The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-16
For the National Era.
GERMANY AND ENGLAND-N0. 2.

am aware of the favor with which you, Mr..
Editor, must naturally look upon England at
this time. England has assumed to bc, par cx-
cellence the libcratOr of the black race. 1t has
abolished black slavery within its dOminions
and it proudly, and perhaps Justly boasts
I" that no slave treads English soil and that
English institutions are a panopy for free
dom" | will not quarrel with these assertions
as never wish to lay straw in n mans or n
nations Way, while they are bound upon the
philanthropic tack even if they should be given
to Boosting Il little. What desire now to do,
IL to call your attention to nation which
never in any manner recognised property in
human blood never carried slaves, and which,
therefore, never needed to abolish Slavery, nor
to declaring the slave trade piracy. 1t never
had such a stain upon its character, and it
had none to wipe out. There may have been
a few solitary violations of law, but they were
soon suppressed and banished.
The justice which Germany always dealt
Gus to those who became It's political subjects
is proverbial; fact of which Kinkol took
pride to remind k0ssuth when they met in the
West, and which the latter freely admitted.
A discriminating and liberal writer thus
speaks of the Germanic United Government:
"The good and the deeteriOus were wonder
fully mixed in the Constitution Of the German
Union. While it gave to the Germans neither
unity nor strength, and while it made the
greatest people Of Europe one OF the most pow
erless, it on the other hand prevented them
from becoming people rapacious of conquest
or oppressive to those they conquered; and 1t
carried them toward a general humanity q
conprehensivenes', and a solid.ty Of cu!tare, IN
which they We're likely never excelled by any
people, and in which they are ahead Of most Of
themn
" The Constitution for their General Govern
nent gave few means for positive action, bnt it
checked many evils. y
he principle OF that Constitution was, from
the beginning, more that of a union OF States
than that OF ono State, and that principle has
and consistently"
Is not snch Union, with q history of o.
thousand years, (fot it had it's beginning in
the treaty of Verdun, ammo Si3) as valuable
at least as q subject 10 be studied and as an
AID 70 our experience, as the histories upon
English Government and English lawl
Where also, in Europe, except it be Switzcr-
land, and deem it includel in all GeTmanic
progress can You fiad the States right idea pre-
served. except in Germany! Where else, ex-
cent among the German Sclayonic races, was
monarchy elective, till within comparatively
recent period! Where else has the idea OF
decentralization found q perfect home! where
else is jealousy of a central power part Oh
the national character
| 1t has made Germany weak in attacking
other nationalities, but it has given Der an II
rcsistibie energy in every case where it became
necessary to put forth her entire national
strength, to throw off AN invader and this Is
| true, from the battlefield of Tcutsburg Forest
| to the bloody days Of Leipzig; and permit me
] t. say here, that ! prefer system Of govern