The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-09
THE NATIONAL ERA.

paper printed in Washington, the following at
tempt at irony and sarcasm, at the expense OF
the Enquirer, from which it quotes, and of the
worthy gentlemen whose authority the Enqui.
rer cites:
at would be unjust to withhold from the
gentlemen whose names are mentioned below,
the merited compliments paid them:
Professor Stuart, Professor Lord of Dart
mouth, and the Rev. Nehemiah Adams of Bos-
ton, have stepped forth as champions of the BIZ
BILE and the South. The infidel clamor of the
Abolitionists will soon open the eyes and arouse
the energies of many such soldiers of the faith.
The cause of the South, they begin to find, is
identified, in history and in fact, with the cause
of law, order, morality, and religion"
We presume, of course, the editors of the
Era are the enemies Of law, morality, and rei-
gion--of property, of marriage and of all things
held venerable or respectable by the world at
large. They would otherwise be more psuedo
Abolitionists. They attack Professor Stuart,
Professor Lord, and Mr.. Adams, because they
are honest, religious, learned, devoted men,
sans per and sans reproche," who dare to
defend Slavery at the North, at the imminent
peril of their lives and fortunes, for mere con-
science and religions sake. Now, we want no
such defenders. They would palliate and ex-
cuse Slavery. We believe Slavery to be moral
ly, reigiously, politically, and economically,
right. But we believe Stuartyan Lord, and
Adams, TO be Christians, and gentlemen, and
patriots. Docs the Era deny it? Nay, more
Does the Era deny that the negroes of Vir-
ginia gre better fed, housed, and clothed,
freer from crime, and better off as to moral re-
ligious, and intellectual culture, than any labor
ing class now is, or ever was, in Europe or
Asia ?-Richmond Enquirer.
We let the irony pass for what it is worth,
with the remark that its point was intended for
the reverned apologists of Slavery, the assail-
ants of the Higher Law, and not for their South
ern eulogist, whose praise in that connection is
has become the champion of the Higher Law,
we did hope that the Enquirer and other South
ern organs of public opinion would see the fol-
ly Of attempting to keep in countenance the
Northern doughfaces and toadies, who, in
l850-'5l, raised their puny voices in railing
against the might and majesty of Heaven.
Mr.. Hunter, in his late speech against the in
tolerance of Know Nothingism, takes the iden.
teal ground of Mr.. Seward in 1850, that we
must "obey God rather than man." This is
the dogma which was assailed by Professor
Stuart, at the instance, we believe, of Mr.. Web
ster, and, if we mistake not, by Professor Lord.
Mr.. Hunter is not the first Southern man who
saw the wickedness and blasphemy of the Low
er Law doctrines of Professor Stuart; we remem-
Der to have seen, some ten or twelve months ago,
an elaborate defence of the "Higher Law" in
South Carolina religious paper, and we think it
but natural that the independent spirit of the
South should revolt at the maxim of Despot-
ism, that the allegiance of the subject is abso-
lutte, and that resistance to the constituted au-
thorities is, under all circumstances, wicked
and criminal. We will refresh the Enquircr's
recollection by quoting the remark of the Vir-
ginia Senator, as we find it copied in a recent
letter of GEORGE SAUNDERS, of general notorie-
ty. We have seen the same remarks in
longer extract from Mr.. Hunters address,
which has gone the rounds of the papers; and
although we have no reason to doubt its genuine
ness, we respectfully call the attention of the
Enquirer to it, in order that the matter may be
explained satisfactorily. 1t is as follows:
"All Christian churches and individuals"
says Mr.. Hunter, at Petersburgh, "believe that
the allegiance which they owe to God is high
err than any obligations to man; and that IN
conflict between human and define laws, you
must serre God rather than man."
Now, this is precisely the ground taken by
Mr.. Seward in his speech in 1850, which call
ed down upon him so much bitter denunciation
from the champions of Compromise and Slave.
ry. If there is anything wicked and criminal
in it, Mr.. Hunter is equally deserving of the
maledictions of the friends of " law and order;"
but if it is grand and glorious truth, then the
Virginia Senator is entitled to share with Sen
ator Seward in the honor of having proclaimed
it to unwilling ears. What says the Enquirerf
Is the extract genuine? BY the way, that
point cannot be doubted, since we cut it from
the columns of the Richmond Examiner, the
special advocate of Mr.. Hunter, and the editor
had not word to say against its commences.
What, then, says the Enquirer, as to the just
ness of the sentiment? Does Senator Hunter
lay down the true doctrine of individual and
Christian duty2 Will the Enquirer answer
We have no hesitation in answering the con-
Guiding interrogatory of the Enquirer. We
do not believe that the negroes of Virginia
are better fed, housed, and clothed, freer from
crime, and better off as to moral, religious.
and intellectual culture, than any laboring
class now is, or ever was, in Europe or Asia"
So far from it, we believe that they are worse
off than any laboring population in Europe,
not excepting the serfs of semi-barbarous Rus
STA. That it is easy to assert anything, how
ever false, absurd, or impossible, is shown by
the challenge which the Enquirer gives as to
the intellectual culture of the Virginia negroesl
1t looks as if the editor were jesting-as if he
were mocking his readers with the severest
irony, at the expense of the "peculiar institu-
ton" and its greatest safeguard, ignorance.
We could have said nothing so severe against
Slavery as is implied in this taunt; for, who is
not aware that to teach slave to read in Vir-
ginia is crime, punishable with fine and i'm.
prisonment-and who does not recollect that
only some twelve or eighteen months ago
lady was sentenced to six months imprison.
ment for teaching slaves to read, and that she
was permitted to serve out the last moment of
it by the chivalrous Governor, with the appro-
baton of the chivalrous people Of the Old Do
minion7 Yet the Enquirer boasts of the intel.
lectual culture of the slaves If one slave in
thousand In Virginia is able to read or write.
those faculties must be exercised by stealth. in
hay-lofts and other out-ofthe. way places, where