Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-27
NEGRO SLAVERY,


The existence of African slavery in the south
ern States has given rise to much heated de-
ciamation and to but little candid inyesti CATION
and calm argument. The reason of this is
very obvious Formerly the whole world under
the guidance of instinct treated the African as
the aborigines of America, being heather, were
considered by Europeans as incapable of hold.
ing, by any valid title, the lands they roamed
over and claimed as hunting grounds. These
opinions were almost universal, long after the
discovery and settlement Of the continent, and
they prevailed both in the Old and the New
World until political considerations introduced
new ideas in England which were transplanted
to America
Old and New England adhered TO the slavery
idea as long as any profit could be made from
the slave trade. When that profit ceased they
were both open to new considerations. Eng
land took the lead in the crusade against Afri-
can slavery, being urged on by the desire to
cripple the growing power of the United States,
and to dupe and deceive the English peasantry,
by philanthropic schemes, which might turn
their minds away from tn, consideration Of
their own seryitude. And it is fact, pregnant
with instruction, that the leaders in this abo-
htion movement in England we're the most
bigoted tories in Great Britain, who not only
denied to their own race the benefits Of libe.
raj laws, but oppressed them with taxes to pro-
cure freedom for a distinct race, whose only
happiness could be promoted by state OF
Subsection and slavery.
In the United States the slavery discussion
was initiated as a political movement. In the
beginning it was not based on any pretence Of
philanthropy. After 1908, no further profit
could be made from the slave trade in the
United States. The climate of the north was
found to be uncongenial to the African, and
the northern States got rid of slavery-not by
manumitting the slaves, nor by promptly abol-
ishing slavery, but by enacting laws which
gave freedom to their slaves at specified times
and at specified ages As that time approach.
ed, or as the slave appropriated the age at
which the law would make him free, his value
diminished, and he was taken to the south and
sold into perpetual bondage. Avarice was too
strong for spurious philanthropy then as well
as now.
Having sold their slaves TO the people Of the
south and got rid Of slavery by a profitable
process, the north was in position TO take a
new departure with regard to that institution.
The northern mind being in that condition,
designing politicians impelled by political con-
siderations alone, commenced the attack upon
the slave institutions Of the south, which has
given rise to so much sectional hostility, and
which mars the horizon with angry clouds,
even at the present moment The northern
abolitonsts have followed in the footsteps Of
the aboli,ionists Of England, and have shown
tae same reckless purpose to accomplish politi
cal results by fraud and duplcity, by false
statements and pretended piety.
The an,i-slavery agitation being the of:
spring Of political schemes, has naturally EN-.
Uttered the discussion to such degree that
there has beeumuch more Of heated declama.
lion than Of candid investigation and calm
argument The people Of the south having
become enraged at the insolent interference
of ntislavery fanaticism, have not fully inves-
tigated the subject Of slavery, and thus the
foreign and domestic abolitionists have been
enabled to preoccupy the northern mind to
great extent with false and mischievous doc
trines. Even many in the south have been
uiisled so far as to apologize for condition Of
things which can be fully defended and tho
roughly justified. Indeed, the southern people
in the aggregate have not planted themselves
on the true ground and adhered to il with that
firm purpose which would repel their invaders
and render them powerless. They have not
gone back to the root of the matter and ex |
posed the rottenness Of that basis on which the |
abolition structure rests.
The abolitionists proceed upon the false
suppcsition that the Caucasian and the negro |
belong TO the same race, and argue that, MS |
they are equally endowed by nature, it is crimi
nal for the one to hold the other in subsection. |
But this is all falacious. No tenable argument
has ever been adduced TO sustain the idea that
the Caucasian and the negro belong to the
Same race, whilst it can be demonstrated TO
any unprejudiced mind that they belong to
separate and distinct races. They have many
things in common, and so have eagles and