Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-08-25
Dancrofts Misccllauies published by the Iarpegs.
BANCROFT ON SLAVERY.

ROMAN SLAVERY IN TUE RURAL DISTRICTS.
When Therus Scmpronius Gyacchus on his
WAY to Spain to serve in the army before Numantia
travelled through Italy, he led to observe the
impoyerishmeut Of the great body of citizens in
the rural districts Instead Of little farms stud
ding the country with their pleasant aspect and
nursing an independent race he b2held nearly all
the lands of Italy engrossed by large propretors
and the plough was in the hands of the slave. In
the early periods of the state, Cncipnatus at work
in lis field was the model of patriotism; agricul-
ture and had been the labor and Office of free
men, but of these the greater number had now
been excluded from employment by the increase OF
slavery and its tendencies to confer the exclusive
possession of the soil on the few.
The palaces of the wealthy lowered in the land
scapc in solitary grandeur the pebians hid them
selves in miserable novels. Deprived of the dignity
of freehollers they could not even hope for occu.
patton; fo- the Opulent landholdtr preferred ra
ther to make use of his slaves whom he could not
but maintain, and who constituted his family
Excepting the small number of the immeasurably
rich, and feeble but constantly decreasing class
of independent husbandmen, poverty was extreme
The King Syrir had revercncod the edicts of Ro
man ENJOYS as though they had been the commands
of Heaven; the rulers Of Egypt had excited the
Romans above the immortal gods; and from the
fertile fields of Western Africa Masinissl had sent
word that he was but Roman overseer. Yet a
great majority of tho Roman citizens, now thai
they had become conquerors of the world, were
poorer than their foreiathers, who had extended
their ambition only to the plains around Rome.
INFLUENCE OF SLAVERY on FREE LABOR.
Philanthropy, when it contemplates slave
holding country may have its first sympathies ex
cited Tor the slaves but it Is narrow beneyolence
which stops there The needy freeman is in q
worse condition. The slave has his task, and asC
his home and his bread. lie is member Of a
wealthy family. The INDECENT freeman has nei
ther labor, nor house, nor food and divided by
vide gulf from the upper class, he has neither
hope nor ambition. lie is so abicct that even the
slave despises him. For the interest Of the slave
holder is diametricay opposed to that OF the free
laborer. The STAKEHOLDER is the competitor Of the
free laborer, and by the lease Of Slaves takes the
bread from his mouth. The wealthiest man in
Rome was the competitor of the poorest free car
nenter. The patrcians took away the business o
the sandal-maker. The existence Of slavery made
the opulcnt owners of bondmen the rivals of the
ana monopoizng those profits through their
slaves.
INFLUENCE OF SLAVERY on DOMESTIC LITE.
The great serve insurrccton was designed ia
effect the emancipation of slaves: and bot6 were
unsuccessful. But God is Just, and his laws arc
inyincible. The social evil next made its eiracts
apparent on The Patricians, and began with slan,
but sure influence to corrupt the virtue of families
and even to destroy domestic life Slavery tends
W u"'h'su u,e icquen'y OF marriage in the class
OF masters. Il II state where emancipation is for
bidden the slave population will continually gain
in relative numbers. We will not stop TO dYyeIor
the three or four leading causes of This result
pride aud tho habit Of luxury, the facilities 70,
licentious qualification, tue circumscribed limits o
productive industry-some of which causes over
rate exclusively aud all of them principally on th
free. The position is certain, and is universal
no whero was it more amply exemplfed than i,
Rome.
The rich prefer the dissolutenegs of ndulgenc,
20 marriage, and celibacy became so general, tha
the arstocracy was obliged by law to favor the in
etituton which. IN a society whore all are free
constitutes the solace Of labor an the ornament q
life. Roman censor. in an address TO the peopl,
stgmatized matrimony.as troublesome par
ionship, and recommended il only as patriot
tscT:fcs Of private pleasure 10 public duty Th
-dspophaticn ~ The Uhrer class wos 10 ccrsi9s
able that tho waste required 70 10 s0prhed h