Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-10-02
NJ | S G E L L A N Y.
THE EVIL INFLUENCES OF SLAVERY
Correspondence Of The yermOm Phqnir.l

UTAH, Aug. 10th, 1853.
The society of Utah is perfect comment on
the state of public mind and morals existing in
the United States. The difference is, that what
is here a concentrated expression of sentiment
is there exhibited more difiusely, but is never
theless marked as the predominant element of
the social character. 1t is here a worship of
the senses-a despotism of the passions-while
in the States it is prevalence of slave-propa-
gandism, which is very passionate despotsm.
1t is, in short, voluntary abandonment of high
ideas and high standards of action and the in
diligence of perfectly cynical contempt for all
the old notions and landmarks which bave hth-
erto been respected by well regulated society,"
1t is compromise between the intellectual and
moral on the one hand, and the brutal and mer-
cenary on the other, in which the latter gets the
best of the bargain.
We know that there are transitionary periods
of society when great changes take place, and
that while some have resulted in a permanent
elevation of the human character, there are 9TH
ers which have not As in the physical world,
so in the moral-there are upheavals in which
the part becomes covered up and obliterated by
unsightly scoria, while the interests of society
hover over the chaos, not like the creative, reg
ulative spirit over the face of the deep but like
Noah's dove in doubt and uncertainty. Those
revolutionary changes in society which have
proved of the most beneficent character have
generally resulted from some new and great dis
coveries, such as powder, printing, protestant
ism, the New World and steam power.
But it is not easy to see what great elevation
of human character can grow out of the present
revolutionary excitement which has been pre-
vailing for some time in the United States, and
which is chiefly occasioned by gold discoveries,
by the feverishness from excessive foreign i'm
migration, being taken unmasticated into the
body polite faster than it can be Amercanized,
and above all by slave issues ;-neither of which
clements constitute the higher and nObler springs
of action which usually govern in the affairs of
men. What, for instance, great, new or useful
can possibly grow out of an issue on slave-ex-
tension?
The issues between the democracy and aris-
tocracy of Rome, which led to her foreign con-
quests, and hence resulted in immense suffering,
wretchedness and sacrifice of human blood-the
intense opposition of political sentiment that
whirled forth from the banks of the Tiber like
a vast tornado, crushing and scattering every
thing in its course-these were not wholly un-
mitigated evils since they set bounds and metes
by which modern times are able to estimate and
value their liberties, They set up dikes against
the food of Asiatic servility and established
principles which are now in daily force in the
operation of our own free Institutions. But
what have issues between freedom and slave
extension ever called forth except marked in
stances of Divine displeasure expressed in all
the emphasis of phenomenal adherence by out
ragged Nature?
There is nothing in such an issue that can
dignity and elevate man. On the contrary, it
belittles limit runs counter to reason and
hence stunts his intellectual growth Nopower
can ever violate unprotected human weakness
can ever depress and degrade humanity, with
out sooner or later having that depression and