Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-10-10
Nature and divine institution are both violated by
these aberrafioua

ted, because, it has been in the theocrscy of the
Jews denounced rs punishment for national degrn.
dAton When tribes or nations had reached that vi
cious condition OF the intellect and affections which
indicated the loss Of moral WILL the fact ana the evil
demce Of incapacity for scltgovernment, servitude
| was adjudsed nDon them as the punishment and in.
orn,aIory education which necessary their re-
storatun. What was denounced and inflicted in the
| open dispepsatDn Of Heaven, was constantly occur
ring in the history Of the pro(ane nations. The Of
fence of Ham indicated that degradation, which
must, Of inherent force, be hereditary, and deserved
the punishment intlicted-"servaut of servants."-
! Gen. c., v. %, and Bax,er's Motel Tho sacred
history is replete with punishment Of similar and OF
frequent threatenings of the Judgment. In the
case of Jacob and Esnu, the misplaced affections Of
the father for the weak ana irresylute though
ming hunter: were Orerrued in favor Of the plain
that dwelt in tents, who should have people to
| HIM and nations TO bow to him. The cunning hunter
II unfit for master or ruler order and government
FIRST springs mp in settled life and fixed pursuits
len. CHI 70, 2b, q Deut. ch. % -. Read your
| Bibles carefully and no fact will be more evident
than the inilicUn OF seryitude for generations ages
and "torever, according to the manifest depravity of
The delinquent tribe or family. Christianity found
serVitude existing, and regulated not destroyed it,
Pauls Epistle to Philemon Is religious writ OF mo
| rnl restitution; Onesmus an Improbable slave
of Philemon, IL; he became fugitive from labor:
IN his vagabond state he met Paul, and was convert
Ell by him, v. l0 the effect of this conversion WIS
10 make him dutiful and profitable v. IL and thus,
made profitable, al have sent again" There can be
10 argument appeal to the nti4e .eart in favor of
ms sacred writ Of resttution; to any otLsr,
| is needed.
There is an important truth waich ::d cannot
learn too and which haT ia manifestation in in.
'ilvldual and national life. Tat vice of
prIncple will, sooner or later, produce evil effects
which can be traceabe directly to such vice,
and the evil will be CORES pondent TO the Importance
Vi the principles and frequently the Importance OF the
principle can only be ascertaned by the magnitude Of
the evil which results. In individual life, infamous
or dshonorabe character and conduct s the result of
Il false theory, the adoption of false princpe-as
false notion OF generosity will produce prohigacy-
an easy temper, or love Of approbatiOn misead into
vicious practices, high spirit into violence; and the
decenciss OF life sometimes disregarded IA sign
of talent In national life honest intention to ex
tend liberty may degenerate into licenti0usness-li
berality ut sentiment may encourage intdety. The
most remarkable example, in the history of the race,
ot the bitter results of this fact, is the wide spread
and devastating nfdety of France, originating in
the adoption OF the fundamental princp pie Of L0ckes
philosophy that all ideas originate through the
senses this led to maeralism-inaerlalism to atIe
ism-atheism to murder rapine, false philosophy and
wide spread and horrible drsolaton. And the terror
and enormlty Of these again nre increased when they
nre associated with those abnormal alterations OF
the intellect aud the affections which make aud mark
national phrenZy, which dehrunes reason subverts
order confounds intelligence, peryerts social regard,
intames passion, and infuriates motive.
And now, 30 it is, many axioms Of false philosophy
have been sown in the world, and the fruit isripening
around us. That philosophy which dissemnates good
morals, which cultivses the liberal arts, which
strengthens and confirms socia uuion and binds ma
tions families in the bonds Of peace, is the philoso
phy which best understands our nature; which will
rccntuaiy develope utmost capacities and gadu.
ally lead humanity 10 the portals Of heaven. But
there is false philosophy which does not embrace
| the whole complement Of mans nature-sometimes It
is cold and mechanical, depending upon abstract no.
lions Of the intellect, aud in this form il is almost in
vnriaby atheistic, as i'll Spinosa, DE Holback. Dde-
rot, Hume, and all that family of heariless and me-
chanical thinkers In another class this false piuso
ply originates i'll mere impulse and ends in vagarles
and mysticism, producing mental authorizations ot all
possible variations from tho harmless dreaming OF
Jacob BheInen, to the sangunary reform of jack
Cadc, which would have made all others equal, while
it mad. him king, the Ywrrrgei in France, which
i'll lie eveing process prostrnted all the monuments
Of art, intelligence and virtue The wisdom of these
men il found in the caustc irony Of GonZalo in Shak
spears Tempest" exposing the crime and folly Of
the consplratOrs:
| "IIad plantation OF this isle, my lord,
And were the king oil it. what would dor
In the commonwealth would by contrnrics
Execute all things; for no kind OF traffic
| Would admit; no name Oi Inngstrae;
Letters should not be known: no usS IF serrior,
OF riches otpoverty; no contracts,
Successiuns bound OF land tithC, vineyard, none,
No use OF metal corn or wine or oil;
No occupation; nll men idle, all
And women too; but innocent and pure:
| No sovsrrignty:---
| All things in common. Nature sloHid produce
| Without sweat endeavor: treason, felony,
sword pike. knife. gun, or need plmuy engine
Would not have; but Nature should bring forth
OF its own kind, all tUzon, nll abundance
To feed my innocent people.
Such is the wisdom of false philosophy. And the
philosophy which dsturbs the socal and politi-
cal harmony ia based on fundamental errors pal
| pable as the text of GonzaO.
This false philosophy assulnes ls That man in
ciety retains all his natural rights. This is based
u false assumption that man has personal rights
in state OF nature than in society. In state of
nature the same moral, physical and intellectual laws
govern him that control him in society. II he is sick
he must be nursed, il he is hungry he must eat, and
must in some shape work-f he can more easily or
more properly fulfil the end and aim Of his rhols
being under the protection guidance and direction
of another in doing this lie more certainly and &C.
curey sttains the mission designated for him. Amy
other state Of nature assumed for ia OF igno
rance and ferocty; and where such exists religion
and civilization justify the most efficient methods OF
improvement, which must result in some form Of sub
CATION to civilized action upon HE nature 1t is false
then, to assume that man III state OF nature, lgnO-
rance and ferocity, has rights which incompatible
with all efficient system of disciplinary improves
Such doctrine would leave the wds Of the world to
the savage, and crcumscribe the sphere OF cvza-
ton to give range for ferocity, barbarism and de-
pravity. 1t makes vice tho equal Of virtue, and ig
nOrance and brutality by their very law Of force and
insubordinatpn, shall exclude intelligence and cul-
| ture.
| -. pDllO6Opny
that all men are equal If this assertion is intended
to mean, that in republican form Of government,
instituted by any given of men who have so far
improved us to be capable of self-government and
have Incorporated into their government al eIclu-
sion of all special legislation, then in such govern
ment and such is ours before the State and in the
spirit Of ts legislative powers, all its citizens are
equal This is the principle for which our ancestors
bled this 10 the principle which We will defend with
life II the assertion of equality is intended to mean
! ala ia raAi Tal Wan Drn npf
equal in bodily intellectual, or moral power or quail
ties They differ In stature agility, strength, cunning
sagacity genius, industry prudence, capacity, virtue
| and depravty From these dspartes spring the va
rous relations occupations aud LarLnones OF le and
in period Of phrensy, all its horrors and enormites
From this contrareiy springs the necessity for order;
in the necessity for order, government is founded in
government some direct for the well-beng ofsociey,
others are drected few must govern; the many VIII
be governed. The law will be harsh upon the vicious,
| while he only is truly free whom the truth makes
free" and in this spirit Of subordnation to moral life
Onesimas is better servant and the president or the
| master more energetic and upright ruler.
3D. II is false in the assumption thar man II periect.
| The movement of which complaint IL made. 10 based
not on the claims of remote periectoly OF tue COL
ored race under all the influences ot An advancing
civzation but upon claim OF Perfection consistent
with the nobest form of government when the CIVIL
;,a,;on of ffty centuries could produce. This
oni be settled by appeal TO fact and comparison
No unpreudced man has visited the slave States and
intepenty examined the moral anu intellectual de-
yeopinent OF the black race. but who hos seen the
entiIries of difference between the two races; while
many are impressed with the belief that it is not
difference of time in development, but radical and
constitutional difference, which time circumstance
can either utter destroy. As to the fact, the gloomy
pc,ure of degeneracy presented by the actual cond
lion of the British West Indies is solemn warning
10 those who with hot and fiery zeal would take the
education of the races out OF the appointed means OF
Providence before His appointed time, and com
20 - nj m en-
of kith and kim
4h 1t is false in expecting that system of dis
ciplins should be perfect and claiming emancipation
because it is imperfect. Nothing human is perfect
We claim to be civilized; we claim to have in our
spirit and in the spirit Of our legislation, fair in
fusion of Christianity, and in this spirit have done
much for the slave. Doubtless we and VIII 90
more But who shall Judge between us Shall we