The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-21

this be true it adds tenfold deeper dye and
disgrace to the wretches in human form who
thus took the lives of their helpless victims
and the perpetrators Of such murders more just
ly deserve the gallows, than if they had slain
a dozen of freemen, who have the right to de-
fend themselves, or, if likely to be overpowered
and butchered, can find safety in flight"
For the mere purpose of convicting the South
of the prevalence of crime Of the deepest dye
here charged upon her, and proved, by her own
most patriotic citizens, we could find no pleas
ure in the Federation; but as knowledge Of
our sinfuness is the first essential in every ref
Ormation, and as selfknowledge, of all knowl-
edge, is the most difficult to attain, we make
the foregoing quotations in the hope that
new and happy era is about to dawn upon
the communities of the South and that the
naughty, imperious, and revengeful spirit, that
leads so irresistibly to the frequent crime of
murder, is to be subdued by the qemocal Of
1ohdteCer causes eHgender and foster its er-
tStence. If it shall be found, upon due ex-
animation and experiment, (which some think
has been the case nowhere else,) that the stran-
gulation of the offenders will prevent the COM
mission Of the offence by others, we shall no
doubt see the work accomplished through that
agency; but if that prove fallacy, then
we shall hope, relying as We do upon the sim
cerity Of the motives aud purposes of both the
lecturer and editor we have quoted, that they,
with many of their intelligent, patriotic, and
enlightened fellow-citzens of Mississippi may
at once devote themselves to the discovery and
prosecution of the path that leads to virtue,
peace, and prosperity.
Many of the newspapers of the South are
giving the most unmistakable signs of improv-
ed ideas and feelings upon this and kindred
subjects, and heartily do we commend them for
it, and religiously do we pray for the consum-
nation of every measure of reform they would
accomplish. Our warfare against Slavery in
every form comprchends no feeling Of animosi-
ty to the STAKEHOLDER, save and except while he
is battling for the extension or perpetuation Of
the Great Evil upon which hang the thousands
of other evils that aftlict him.
In juxtaposition to the praseworthy senti-
ments of the Rev. Mr.. Lyon, of Mississippi, we
will present to our readers very brief extract
from a whole sermon of like tenor recently
preached by the Rev. Leander Ker, Of Platte
county, Missouri. We must do justice to the
South, however, and state that this reverend
Ker is New Highlander by birth, whose truck
ling spirit is sufficiently well eyinced in the le
rocious vindctiveness that must even disgust
the masters he would thus propitiate. He says
Honorable warfare is for honorable heroes,
not for robbers and banditti and such these
AbolitiOnists are. They are coming here to run
off your slaves; they avow their purpose; and
when they have stolen your last slave, they will
steal your other property too and they will do
it on principle; for these rascals do everything
on principle they will rob you of other prop
erty, to prevent youfrom purchasing more slaves.
And when one of these men is caught in the
act, and whipped, or strung up, or tarred and
feathered, what howl Of pious Indignation rings
through all the Abolition communities against
the barbarity of the slave-owners."