Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-02-20

esfih, would he impcssrt't ysssl s!ssse
righlstsen tks ,wssk " lndisIdseiof the
race ofAasm shstwsiks sIcbs. htw.
ever muchsis mIshsrsvish md Prostate
those tikhss hElhs aust. x
Tho Dsslassslca of IndspeEashce &C.
knowledge no despotism, either dem.
ocratie, OF, sristocrsiic. = But y sfirm,
fbst each individual man possesses rights
which, while blameIessly possessed. arc
Inaccessible tobuman power. That tho
only and true purpose Of government Is
to prosec. those rights Yet'in ths face
Of those principles. there is q strong and
powerful party in the country that place
the highes. question Of risht-lhe Ish.
to libsrty--upon no surer basis than tho
will Of majority, und who are now &C.
lively engaged TO extend by the votes o. :
tho people the afistocralic and debasng
institution Of chattel slavery over tho IN,
peopled counties Of the West. 2
With slavery in the States we seek to
have nothing 10 do. But we are opposed
to its travelling out Of its present limits.
Its influence on society is 100 apparent
to need any argument against ii. The
question is, whether we will plant IN the
West, states like Virginia ,or New York, i,
Kentucky or Ohio. Arkansas or Indiana.
We arc not willing to draw any invid.
ious comparison between our own State
and either Of its less prosperous South.
ern ncishbor.. The South may eat the
bitter fruit and breathe the pes,ilsntial
exhalations Of slavery SO long as il
chooses, for aught that we will do. We
know lhpt there is very large porto n
OF the slaveholdem themselves who feel
that they are doing the best they can with
the legacy left them by their colonial
masters, and who nre continually colo.
nizine their slaves by sending them back
to Africa. We have no idea that the Ar.
rican race can ever live by the side Of
the Caucasian OF terms of equali,v--'he
obstacles which nature and prejudice
have placed between them are too great
to be overcome. This Of itself forms a
cogent argument against any further
spread of this unfortunate race upon our
territory.
We feel no more delicacy in the dis.
cussion Of ltis subjectnow, since il has
been opened in all its bearings and in.
aucnce on society By the action Of Con.
gress in repeating the Missouri Compro.
mise, than we do TO discuss the tariff,
bank, or land questions, and according.
ly gave full notice to the world that we
should. from time to time, enheavor TO
draw public attention to the subject. 1t
is now eminen,ly political question,
because all are interested in the charac.
ter Of tho governments and institutions
that shalt spring up west Of the Missis.
sppi, The naked proposition is. whether
slavery is more desirable state Of so.
ciety than freedom, whether the ignorant
and captive negro is more valuable
member OF the community than the free
willed and self.direc,ing Caucasian. As
TO the influence OF Slavery on society, i,
was so much better delineated by JEr.
FERsoN, the Colossus of liberty and de.
mocracy in America, that we give it from
his works as his maturel and deliberate
opinion: {: l,aat.m
"There must doubtless be an unhap'
py influence on the manners of;our peo-
pie produced by the existence Of slaoe'
ry among US. The whole commerce be
tween master and slave is d perpetual
exercise of the most boisterous passions
the most unremitting despotism on the
one part, and the most degrading sub
mission on the other. a Our children see
and learnt TO initiate il, for man is an i'm
ita,ive animal. From his cradle to tht
grave, he learns to do what he sees 9th
ers do. II parent could find no motive
either in his philanthropy or his self.lov.
IN restraining The intemperan. Of pas
sion towards his slave, it should always
be q sufficient one that his child is pres
en,. But generally it is not sufficient
The parent storms-the child looks on
catches the lineaments Of wrath-put'
! on the same airs in the circle Of smaller
slaves; gives loose to the worst Of pas
sions-ond thus nursed and educated
and daily exercised in tyranny, canno
but be- stamped by it with odious pecu'
iarities. The man must be prodigy
who can retain hismanners undepraved
by such circumstances. And Nth s0ha
czecration should the statesmen be bran
ded, who, permitting ome.hay Of th'
citizens thus to trample on the rights d
The other, transf forms those into despotI
and these into enemies destroys the mo
rails of the one part, and the lope oj