The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-02
Abolition Falls cies-The Races Of this Con-
tlnent.

Abolition FallR cies-Thc Races OF this Com
tlnent.
If some imaginative Spanisrd were to declare
that ks task in this life would hereafter be to
raise the Spanish race to its former position in
the world, and to rob Great Britain and the
United States of their monopoly Of trade and
manufactures, converting Cadiz into Liver
pool and, Barcelona into a New York-or il
some ambitious serf from the Crbnea were to
proclaim the coming overthrow Of the Western
races, and the enthronement of his country
men in the palace of arts and civiiization--or
if the feeble Hindoo were to rise against tn
hardy European and predict not only the re-
capture of all the latter hes usurped, hut like
invasion of Europe, planting Asatic E,onarchs
on tie thrones of CharleIagne and Alfred
sweeping away every trace of modern refine
ment, and superssding onr present comforts and
luAuries by the Introduction of oriental and
barbaric nagnificeEce-we should surely t,ink
such prophecies absgrd, though I'VE could not
pronounce them absolutely impossible Span
iards might become trading people: Russians
might learn refinement: Hindoos might be
taught to fight. But such changes are SO very
improbable-so entirely inconsistent with all
that we know Of the history of these races
that the most credulous would hardly expect
their advent. Ninety-nine men out of hun
dred would at once declare them wild utopia.
In precisely this light do we look upon Mr..
Stewards scheme for the eradication of slavery
from this continent. Ii does not seem to us to
be possible that so much violence can be done
to the essential characteristics of the two lead
ing races here as to place them side by side
on footing Of equality, without endangering
the existence of one or the other. With the moral
and ethical considerations urged by Mr.. Seward
we have at pr esent nothing to do: our position
is that nature has placed on this continent three
distinct and separate races of human beings, en-
dowed with different moral, mental and physi-
col qualities, to each Of which peculiar and
well defined station and sphere of duty have
been allotted ard that no man can disturb the
order thus established, or attempt TO alter the
station or duty Of any Of the three, without
falling and involving in his failure much con-
fusion, injury and wrong. We do not contend
for the theoretical justice Of this proposition:
many laws Of nature, Individually established By
experience, are in violation of abstract right all
We claim is that such is the rule in practice.
Philanthropsts for instance have shed oceans
of tears over the wrongs of the Indian, driven
from his childhood's home, and hunted from
place to place by the white pioneers; and there
is no doubt but herein turks q gricvous injus-
tice; but shall you argue to-day that W.
must have no more Territories or States
because the Indians have rights? Fancy Con-
gress listening to such an argument. Common
sense would reply at once, thai though it is
hard for the Indians to be expatriated il il
harder for the world to leave SO much good
land idle while white men starve: and this prac-
teal view would necessarily prevail. Conser-
vative and rational as we think ourselves, we
are all glad tc lean on the arm Of " manifest
destiny when we have chance; and il, as we
believe, it can be shown that hitherto it has
ever been, and is still, the manifest destiny
of the negro race to live in servitude, the bulk
of mankind will shrink from the responsibility
of rebelling against the dictate of fate.
We say that the negro was made for servi-
tude on this continent. slave he was in his
own country born slave to his father or his
king, and subject to all the horrors of irrespon-
sible mastersbip, without single rcdeeming
alleviating trait: made slave to his conaueror,
who felled him to the earth in battle and again
visited him with acute suffering torture and con-
timely; and again changed and snapped about.
always slave, as the fortune OF war lay with
his masters or their foes. Talk to the native
African Of freedom! IT'S state he cannot
conceive, has no longing to enjoy. This is no
isolated case. Every traveller tells the same