The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-09

| fcently so constituted as to be but feebly at
| fected by the most awful sufferings from which
we are remote in time or space.
| Let us not be understood to assert that this
ouiescent and Indifferent state, in regardi to
Slavery, has at any time been perfect and
universal at the North. Her noblest and most
| gifted sons have raised their voice in eloquent
reproof of what, from their point of view, they
regarded as a cruel and inhuman degradation
of Gods image. And while, from different
stand point, and a more intimate knowledge of
the subject, we clearly perceive the mistakes in
his theory, and the impracticability OF his
plans, who is there with "soul so dead as not
| to sympathize with the generous patriotism,
the pure Christian philanthropy of Charming,
| equally Just and charitable to master and to
slave? His Anti-Slavery lectures, and others
of the same tone, would furnish perhaps the
best reading extant for Southern Shareholders,
as well as their Northern antagonists, Not
from him, or such as he, either North or South,
arises any danger to our political institutions.
| Almost equally harmless in that direction, how
ever injurious to morals and manners, are the
| specimens of frothy defamation, stuffed with
| bitterness and denunciation, with which score
of professional abolitonists, without talent, IN
| fuence, or character, have been wont to edify
a congregation of loafers in New York or
Boston, We may be satisfied that these Trades
have been met and fully offset by illusions, on
this side of the line, equally inferior in literary
taste and moral tone, equally commonplace
and worthless. Upon this point venture the
assertion, that since the Missouri Compromise
there has been no eruption of the Anti-Slavery
| volcano that has not been produced by the I'M
| prudent intermeddling with the subject, of men
who sought acceptance and currency among
shareholders as the foremost champions OF the
| peculiar institution"
| Among ourselyes-in family counci--it IS
| we'll to look fairly at this matter. What sort
of impression is likely to be made upon the
better class of the people there, by the pursuit
| and arrest of fugitive slave, in Ohio or Mas
| sachusetts? Why, how is it here at home
When it is necessary to practice this and other
seventies incident to the state of Slavery, and
| for which the necessity is Justlflcatlon to
ourselves, are we ostentatious In the perform
ance? Do we parade handcuffed runaway
before our parlor windows, or summon our
wives and daughters to witness the lash I'M
| avoidably inflicted on delinquent slave
Even among men necessarily Injured more or
less to such scenes, whom do we expect to find
| most prompt and efficient, when Stare discipline
is to be enforced? Are they the high in the
social scale-the educated and refined, the
| men of cultivated moral sensibility, such as
You would select as companions and friends
WHY, the professional negro trader himself,
when, in the midst of his manacled gang, he
meets company on the road, especially if fe-
males, generally leans back in his carryall, and
pretends to be asleep.
We all know that such things are, and must
be, but still we dislike to look upon them.
There is many Southern planters grown
daughter, who, if she were to behold such
punishments as are every day inflicted on her
fathers plantation hands, would feel as natural
a horror and shed as genuine tears as Mrs.
Stowe herself.
If then we, who know that we are guilty of
no wilful wrong in such preceedings-that for
Slavery and its attendants there is no present
remedy-if we are thus inclined to avoid some
of the exhibitions to which it gives rise, how
can we expect them to affect those who, in
honest ignorance, take an opposite view OF the
matter, and consider as voluntary oppressors,
who could, if we would, abolish Slavery with
| word? There can be no room to wonder lis
there to complain p that every arrest OF
slave in the free States should cause an out
| burst of Anti-Slavery sensbility among the
people. And, unless that class of persons at
the North are better citizens than their brethren
with us, there is Just as little room to be aston
ished that the occasion is seized upon by ira
ding politicians to get themselves into position
as the advocates of Anti-Slavery feeling and
action. The conclusions upon the case are too
obvious to be insisted on. 1t is only requisite
that mems passions and prejudices should sleep
long enough for them to think.
Again Can it be supposed that any class of
persons in the free States really desire such an
addition to their population as our runaway
slaves would make? Is it truly an object with
the white laborer of the North to invite the COM
petition Of free negroes in work, or to seek the
burden of maintaining them as paupers? If
so, then Yankees are more liberal, Self-sacri-
fcing people than they are reputed to be.
Seriously, the supposition is absurd; and We're
the Fugitive Slave Law repealed, in less than
five years, whether by the voluntary action Of the
people, or by legislation, free negroes woulc be
excluded from every border State. They receive
them now only because they are unwilling to
submit to unwise and offensive Pro-Slasery
measures. Just let them alone upon the sub
iect, and selfpreservation will dictate to them
course similar to that which our Union is
now trying to maintain in regard to foreign
criminals and paupers.
Finally, by thus laying to rest all Anti-SlaSe-
ry excitement, cutting off its causes, and ta-
king their tools out of the hands of political
burglars, we may reasonably hope that our ne
gro population, as slaves, for which condition
alone it is now fitted, may be suffered quietly
to expand itself into the Federal Territories,
wherever the soil and climate may invite Nts
settlement. l am deeply convinced that ne
aggressive and forcing process heretofore N
ployed can be carried no further, with any but
disastrous results and that if we persevere in
the exaction of our rights, however offensivfiy
to them and useessly to ourselves, we shall
teach the people of the free States to INSIST
upon their rights as a majority of Congress,
certainly much to our detriment, perhaps'so
the overthrow Of the Government and COustitu-
ton of the country.
With little confidence that my specific rec
concentrations will be adopted it may yet Ne
hoped that swords of truth and soberness" VIII
not fail of good fruit in some FORM Such it
has been my aim to utter; and whatever the
result, l have said my say. ASHLAND.
ELECTRICITY VERSUS MERCURY.