The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-15

is here at least spared wfechsd fate Of the ut
ter prosIaton Of its moral nature at the feet OF phys
cal wants Lord Ashley report 10 the British Parliament
shows that ia the capital OF that empire perhaps within
hearing OF Stafford House and Exeter Hail. hunger alone
daily drives lis thousands OF men and women INTO the
abyss OF crime.
1t is also objected that our slaves are debared the ben
ehts Of education This objection is also well takes and
not without force and for this evil the slaves are great
p indebted TO the aboitonsts Formerly, in none OF the
slaveholdng States forbidden 10 teach slaves 10
read and write but the character OF the literature sought
States TO take counsel rather Of their passions than their
reason and lay the ut the root Of the evil Better
counses will in tune prevail and this will be remedied 1t
true that the slave from his protected position has less
gle for himself in the warfare of society yet it Is both
useful TO him, his master, and society.
The want Of legal protection TO the marriage relation is
also fruitful Of agitation among the opponents Of
slavery The complaint is not without foundation this is
an evil not yet removed by law but marriage Is not in
consistent with the institution of slavery ii exists among
us and the objection therefore lies rather TO incident
than the essence of the system But ia the truth and fact
marriage does exist 10 very great extent among slaves
and Is encouraged and protected by their owners and il
will be found, upon careful investigation, that fewer chill
dren are born out Of wedock among slaves than in the
capitals of two of the civilized countries of Europe
Austria and France in the former oneha OF the children
are thus born-in the latter, than oneourth But
in this have deprived the slave of preeSistng
right We found the without any knowledge of or
regard for the institution of marriage and we are
preached with having yet secured to it that with
all other blessings of civilization To protect that and
other domestic ties by laws orbidding under proper egu
ations, the separation OF families would be wise prop
er, and humane and of the saveholding States
hsve already adopted partial Legislation for the re-
moyal OF these evils. But the objection is far more
formidable in theory than in practice. The accidents
and necessities of life the desire TO better ones cond-
ton produce infinitely greater amount of separation in
This true in the United States where the general
condition OF the people is prosperous but is still more
marked in Europe The injustice and despotsm of Eng
land towards ireland has produced separation of
apdsu m0
last ten years than African slavery has effected since its in
PRODUCTION into the United States The twenty millions of
freemen in the United States witnesses of the dispesve
injustice Of the Old World The general happiness cheer
iuness and conenment of slaves attest both the mduess
and humanity of the system and their natural adaptation
to their condition. They require standing armies to
enforce their obedence while the evidence of discomfort
and the appliances of force 10 repess it, every
visible among the telling millions of the earth 10 the
northern States of this Union strikes and mobs unions
and combinations against employers attest at once the
misery and discomfort of labor among them. England
keeps hundred thousand soldiers in time of peace
large navy and nnumerabe police to obedience
to her social institutions and physical force is the sole
guarantee OF her social ORDER the only cement OF her g
gantic empire.
have briefly traced the condition of the African race
through all ages and all countries and described it fairly
and truly under American slavery and submit that the
proposition is fully proven that his position in slavery
among superior any which be has attained in
any age country The picture is without shade
well as light evils and mperections cling to man and all
OF his works and this is not exempt from them The
these opportunities frequently used to violate humanity
and justice But the laws restrain these abuses and pun
lsh these crimes in this we'll other relations of life
and they who assume fundamental principle in the
constitution Of that abuse Ia the unvayng concom-
tan of power and crime of opportunity subver the oun
daons OF all private morals and OF every social system
Nowhere do these assumptions lind nobler refutaton
than in the general treatment of the African by south
Shareholders and may, with hope and confidence
safely leave to them the removal of existing abuses and
the adoption OF such further ameoratons may be de-
manded by Justice and humanity. The condition OF the
African (whatever may be his interests may not be per-
anent among us he may find his exodus in the unvary
ing laws OF population Under the conditions of labor in
England and the continent of Europe domestic slavery
impossible there and could exist here anywhere
else The moment wages descend to point barely sufi-
cient to support the aboer and his family capital cannot
afford TO labor and IL Slavery ceased in
England in obedience this law and from any regard
to liberty or humanity. The increase of population in
this country may produce the results and American
slavery like that of England may find its euthanasa in
the general prostra,ion of all labor.
The next aspect in which propose TO examine this ques
ton is its effects upon the material interests of the slave
holding States Thirty years ago slavery assailed
mainly the ground that IL DEAR waSteul unproht
able labor and urged emancpate the blacks in
order TO make them useful and productive members
OF society The result Of the experiment in the West India
islands To which have before referred only dsproved
bat utterly aunihated this theory The theory
TO the white and not true to the black and
this single fact made thoughtful pause and ponder be-
fore advancing further with this folly Of abolition. i'm
qury into the wealth and productions of the savehodng
States Of this Union demonstrates that slave labor can
economically and proGably employed at least in agricu-
and leaves the question la great doubt whether IL
cannot be thus employed In the South advantageous
y than any other description Of labor The truth
will be made manifest by comparison Of the production
Of Cuba and Brazil not only with Hayti and jamaica but
with the free Ia similar ATTITUDES engaged in the same
or similar productions in any part Of the world The
savehoding States with onehaf Of the white population
and between three and four millions Of slaves furnish
aboye-hreehhs Of the annual exports Of the republic
containing twentythree millions Of people and their en-
tire products including every branch OF industry greatly
cxceed per capita those of the populous northern
States The difference in realized wealth in proportion
to population Is not less remarkable aud equally fla
vorable to the sayeholding States But this is not
fair comparison the contrary IL is exceeding
Of material advantage would be settled the side OF
slavery, whenever IL shown that MIXED society
was more productive and prosperous than any other
MIXED society with the inferior free instead Of slave
The question Is not whether could not be pros
porous and happy with these three and half millions Of
slaves in Africa and their places filled with equal
Der OF hardy intelligent enterprisng citizens OF the supe
rior race but IL is simply whether while we have them
among us would be most prosperous with them in free
dom bondage7 With this bare statement Of the true
issue safely leave the question the facts already
heretofore referred to- and to those disclosed In the
census But the truth itself needs explanation IL
seems to be great mystery TO the opponents Of slavery
how the system is capable at the time Of increasing
the comforts and happiness Of The slave the profits Of the
master and do violence TO humanity Its rests
upon very oh~ioos prinep~s In this relation the labor
OF the country united With and protected by Its capital
directed by the educated and intelligent secured against
s own weakness waste, and folly associated in such
form as to give the greatest efficiency In production and
the least cost Of maintenance Each individual free black
aborer the victim only Of his folly and extrav
aganoe but OF his ignorance msorunes and necessities
His isolation enlages bis without increasing his