New-York daily tribune., 1854-04-29
SLAVERY REASONING.

SLAVERY REASONING.
TG, s,rannch Gecrgian is exercised in mini by tle
case Of runaway slave I'd BIrrel recently beaten
TO death by hi. master Jane. a. Hobson in the Geor-
eiap Comfy of Thomas IL says:
We confess that we can hardly conceive Of more
creyous outrage than that here reported Upon convc
lion no punishment known to tho law is too severe TOR
the author of crime of such enJrmity The old biooded
afroeity the utter absence OF s manliness, involved
the whipping Of helpless, unestbg slave intll dsah
epsues what language adequately characterize an
oct at once go cruel and 40 c0wariy IL behooves tao
Southern States they would save from inamy ther
character and from destruction institution whose over
throw would be their ruin TO prevent the repetition OF
.uch ourages by summary punishment OF their perpstr'
tors"
So far well: But TIE Georgian insists oa tha very
obvious truth that sre Ofr mnlrers beside sia7s-
hoiders 1t discovers case occurring in tbis City OF
wife Mary Anna Spencer murdered (4s presuneD
by her husband AID il insists that the ormer afro
city proves Slavery an evil the Ia ter proyeS Marriage
to be equally vicious Bat lei us quote rhs Gs2rgan's
logic without curtsn.ent-a follows:
Now while beating slave TO death by his master de.
serves all that have said in deuunciaon OF II few viii
contend that it crime more nonstrousin onormty than
beating wife to death by her husband let how differ
EFT these outrage in the eyes Of northern ab)9nsn
and what conclusion do they De luce the one while 81
lent inrelaon to tie other The murder of Save by
brutal hey argue proves slavery to bs fearal
sim DS hen the murder OF wt oy the M 'ns.er hsr e
abolish slavery because master murders
bis slave nut not toe marriage relation be abolshed pc
cause one hut and in the same number murders b Tie
"But perhaps we shall be ii that OF the aboli
tcnss have discovered the Marriage relation IS grev
wrong snd are making war upont only less vigorous
than upon Slavery That is But with such it we're
vain TO reason though to do them uStice their action
seems possess logical consistency with their principles
to which those lag claim who while they denounca
tie n.ituon of slavery for the that in rare in
the master abuses bis servant yet hold tho Mar
rsce relation sacred in the face of the constantly
ring cases Of wives abused BY their husbands
Our creed that there evils incidental to both re-
lators but that neither Marriage can be prohibited in the
North nor Slavery abolished in the South without more
evils hanthose whchgow out Of eitherof these
heaven sanctioned institutions
Rmaihs--Iie Who undertakes TO run a par,lel
must lie very careG that the two lines msintana
proper relation to each other We take the facts
uudoub.ed and agree with The Georgian that it is
even more criminal TO murder wife than aslve. We
agree also that tie naked fact that murder con-
miied in each case does lot prove Slavery immoral
aiy mere than Marriage. And YET, while we agree
with our cOtempOrsry that Marriage is necessary,
benefcent, in spite of the abuses
sometimes perpetrated under its shelter cannot
think his parallel holds good,-ior these reasons:
J. Sarery the master nhh dsspotie pocer orer his
sidre. No matter how re may be the cruelty of the
former the latter il diyesed OF all rgh! TO resist Ii
the Easter we're busly knocking down bis slave with
aptchfork. and it were morally certain that he latter
could no. survive five minutes more OF this dscipliae
the law which professes to protect the slaves life,
would still deny him any right resist to run
The law e Slavery binds the slave hand aud foot aud
thus lays him helpless at the feet of brutal AMI
phrenzied master and if the latter grossly abuses the
power thus conferred on himas il is morally certain
that some ma sers w-then the lag is clearly an ac-
conpce OF ihe d0er OF the wroDg-is accessory be-
fore the fact
9 The lac Of Siarery ateposes direct obstacle, to the
cohrie.ion cf the master ukO k, his stare He is armed
with the consciousness that he may kill any one OF his
slaves in the presence of all the rest and yet if he mas
taken that uhe person be present the master
escapes conviction for the OF competent testno
by 1t is but few days since case of such escape
was reported in Southern papers. Now we hold that
there is no possible necessity for this monstrOus wrong
that slsvehOldng judges and Juries might safely be
trusted to give no Undue weight to slave testimony
against master. Here sgan we see the law of slave
ry making itseh wantony the accompce in advance of
the Shareholders crimes
Now, while We hold to Marriage Divine ordi-
Dance, OF worldwide necessity and lasting obligation
We yet insist that if there be any laws or usages with
respect to married Persobs which give the husband
absolute despotc power his wife orbidding her
70 resist his violence brutality in any sase aud dis
qualifying other wives for giving legal testimony
against him in case even of their seeing him murder
her, then such laws are inhuman, diabolic, crime.
melting and ought instantly to be repealed Does
The Georgian dissent from this position