Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-09-04

I, nny be doubted, indeed, whether superior h.e!'
lectual force has ever been brought 10 pea "'.h!n
the same length Of time, against any assumed eV, III
the world to that which has been narshaled against
the institution Of African Slavery
But what has been the result, Of all Theses Efforts =
Tits somewhat singular fact that they have al utterly
failed Of their purpose. Even where slavery was
abolished by these iustrumen,aes, az was in some
of the West India Islands, belonging TO France ana
England the effects have been SO disastrous 10 those
nations and the islands themselves, that new sYs
tenn is now being naugursted 10 re sock Tue deserted
and dapidated plantations Of those provinces Win I'm
ported African negroes ho are TO be eompeed under
what il softly called an apprentice system, 10 WORK
them The cause Of this failure upon further lnves
tiga,ou. will sufficiently appear. The questions ln-
voved in the existence OF the relation Of Slavery
wherever in any of s manifold forms II found among
men, are rather of physical than OF moral or even
political character 10 discuss it, therefore, as a
moral question, without attempting to influence or
contro! the physical causes which alone originated
aud still continue s existence, must RESULT
az hitherto in utter failure.
The nature and existence OF what men call "morai
evil" has been the most prolific, and in some sense
the most fuitless theme of discussion ever presented
To The human mind To reconcile this with the On
impotence of Just God lie problem that has been
perpexipg mankind from before the days of Coniu'
cus and Zoroaster up to the present time; and 1t has
never been settled yet; it will probably never De Bet
ted in this world until the millennium, or unless our
race shall be endowed with some new Perceptlve fac'
ulties, hitherto, for SONS wise purpose no DOUBT DE-
MED us.
II NAV be proper therefore, to leave, for while az
least the consideration OF the moral a.Pee o, t3,s
of Infinite Wisdom, sad to look at it in come OF ts
ply lical relations ,
Why the Almighty msde the African jlaet and
gave him physical organization which makes MIN
40 ayerss TO labor that he will exist, like the beasts
that perish upon the spontaneous fruits OF the soil
amid the exuberance of surrounding nature, with
no rament to cover his nakedness, aud scarcely
babitation to protect him from the tropical storms
Wa do not know. any more than We knoy why ne
msds the HOY TO live upon offa, or the hyeoa upon
carcss.es. But although these WHY'S are hiduen
from our comprehension. the FACTS are aeundantiy
testified to our kuowledge. We know that the negro
in his native Africa is the most savage anu
diapustpp specimen of the human species. We know
thai the most brutal and revolving Slavery existed
among themselves long before Los Casas. from mo-
tiyes of mercy to the natives OF The West Indies,
ever conceived the idea OF making them slaves to the
whites Men of we'll known character and veracity
have published to the world accounts OF their cond
tion habits and customs in their native
disclose O depth of degradation and barbarian never
before reached by any other portion OF me hEman
family.
clan to the African Mission of the Methodist Epsco
pal Church of the United States, after more than
years residence in Liberia, writes thus:
"Savery in the United States, in its worst form,
and under the lash, is not bad slavery here in
its mildest form. Ii is we'll known truth that in
Western Africa nine tenths Of the whole population
are in state OF slavery. The females are ell sold
at an early age to be, when they grow up, wives or
beasts of burden as their proprietors may require
Slaves thew are, and such they have been, to the
most savage rulers, who iDfict upon them the Sc
yerest punishment and free to kill. to eat or to
throw them alive upOa the funeral pile at pleasure
Mr.. Moffat says:
1.-THE exposure OF the dgen auu lnnrul, after
thew are incapable of supporting themselves, ID COM
mon.
of food and water TO subsist upon fur time, after
which, if not sooner devoufed by oeasts OF prey,
they are euffered to perish OF hunger
"Infsnt;cide OF peculiar nature exists in Africa
Twins are never allowed TO live. As soon as they
are born they are put in two earthen pots, AID ex
posed 10 The beasts of the forest
Rev. ]. j.. Wilson wrote ii l7S9. that @ King ct
Ashautee sent 10 the Governor of Cape Coast sixty
law bones @. human victims whom he had killed, rs
an evidence Of his Gespo,c power, thinking, at the
same time, il would prove present Ut great value
1t il not necessary to produce further testimony
out Of the abundance that has been heretofore pub
lised. prove the actual condition OF the negro in
his native country.
That the present form Of slavery, as it exists in the
United States, ia blessing to HIN ut least admits OF
but little doubt.
live institute a conpsrson between that portion
of the negro race who ara now eaves in the United
Staiee and any other portion OF tue race either III al
rca or elsewhere, of equal numbers, 1t viii he found
attributes of civi.iz alton. They have ag,icu
tursl and mechanical knowledge, some ideas, Of de-
cGrum. Of dress. of innocen. amusement, and some
sense of mora! accountability That all these bles'
sings have resulted to them for being "compeIea 10
rork," no one eau doubt. And after all what is sla
very to them, bat this The history of the race has
abundsny proven that they wW not ncork unless they
are compelled. aud what right have they, any more
than the white RAGS. 70 live without labor God Al
mighty himself is tbs author of the command, "By
the sweat of thy face shall thou cat bread" II 10 one
of his great first laws that ihose who refuse to obey
this commandment, shall suffer for II. The white
has oksd to attain its present advanced position
in the scale of civilization. Every man in aociety,
every citizen of the United States, is coMPELLED 10
WORK. Ii he don't make living in some lawful
way for himself, society takeH charge OF him, puts
him ia the pauper house and compels him to work
there 1.-The attempts avoid work by stealing, the
State d.prvss Linn Of his liberty. aud coaPELs hin
To WORK iu the Penitentary. With regard to the
Negroes the grea; practical question is-and It is this
which lies at the foundation OF tho Institution OF Sin
very-sHALL WE WORK FoE THEa, AND SUPPORT
THEM IN IpLESEss, WHICH IS THE PARENT OF VICE.
OR COMPEL THEM TO SUPPORT THEasEITEs, AND
BENEFIT Us AND THE WORLD AT LARGE Ely THEIR
LABOR! But here these ciaset philanthropsts say,
"wnere is your MORAL RIGHT to make them lsbor!'
reply where is their 'mOral right To make Us labor
for them! Besides they have no right to live With
out labor II is the law of all healthy progressive hui
man eIisteucs. 1t is the higher law" OF our race:
Where then "a this crying injustice to the poor
millions OF them among u. In the state OF Wnatl
called Slavery, because they are compelled oy other
men to work rescued from tas most revolving ana
srOcious barbsrsn the world has ever seen, aud we'll
clothed, well fed AID we'll worksd-ior the most part
civil, obedient, comfortable aud happy. &c much
then for the physical aspect OF Slavery as concerns
the negroes themselves.
Let look little further, however at some Of its
other physical features, as it respects the Industry,
the commerce, aud the wants Of mankind.
fha snndles NJ Naw ENGLAND ara amDloVel in
spinning slave labor cotton. and nearly all those OF
old England too. In tue manufacturing district OF
South Lancashire alone in Great Britain eleven hun
bred millions of pounds Of this same American Cotton
Is consumed annuslly Mr. Turner, in RECEIPT speech
in the House of Commons, aaid that three hundred
and eighty thousand persons ass employed directly,
and about million incidentally Ia its manufacture
FORTY MILLIONS POUNDS STERLING " about two
hundred millions of dollars invested in IT, gith
working capital Of seventy five millions Of dollars
employed 10 the prosecution Of ths trade!
II would he interesting and no doubt an instruo
tive Investigation to ascertain how msny persons are
employed in various waya. land and on sea- IN the
handling aud transportation of tue two hundred mil.
lions of pounds of Cotton consa"sd IN SlaVery.hating
New England, and the thousand millions OF pounds
manufactured 10 Slavery hating old England IRON the
time that 1t leaves the plautaign OF tne southern
Shareholder until it passes through the hands OF the
retail merchants throughout the world, to supply all
the men, women and childrenclvilized, hatcivilized
and savage who use cotton tabrca for clothing or
otherwise
Nor could such an investigation properly stop here.
This cotton might be followed into the rag piekers,
and rag merchants hands; thence to the paper manu-
factory, thence into the pages Of "Uncle Toms Cab.
in the millions Of papers and speeches that con
stantiy flood the country, to show that American
Slavery is the most gigantic aud strocous evil now
in the world.
The very sails OF commerce too. are the iite.al &C
tual product Of American slave labor. Abstract
from English add American commerce the hundred
millions OF dollars worth Of cotton sent to Grea,
Britain, and the two hundred millions worth Of man
ufaotured goods exported from there Annually, and
what would become of the countless ships that DOW
flock to the harbors of our sesboard ci,iesl Strike
American slave labor out of existence, and what
would become Of the fourissing and smiling manu-.
featuring villages of New England, and where would
be profitable employment for their thousands Of ope
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