The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-07-31
- The following extract is taken fro

- The following extract is taken from
a work recently published by ii. r. Helper
of North Carolina, a gentleman who has
been nutured in tho lap OF slavery, who has
seen it in all form, and who has become
convinced from experience Of the aigran'
evils of such system His knowledge Of
the South and shareholders is extensive
and his sympathies for the oppressed have
been aroused only by the base cruelties he
has witnessed. His comparison OF the slave
holder to thief and murderer Is clear and
just, and We may rely upon it rs from the
pen OF one who is more competent to judge
than those who are bred in the free States
where slavery at the South is seen only by
the reflected light Of travellers IN the South
ern States. Hear Mr.. Helper
Shareholder, no better that There's and Muir
dererS,
We mean precisely what our words express,
when we say we believe thieves are, as u
EtutTul EuiC, iOc, uhChhoiO w thO
law than shareholders ; and here Is the ba.
SIS of our opinion. Ordinarily, thieves wait
until we acquire considerable amount OF
property, and then they steal dispensable
part Of il, but they deprive no one Of their
physical liberty, nor do they ietter the
mind Shareholders, on the contrary,
by clinging to the most barbarous relic
Of the most barbarous age, bring Disgrace
on themselves, and on their neighbors,
and their country depreciate the val
ne OF their own and others lands, degrade
labor, discourage energy and progress, pre-
vent non shareholders from accommodating
wealth, curtiil their natural rights and
privileges, doom their children to ignorance
and all Its attendant evils, rob the negroes
of their freedom, throw damper on every
species of manual or Intellectual enterprise
that is not projected under their own roofs
and for their own advantage, and by other
means equally at variance with the princi'
Piles Of Justice, though bvt an Insignificant
fractional part Of the population they con-
stitute themselves the sole arbiters and leg
islators for the entire South. Not merely
81 the theft rarely stnls from more than
one man out of hundred the slavehol Ter
defrauds ninety and nine, and the hum
drcdth does not escape him. Again, thieves
steal tribes from rich men shareholders OPP
press poor men and enact laws for the per-
petuation Of their poverty. Thieves prac'
tice deceit on the wise shareholders take
advantage ofthe iguorent.
We contend, moreover, that Shareholders
are more crimiual than common murderer
We know all shareholders would not will
fully Undue their hands in the blood Of their
fellow men, but it Is u fact, nevertheless,
that all shareholders are under the shield Of
perpetual license they have Issued to
themselves. According to their own inia.
nous statutes, II the slave raises his hand
10 ward Of an unmerited blow, they are
permitted to take his life with impunity.
We are personally acquainted with three
ruihians who have become actual murderrs
under circumstances Of this nature. One
Of them killed two negroes on one OCCASION,
and the other Two have murdered but one
each. Neither of them has ever b en- sub
Jected to even the rrsliminaries OF = trial I;
not one Of them has ever been arrested
their own private explanation OF the homi
cides exculpated them FROM all manner Of
blame in the premises they had done
nothing wrong in the eyes Of the commu.
nifty. The negroes made an effort to SHE d
themselves from the fortunes OF q merciless
f,rellation, and were shot dead on the spot.
Their murderers slil live and are treated as
honorable members Of society! No matter
how many slaves or free negroes may wit
ness the preparation OF these a'roeious
homiciaes not one Of his murdered brothers.
In the South. negroes whether bond or free,
are never. under any circumstances, permit.
ted to utter syllable under oath, except
for or against persons Of their own color
their testimony against white persons b. OF
no more consequences than the idle zephyr
of the samnmsr.