The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-26
THE WRATH OF THE FEARFUL.

holydays, the people of those counties became
| much alarmed, of course, and the negroes much
oppressed. The editor of the Cambridge Chron-
| icle did not credit the rumors, and made light
| of the fears they had occasioned, whereupon he
is severely rebuked by writer in his own COL
umns, who, In the true, slave-driver's whip
| cracking STYLE says to him:
"There was some excitement, without doubt
| as only an Abolitionist could have been pleased
by the report; and cannot think that any of
our citizens is such traitor to the interests of
the community that has been feeding and pro
| tecting him but that any one was frighten-
ed think must be imaginary" &c.
Neither the " feed nor the protection render
ed to this editor can be very ample. This die
tatorial and insulting communication shows the
latter to be deficient; while the first notice un
der the editorial head establishes the meager-
ness of the former. Thus:
I" To our Patrons-We must aoain remind
| persons who are indebted to us for advertising
or subscription, to make immediate payment,
as we intend dlspoSing of the Chronicle, and
| wish to close our books. All failing
| to regard this notice before the lst of May,
must not be surprised or displeased to find their
account in the hands of an officer for collection"
1t is thus the community has been feeding
and protecting a man who has dared to think
| an instruction was not at hand, although to
| think and to teach so was well adapted to pro-
mote the comfort and happiness of the white
| people, and to save the free negroes and slaves
| from cruel oppression.
The arrogant lordling, however, sciU believe
| that there is danger, and he accordingly makes
some merciful suggestions, one of which is as
| follows:
"The occasion suggests the need we have of
more law in reference to free negroes. The
| conduct of the people of the North, and of many
of the free negroes of this State, justifes the
| expulsion Of every free negro from THIS State"
| An argument for this infamous measure is
| presented to us as follows:
| land the Woodworking white man, who has
| been contributing to the maintenance of the
| laws, and whom, therefore, there is a moral OBJ
legation on the part of the community to prefer,
| will be benefited In the increased work and
wages offered to him."
If this is the effect of taking away the free
negroes, will it not also follow the removal of
the slaves? And if so, what poor man should
hesitate to help, by all the means in his power,
| the removal of both the free negroes and slaves
| from the community in which he dwells; or,
| which is better, the emancipation of all, that
they may receive full recompense for their la
Dor, and thus no longer underworld him in the
Industrial pursuits2 The appeal made to "the
Woodworking white man." by this champion of
Slavery and oppressor of freemen, if his poor
| white neighbors can understand it, and are not
afraid of the frown of their wealthy neighbors,
| must beget in them spirit hostile to the nsti
tuition of Slavery, because of the injury it does
to themselves.
| We, of course, do not believe the slaves of
MARYLAND are either vindictive or foolish enough
to think of deeds of violence toward their own
ers; and we earnestly trust they may never
| be excited to bloodshed. Their emanc-
| patton is not to be effected through such
means. The slaves of the whole country are
but four miions and though their masters are
| but three hundred thousand, these masters have
| intelligence and wealth, and consequently pow
| err. The negro race must do their best to ac-
| quire intelligence and wealth also, and, by the
integrity of their conduct, even under the nflic-
| ton of wrong, they must win the respect of
| their fellow-men. Just views of human rights
are becoming more and more general through
out the world, and are operating in behalf of
the negro race. Upon them devolves the
double duty of rightly approaching those views,
and sustaining them by the practical exempli-
fication of their improvement, under improved
and improving circumstances. A goodly por
ton Of the colored race in our free States are
nobly performing this duty, and it is to them
their less fortunate brethren should look for an
encouraging example. l..
NAVY AprRENTICEs.-The Secretary of the
Navy has published a system of regulations
for the enlistment of apprentice boys for the
| Naval service, under the act of 1887. This ap-
prentice system has fallen into comparative
neglect of late years but Mr.. Dobbin seems
determined to revive it. The object is to enlist
boys from fourteen years of age until they are
twenty.one, train them in the duties of practi-
| cal and theoretical seamanshp, and so raise
body of intelligent, educated, and efficient sail.
ors. The difficulty of procuring seamen has
been increasing, until it has become almost i'm
possible to fill up the legal complement of the
| navy.
This apprentice system was initiated under
the auspices of Secretary Paulding, who con-
templated the advancement of youths of merit
from this position, through judicious grada-
tions, to the line of commissions; but the op-
position and infue De of the officers in the SER
vice was such as to render the scheme imprac
ticable. They took the position that none but
gentlemen we're worthy of this honor, and re-
garded it as impossible that boys entering the
service as apprentices would be by descent or
could become gentlemen. The experiment
about to be tried may possibly be attended by
partial success; but we do not believe it,
While the United States naval list contains the
names of some who confer honor upon the SER
vice and upon their country, the majority OF
the officers are by no means of this character.
They are shallow men of the world, of naughty
demeanor and Indifferent morality, often inca
pable of discharging satisfactorily the duties of
their respective stations, and equally unworthy
of confidence in the business relations of life.
Some Improvement has been made by the es-
adjustment of Naval School; but as the pu-
pills of this school, and embryo officers, must