The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-02-24
Miseeiiapeops.
Slavery Among the Old Germans.

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Slavery Among the Old Germans.
The little historical tract of Tacitus,
Ode Germania," is one of the most val
liable portions of ancient history that has
come down to us. 1t carries us back to
the very cradle of that proud, imperious,
and aggressive race that now leads the
civilization of the world. 1t shows US
that the infant nation was strongly marked
by those characteristics which are at this
day so fully developed in the Anglo-Sax-
on stock. "The British constitution"
says Montesquieu, Originated in the
woods of Germany" The Germans had
kings, but their power was limited
They had senate of mobiles, or house of
lords, but they were not permitted to de-
eide only upon minor matters. The peo-
pie, in their assemblies, discussed the
great affairs of State; and from their de-
cree there was no appeal.
The Germans had slaves among them,
who were managed like the serfs of the
middle ages. They were adscripti gleJa,
attached to the SOIL They had their
own houses and lands, for which they
paid rent. The account which Tacitus
gives of them is as follows: "Their slaves
have not, as with us, particular employ
ments assigned to them throughout the
household. Each slave is master of a
habitation and family of his own. The
lord requires of him certain quantity OF
corn, cattle, or cloth, as from a tenant
and, so far only, the subsection of the
slave extends. The wife and children of
the master perform the other domestic
duties. 1t is rare to scourge slave, to
bind him, or task him with labor. They
are sometimes killed by their masters, not
through severity of chastisement, but in
the heat of passion, like private enemy,
except that it is done with impunity.
Freedmen are little superior to slaves,
rarely of any importance in the family,
never in the State, except among those
tribes which are ruled by kings. There
they rise above the free-born, and even
the mobiles. In the other tribes, the in
ferior condition of the freedmen is a proof
of liberty
Several facts here mentioned are wor-
thy of notice: Though servitude among
the Germans was mild, still it produced,
as usual, the bitter fruits of violence and
prejudice. The master became imperi-
Gus by the exercise of power; and when
in rage, often took the life of his me-
NAL. He did this with impunity, be-
cause his peers and judges were in like
condemnation. The Legislators protected
each other, and left the serf to his fate
Such is ever the result of unlimited pow
er. 1t is never safe to intrust the lives
and liberties of one class in the commu-
nifty to the arbitrary control of another.
The historian informs us, that the freed
man neither obtained rank nor honors.
He was despised because he had been a
slave. The badge of servitude was up
on him, and he could not rise. Such is
usually the condition of freedmen in re-
publics. In monarchical governments no
such prejudice exists; and why? Be-
cause there the lines which separate the
different classes in society are distinctly
drawn. A noble is never mistaken for a
| plebeian. 1t matters not how he obtained
his nobility, whether by birth, wealth, in
dustry. or flattery; if he holds the rank,
his title is respected, and all the world pays
him homage. So, under the government
of imperial Rome, fayorite freedmen who
ministered to the vices of the emperor,
were made his con6dants and his minis
ters. The same is true of the Turkish
empire eatthis day. In 1848, Lieut.. Lynch
remarked "The Secretary of the pres
ent Sultan ofTurkey was poor boy. He
owes his station to his talents and study.
The late Sultan wanted page to wait on
him. He ordered the best scholar to be
taken from one of the public schools.
The Secretary was the fortunate boy i; and
by his fidelity he has risen to his present
high station. Here is an instance where
a pIebeian was exalted to the highest Of
fee in the gift of the monarch, to the ex-
Iclusion of his own relatives. The Viz
I lSf OF TIE OultaI, IL GdAtu HUH tslC oVE-
ereign's own family, must be a slave; for
the beautiful ladies of the harem are all
purchased of the slave-dealers of Geor-
gia and Circassia; and the child follows
the condition of the mother"
I In making the distinction between the
freedmen of monarchies and those of re-
spubiics, Tacitus shows his usual philo-
sophie acumen, and his thorough knowl-
edge of men and manners. He adds:
Sc the inequality of freedmen in other
tribes is proof of liberty" This as
seftion contains law which is always
manifested where the evil passions ofmen
are not restrained by public opinion or
legal enaetments. Men, always envy
those who are on line with them in the
race of preferment. The runner in the
course viii jostle him who hangs uPonhii
shoulder or is upon the point of passing
him. Thus, Virgil represents Nisus de-
priving his rival ef0ntory, when him
self bad fllen:-