Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-02-16

NiinOut fihuSlNS pShoity' Lct nun
separate mother from her daughters,
let him employ a hireling ruflian to
carry of the boys into the country
and parcel them out there--let him
scatter the flock, and leave the chill
dren motherless, and the parents child
less, and what do you think would be-
come Of him?
In the South il is a part Of the civil
rights of men to do these things when
ever they please And though public
sentiment is better than law, yet as no
public sentiment on earth is a match
for legalized lust, or avarice, or the
grip Of misfortune, these things are
continually done, and renorsely.-
Cruelty, chastity, virtue, do not mean
the same things in the South as in the
North. A man is not blemished by
deeds and indulgences, upon q planta-
tion. among slaves, whichin the north,
would strike him through with infamy
and house him in the peniientiary
In the South, there are many roads
leading from the top Of society 10 the
bottom, but not one, not oYI from the
bottom TO the top.
In the North, IL the citizen chooses
TO walk in il. there Is road from eve-
ry mans door, up to the Governors
chair, or the Presidents seat
IL needs no words now to convince
you, that out Of such different thoo.
ries Of men, there will exist. in tho
North and in the South, extremely diff.
fesent ideas Of Society, Government,
and Public Policy.
In the North, first in order Of con.
sideration Is man, the individual man;
next the family. made Of those Of com.
mon blood. and by far the strongest,
as Il is the most sacred Of all institu-
tions. Then comes tho township,
which presents the only spectacle OF an
absolute political democracy, For.
here only. do citizens assemble In mass
and vote, directly and not by represen-
tation. Next comes Society at large.
or the mass Of citizens grouped into
States. And In society. In the North.
there are no classes except such as n
rise out of spontaneous forces. Ex-
perienee, wealth. ability set men above
their fellows. There they stand as
long as there IL real superiority
But they stand there not by legal force
nor to exercise any legal power or to
have one single privilege or preroga-
tive. which does not belong just as
much to every citizen clear down TO
the bottom. All that q class means in
the North is, that when men have
shown themselves strong and wise,
men give them honor for il. Death
levels tall down again. Their chill
dren inherit nothing. They must
earn for themselves. There is no di.
vision OF society into orders, by which
some have privilege and some have
not, some have opportunity and ad-
vantages which others have not.
In the South, society is divided in
TO two great and prominent classes;'
the ruling and the obeying-the think
ing and the working. The labor of
the South is performed by three mil
lion creatures who represent the hea-
then idea of man.
All the benefits that have accrued
TO man from Charistienity, are appro-
priated and monopolized by the white
population.
Here is seam that no sophistry
can sew up. Here is a society organi-
zed, not on an idea OF equal rights,
and of inequalities only as they
spring from difference of worth, but
on an idea Of permanent, political, or
ganized inequality among men. They
carry it so far that the theory Of Slave
law regards the slave not as an infer
ior man, governed; for his own good
as well as for the benefit Of the socie-
ty at large, but il pronounces him, in
reiterated forms, not a man at all, but
a chaltle.
When a community OF States, by
the most potential voice of Law, says
to the whole body Of its laboring pop
ulation, Ye are not men and shall not
be; ye are chattels-it is absurd to
speak about kind reatment--about
happiness. lis about cattle that they
are talkingl Our vast body of labor
ing men do not yet feel the force Of
such theory ofhuman society. But,
ii that political system. which has
openly been making such prodigious
strides for the last fifty years, and eff
ecting, secretly, yet greater change
in meas ideas OF society and govern
ment, shall gain complete ascendency,
they, in their turn, and in due time
will know and isee the dilIerance be.
tween Republican Democracy and a
Republican Aristocracyl
Out Of such original and radical diff
ferencos, there must flow perpetual
contrast and opposition Of policies and
procedures, in the operation Of society
and Of business. We will select but q
few, Of many. subjects Of contrast.
Work, Education, Freedom Of Speech
aud Of the press. and Religion.
|. WohK. Among US, and from the
beginning, Work has been honorable
IL has been honorable TO dig. TO hew.
TO build, to reap, to WELD tho hammar
Mt the forge, and the saw atthe bench.
IL has been honorable because our peo.
pie have been taught that each man is
set to make the most Of himself. The
crown for every victory gained in u
struggle Of skill or industry over mat
ter is placed upon the soul; and thus
among a free people industry becomes
education.
II is the popularity Of Northern la.
Dor, that Il thinks. IL is Intelligence