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

duQ WHo viii uot bC tlt bttttI iof iitt-
dom. which is the natural mir appoint
ed for the souls breathing. The north
disdains every pretcnse that men are
injured by sudden liberty. A famish-
ed man may injure himself by over
feeding; but that is an argument not
against food. but against famine. 1t
is the northern sentiment. and Justly
deduced from the Christian theory Of
man, that society should redeem all
its own children from ignorance, sho'd
secure their growth, equip them for
citizenship. and make all the influence
Of society enure to the benefit Of the
mass OF men. The southern sentiment
is the reverse Of this. II holds that
all men are not born free and equal;
that men have not an inalienable right
to life, liberty and the pursuit Of hap
piness; and that men are not in their
very constitution fitted for liberty, and
benefited by il. They hold that lib.
erty is an attribute Of power; that Il IL
n blossom, which belongs TO races. and
not to mankind; that part were born
TO rule. and n part were ordained TO
serve; that liberty is dangerous TO the
many; that sorvitude, tho most rigor.
Gus. Is blessing; that II accords with
creative intellect Of God, and with his
revealed institutions that nation
cannot be homogeneous, and should
not aim at Il; that there is law and
scale of graduation, on which the top is
privilege and authority, the bottom
labor and obedience. These are the
radical theories Of the respective seq
tions Of the land. Men often are pro.
foundly ignorant Of the principles
which control their policy. as the ship
is unconscious Of the rudder that steers
her. Many arc found, both North and
South, whose conduct oyerrules their
theory, and who are better or worse
than their belief There are southern
men who are more generous than their
theory, and there are northern men
who are grossly untrue TO the northern
theory, which with their lips, they pro-
fess. There are southern men with
northern consclencos, and there are
northern men with southern eonscien-
ces. But. in the main, these respect
i've theories reign and regulate public
procedure. There ia not man so
poor in the North. or so ignorant, or
so useless, as not TO be regared rs n
Man, by religion. by civil law, and by
public opinion. Sel6shness and pride,
avarice and cunning, anger or lust,
may prey upon the heedlessness or
helplessncss Of many. Society may
be full Of evils. But all these things
are not sequences Of northern doc
trines, but violations OF them. 1t
sharks in great cities consume the too
credulous emigrant If usurers, like
moths, cut the fabric of life with invis-
ible teeth; il landlords sack their ten
ements and pinch the tenant-all these
results are against the spirit of our
law, against public feeling. and they
that do such things must stink and
burrow. They are vermin that run in
the walls, and peep from hiding-holes.
and we set traps for them as we do for
rats or wyezels. But in the South the
subordination Of man TO man, in his
earnings, his skill, his time and labor
in his person, his affections, his very
children-is part of the theory of
society, drawn out into explicit statu-
ory law, coincident with puplIc opinion
and executed without secrecy. A net
spread for those guilty Of such wrongs
against man, would catch States and
Legislatures, citizens, courts, and Con-
stitutionsl
In the North the most useless paup-
er that burdens the Alms.House-the
most uncombed foreigner that delves
in ditch-the most abject creature
that begs a morsel from door to door,
is yet man; and there is, not in the
ory alone, but in the public sentiment,
sacredness Of rights which no man,
except by stealth, can violate with i'm
punity. There is no other law for the
Governor Of New York or Of Massa-
chusetts. than for the beggers in your
streets. That which protects the
dwelling and the property Of the rich
man. belongs Just as much TO the how
el of the beggar. God sends but one
sun, and il Is the same light that kin
dies against tho rooI Of mansion,
that dawns upon the thatch Of hut
The same air comes to each, the name
showers. the same seasons, summer
and winter. And as is Nature, SO In
the North. is law, and the distrbulive
benefits Of society from top TO bottom'
The rich, the learned. the refined, the
strong. may know how TO make bet
ter use Of the air, but they have no
more air Of privilege to breathe. than
the poorest wretch.
In the South, exactly the reverse is
true. not by stealth. not by neglect ol
n recognized principle, but as the re-
suit OF mans ideas. and by organic
ed arrangements. Touch hirelIngs
wages, In the North, and the law
stands 10 defend him and beat you
down. Take the labor's wages in the
South. and the law stands 10 defend
you, and beat him down.
Beata man, in the North, for apri'
yate wrong done. and tho law will
stril" you. But in tho South. il is the
right Of the white, unqueslioned and
unquestionable 10 beat every third per-
son in the community.
Let the proudest mill-owner break
but the skin Of the poorest operative
in Lowell or Lawrence, and both law
and public sentiment, alike, would
grasp and punish himl
But in the South the law refuses tC