The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-11-05
MISTAKES OF THE SOUTH.

Passions often blind men to such an ex-
tent that they not unfrequently fail to at
tend to their real interest; often to the
neglect of an examination even into the
cause of the hindrances that lie in their
way. This is true as often of cOmmuni-
ties as Of individuals, and the South in
this respect have made gross mistake.
Let us instance at this time but two
points First: that within the last quar-
ter of century change has been coming
over the Northern mind in relation to the
subject of slavery, and Of this change the
South has persistently refused to make
herself acquainted. She has persistently
refused to study, read, or even look into
what is termed Abolition publications and
Abolition Journals. She has persistently
shut out all true knowledge and all proper
light on the subject, and is today almost
utterly ignorant of both the nature and
extent Of this great change-of the great
advance made in the North on the subject
of mans rights. Her Servile press and
paid menials among us here in the North,
for the sake of their tenure of Office, have
not been true to the South in that matter.
So far from stating the real facts as they
have transpired, and keeping the South
posted, they have deceived her by contin-
ually stultifying the truth, and when the
Harper's Ferry affair occurred, it was like
shock of thunder The South was not
prepared for such result, nor has she even
yet opened her eyes to the depth or ex-
tent of sympathy felt in the North for the
poor oppressed bondmen in their midst,
notwithstanding the hard endeavors of the
political and otherwise interested journals
to gloss it over.
These journals may talk as they will,
laws for the punishment Of offenders and
those who dare to NEEDLE with the pecu-
liar institution may be summarily execut-
ed, severe codes for the government of the
poor slave may be enacted and vigorously
enforced, demagogues may plot and politi-
clans may plan, Notwithstanding all, the
feeling that justifes American slavery is
daily growing less and less, and rests to-
day on an intellectually feebler foundation
than ever before.
Es But to our second point: The Adolf
tionism of the North, SO far from making
war on, or being inimical to, the institution
of slavery, has been for the last twenty
years its great safety valve; the escape
pipe through which the dangerous element
incident to slavery found vent. Prior to
the existence of Abolitionism, outbreaks
and fearful mutterings and threatenings
among slaves were frequent, and TO the
holders alarming. We can all trace back
to the Nat Turner'S and the Denmark Yea
zies' and others The Slave then had no
hope of deliverance except by his own
right arm however feeble. He saw no
farther, and believing that it was appoint
ed to man but once to die, felt willing to
do so or gain his liberty. But when VIM.
LLOYD Garrison and his coadjutors enunciat-
ed the doctrines of abolitionism and non
resistance, the slave received new and fal
different lesson He was taught to hope
for deliverance- feel that he was not for
saken nor forgotten-that some day, how
ever distant, he would be enabled to lay
aside his chains and be acknowledged a
man. With these hopes the ferceness Of
his passions subsidized, he agreed to submit
to his hard task, and. thenceforth up till re.
Gently but little comparative discomfort has
been manifested, and yet the South to this
important fact has also been blind. Let
them henceforth read Abolition journals and
Abolition literature-let her read our
paper, if she wishes to study and know the
signs, and interpret the meaning thereof, as
they appear in the moral horizon of the
North, be wise.
We shall recur to this subject again.