeeding En-
perors finally under the benign influences of Christianity
disappeared entirely throughout the Roman empire
Most historians agree in the opinion that Roman slavery
was the mS, if not only, of the decay and final
overthrow of Roman power; and muudes of people see
or fancy they see similar result similar destiny
marked ont for ourseves while Others again. suppose that
the wonderful growth and prosperity of Rome result
of system of slavery and assuming the aboltonis
does, that Roman slavery and the System" Of the South
are ndentca things indulge in magnificent dreams of our
future power and plendor To suppose the Roman power
Nnay oYerthIowa Roman prosperity finally destroyed
BY Roman slavery unphilosophcl to suppose this
power and prosperity result of slaveryand upposi
ton is perhaps quite good the other The original
vitality and strength of the Roman political system made
her prosperous and powerful Notwithstanding the atro-
cous system of slavery and the change from her original
Nharaer OF republican and popular form to monarch
cal ana despouca combination of petty interests of family
ana class distinctions finally ended in the emasculaton Of
R,nlnn Nnan hlal