The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-26
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. c, JULY 26, 1855.

the generality of mankind nor can the Amer
cans any longer boast an exception. Unde,
these circumstances, it would rather have beer
surprising if you had succeeded; nor will YOU
l fear, have better success in Georgia"
1t will be seen that Washington attributed
the ultra Pro-Slavery spirit of his day, which is
now the Virginia Democratic spirit to the most
miserable selhshness-a selfshness so mean
that 1t wss ready to sacrifice the independence
OF the country, rather than yield up a few
slaves to become soldiers.
The following, from the same exalted source
to his friend Lafayette, needs no explanation:
TO the Marquis de Lqtayette-April 5, 1888
"The scheme, my dear Marquis, which you
propose as q precedent, to encourage the eman
cipation of the black people in this country
from the state of bondage in which they are
held, is striking evidence of the benevolence
OF your heart. shall be happy to join you in
so laudable work, but will defer going into a
detail OF the business till have the pleasure Of
seeing you."-Vol. uiii, PIP. Ala, AIS.
To Robert Morris he writes, April H. 1856
~ hope it will not be conceived, from these
observations, that it is my wish to hold the un
happy people, who are the subject of this let
ter, IN slavery. l can only say, that there is
not man living who wishes more sincerely
than do, to see plan adopted for the aboli
ton of it. But there is only one proper and
effectual mode by which it can be accom- aIish
ed, and that is by legislative authority; and
this, as far as my suffrage will go, shall never
be wanting"
Mr.. Jefferson was the founder of the Demo
cratic party of Virginia and the Union He
was the author of the Declaration of Independ
ence which declares that all men are born free
and equal, and equally entitled to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. But the follow.
ing passage from his Notes on Virginia is di.
rectly in point as to Slavery; and we RESPECT
fully ask our readers to contrast it with the arti
Gle from the Richmond Enquirer We might
quote columns from his writings, but this is
sufficient
at is difficult to determine on the STANDARD
by which the manners of nation may be tried,
whether catholic or particular. 1t is more diff
ficult for native to bring to that standard the
manners of his own nation, familiarzed to him
by habit. There must doubtless be an unhap-
by influence on the manners of our people, pro-
duced by the existence of Slavery among US.
The whole commerce between master and slave
is perpetual exercise of the most boisterous
passiOns-the most unremitting despotism On
the one part, and degrading submissions on the
other. Our children see this, and learn to imi.
tate it; for man is an initiative animal This
quality is the germ of all education in him.
From his cradle to his grave, he is learning to
do what he sees others do. If a parent could
find no motive, either in his philanthropy or his
self-love, for restraining the intemperance of
passion towards his slave, it should always be
a sufficient one that his child is present But
generally it is not sufficient. The parent
storms, the child looks on, catches the Inca
ments of wrath, puts on the same airs in the
circle of smaller slaves, gives loose rein to
the worst of passions; and, thus nursed, educa-
ted, and laily exercised in tyranny, cannos but
be stamped by it with odious peculiarities.
The man must be prodigy who can retain his
manners and morals undepraved by such cir
cumstanees. And with what execration Should
the state man be loaded, who, permitting one
| half the fltlzens thus to trample on the rights
of the otter, transforms those into despots and
| these into enemies, DESTROYS the morals Of the
one part, and the amor patrte of the other; for
II slave can have a country in this world, it
must berany other in preference to that in
which he is born to live and labor for another
in which he must lock up the faculties Of his
nature, Contribute, as far as depends on his in
dividual endeavors, to the evanishment Of the
human race, or entail his own miserable con-
dition or the endless generations proceeding
| from him. With the morals of the people, their
industry also is destroyed; for, in warm eli
mate, no man will labor for himself who can
| make anr,ther labor for him. This is so true
that of tle propretOrs of slaves a very small
proportc q, indeed, are ever seen to labor. And
can the berries of a nation be thought secure,
when we have removed their only firm baAis-
conviction in the minds of the people that
these Liberties are of the gift of God that they
are not to be1viOlated but with his wrath2 In
deed, tremble for my country when l reflect
that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep
| forever; that, considering numbers, nature,
and natural means only, revolution o, the
| wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation is
among possible events that it may become
| probable by supernatural interference! The
Almighty has no attribute which can take side
| with us IN such contest" Notes on Virdinia,
PIP, 80, 40.
Mr.. Madison, who had more to do in making
the Constitution than any other man, said, in
the Federal Convention:
awe have seen the mere distinction of color
made, in the most enlightened period of time,
| ground of the most oppressive dominion ever
exercised by man over man" Madison Pa
pers, p. sos.
| "Mr. MADISON. And, in the third place, where
Slavery exists, the republican theory becomes
still more falacious. 899.
| "Mr. MADISON thought 1t ,orong to admir-, IN
the Constitution, the idea that there couH be
property IN men."-Pdge l430.
Every intelligent reader knows that the idea
of property in man is not in the Constitution,
for which we are mainly indebted to Mr.. Mad
ison.
Every Virginian at the period of the Revou-
ton, who was worth button morally or intel
lectually, was the enemy of Slavery-deplored
its existence as a foul blot upon the national
character, and devoutly cherished the hope
that, when the burdens of the present struggle
were got rid of, the evil might be remeded.
Patrick Henry, Edmund Randolph, George
Mason, Page, Pendleton, and Others. bore
strong testimony against the evils and injustice
| of the institution. But "the stone which the
builders rejected, has become the head of the
corner" in Satan's kingdom as well as in the
Kingdom of God. The Constitution was framed
to "esta bhsh justice" and TO secure the bless
ings of Liberty" but it is now maintained
solely for The purpose of upholding and extend
ing Slavery.
But we come nearer to our own times, and
nearer home to our Virginia Oracle-that ia to
say, to the Richmond Enquirer itself, edited at
the date of our quotations by Thomas Richie,
Esq, father of the present principal editos Of
that journal.
L hat in he T s1o at