The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-06
WASHINGTON, d. C..
MODERN DEMOCRACY.

Attorney General Black, In his recent pamph-
let in reply to Mr.. Douglas, lays down the fol
LOWING principles, as too sacred for moments
question by honest men. Nothing is SO sacred
as Slavery in the eyes of the black Democracy.
Any religious heresy or crime NAV be forgiven.
but TO question the Divine origin of Slavery is
20 commit the objectionable sin We have
italleised the passage in the last paragraph in
which this modern expounder Of Democracy
acknowledges the sacredness of the various
forms Of While SlaUe,y which have existed,
and still exist in Europe:
The right of property is sacred, and the
nrst object of all human government is to
make it secure. Life is always unsafe where
property is not fully protected. This is the ex-
Perlenoe of every people on earth, ancient and
modern To secure private property was
principal object of Magma ChdTfG. Charles
afterwards attempted to violate it, but the PEG
pie rose upon him, dragged him to the block,
and severed his head from his body. At q still
later period, another monarch for a kindred Of
fence was driven out of the country, and died
fugitive and an outcast. Our own Revolution
was provoked by that slight invasion upon the
right of property which consisted in the ex-
action of a trIfing tax. There is no Government
IN the world, however absolute, which would not
be disgraced and endangered by wantonly sac
rhelng private property, even to a small ex-
tent For centuries past, such outrages have
ceased 70 be committed in times of peace among
civilized nations.
Slaves are regarded as property in the
Southern States. The people|of that section
buy and sell, and carry on all their business,
provide for their families, and make their wills
and divide their inheritances, on that assump-
ton. 1t is manifest to all who know them that
no doubts ever cross their minds about the
Hghhulness Of holding such property. They
believe they have direct warrant for it, not
only In the examples Of the best men that ever
lived, but in the precepts Of Divine revelation
itself; and they are thoroughly satisfied that
the relation OF master and slave is the only one
which can possibly exist there between the
white and the black race without running both.
The people Of the North may differ from their
fellow-citlzens Of the South on the whole sub
Jeet but Knowing, as we all do, that these seuti-
ments are sincerely and honestly entertained,
we cannot wonder that they feel the most I'M
speakable Indignation when any attempt is
made 10 interfere with their rights. This SEN
timent results naturally and necessarily from
their education and habits Of thinking. They
N~--SN
IN the North can avoid abhorring a thief or
housebreaker.
The jurists, legislators, and people, of the
Northern States, have always sacredly respected
the right Of property in slaves held By their own
citizens within their own Jurisdiction It is re-
marksble fact, very well worth noticing, that
no Northern State ever passed any law to take
a negro from his master. All laws for the abo-
lition of Slavery have operated only on the I'M
born descendants Of the negro race, and the
vested rights of masters have not been disturb
ed in the North more than in the South
In ereTy nation under He0ren, cip7ized,
seMibaT5drOUs, or Sarage, a0hsre .SlaUe1y has
eristed an any form at all analogous to ours,
the rights OF the masters TO the control of their
staces as property hare been respected and on
no occasion has any Government struck at those
rights, except as it would strike at other prop
erty. Even the British Parliament, when it
emancipated the West India slaves, though it
was legislating for q people three thousand
miles away, and not represented, never denied
either the legal or the natural right of the slave
owner. Slaves were admitted to be property.
and the Government acknowledged it by pay
ing their masters one hundred millions of dol
lars for the privilege of setting them free"