The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-01
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. G, DECEMBER L.

is symptom of state of things which wise
and understanding people will do well not to
neglect too long. That security of life and
property-which is, after all, the main end and
object Of civil society-does not exist-at least,
in the European sense of the term-in the
slave States Of America. The white population
can never forget, either as judges, as legisla-
tors, or proprietors, that they are Q small mi
nority scattered among large and bitterly
hostile majority. They never know, in its full
force, the meaning of the word security" If
they lie down to rest, they know not but that
they may be awoke at midnight by the light of
their blazing houses and the yells of the incen-.
diaries. If they wander in the forest, they feel
no confidence that the hand of the assassin
does not await them behind every thicket. Dan
ger begets fear, and fear cruelty, and that cru
city again increases danger. Strong as is our
sympathy for the oppressed race that tolls be-
meath the lash in the Southern States of Amer
lea, we cannot bring ourselves to wish that their
bonds may be broken by an experiment so
frightful as that which has once again been
tried and has once again failed-the expert
ment Of servile war. There was time when
the best men in America looked on Slavery as
merely a provisional and temporary institution,
and looked forward to the time when the bonds
should drop from the hands of the African, and
ence, that all men are free and equal, should
no longer be a mockery and a reproach. But
that time seems to have passed by, and the Ian
guage of the Southern Shareholder is now rather
that Freedom is exceptional institution, des-
tined one day to be swallowed up in the more
natural and more humane rule of Slavery. We
cannot, therefore, be surprised to see such
reasoners reminded, from time to time, by
warnings like that afforded by the Harper's
Ferry insurrection, hOU Insecure is the basis on
achich the sLare-otoner builds, and h0w danger
Ous ii IS for a notion schich carries so cenomouS
serpent IN her bosom, to be .foreper trifing
'oiA the possibility Of foreign 'car, The first
effect Of tchich must almost necessarily be TO
rouse the sleeping destroyer into life and actiU-
iy.
From the London News Nov 3
Harper's Ferry is particularly well and very
daringly chosen, if chosen at all, as the seat of
an instruction. On the frontier between Vir-
ginia and Maryland, at the confluence of great
rivers and the junction of State railways, and
the centre of a net of Geographic wires, it would
have been post of great Importance, even if
there had not been an arsenal from which a
great negro population might be armed. If
the recent moods of the masters and the State
politicians had been less fierce, and their lau-
guage and acts less oppressive, we might have
hOPeo lHdI the paTIteS iSnI cOne 10 IalT terInS
before much mischief is DONE AS it is, we can
not but dread the reflection of the tyrannical
temper of the masters in the vindlctve conduct
of the slaves. The negroes have shown wonder
ful patience, and, on occasion, a very remark
able generosity; but the Maryland slave traders
and free-negro haters have not appealed to the
best, but to the worst, parts of their human ma
ture in their recent dealings with their preca-
rious human property, and there may well be
apprehension of the result. We mean only as
to what may have been done in the first out
break. No doubt the rising would be imme-
diately put down by the Federal and State
forces. This is to be hoped on every account,
for the doom of Slavery in the Republic, espe-
cially in the frontier States, and above all in
Maryland, is so clear and so closely impending,
that every breach of order is likely to be a mere
mischief-an impeachment, and no furtherance.
If the masters were wise, they would know how
to turn the occasion to advantage for getting
rid of their burden and curse but Maryland
shareholders, who cannot bear the presence of
the free negro on any foot of soil in the State,
are not wise and they will doubtless make the
worst of their own case.