Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-09-18

Tnn CAPTURED SLAvIK-SaRerior and In.
.fsr;or Raees-The case OF the captured SLAYER,
now at Charleston, and the condition Of the five
or six hundred unfortunate wretches found on
board of her, excite no small amount Of com.
ment al over the country. We haye,carefuily,
noticed the tone Of the press, North and South,
upon the subject, aud weighed the opinions cx-
pressed pro and con on the case, IL indeed there
can be two sides to the question Concerning
what will be done with them, adn,its,of no ar,
gument, inasmuch as it is positive enactment
that the President must in all such cases see
that the cargo is returned whence it came
But concerning what might and what ought to
be done, there is vast deal of speculation, and
of course great contrariety of opinion. The
case certainly is susceptible of no small degree
OF pertinent and profitable moralizing.
It involves two or three seperate eonsidera-
lions, it seems to Us, which arc, frst, the case
of.the poor wretches themselves; and second,
the case of the people of the United States
or, in other words, the interests, Of its present
and ultimate effects upon the negroes, and the
present, but moro especially its ultimate effect
upon the people among whom they would be.
thrown
There is no doubt 70 our mind that the
condition of these captured and degraded
beings would be infinitely bettered, physical
" and mentally, leaving morally out OF the.
question, by transfer from the sands Of
Africa to even the sWamps Of South Caroli-
ma. No person who has examined, even care.
lessly, the account which that celebrated
EnUliSk frSval.,.l - L,s;,
OF his travels in Africa, can fail to realize that
the condition Of negro even in the. worst con.
dition to which he is subjected under American
slavery, Is an Improvement upon his normal.
status on tho plains Of Congo. In this We
speak not 80 directly of his physical as his
intellectual condition, for we care not hero to
raise the question as to how much better or
worse At may be for human being to be . list.
less, Wild, stupid and bestial rover at will, sub.
sisting on the unlabored products of earth, lav-
ing no care, no thought, no appreciation of time
orsxlstence, than it is to be the unwilling cater
Gr TO his own existence, and the timorous sub.
ject of other peoples caprices or PASSIONS We
say donot care to consider ttisissue at length.
although. in passing NE may drop the opinion
that he is not wofsted by the change Intellec.
tnslly there can beno doubt of the improvement
which the negro has always undergone when
transferred out OF the fostering feticism
and sensualism Of his own native land. His con.
dition, as faras development is concerned, can
never he Wotstsd, s.happen what may to him
He ID living embodiment Of that apothegm
which teaches that s:at the worst change makes.
for the better" Athome he Is themost AFFECT,
Ss he is the most Incapable of all known hui
mainly. He has neither energies Of mind nor
body he is. in tine. but one degree removed
from the untamed brute barbarism by. which
nature surroundedhim.
OF course. then, the change OF these Africans
on board the Charleston SLAYER, were they land
ed, would, Is tar IS people enjoying the fruits
of civilization are accustomed to judge of such I
things Be bettered.
Itisa law Of nature. IS indispuable aud un-
varying as sravitatton Itbele that any contact.