The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-24

the slave never, by word, nor sign, nor act, do
anything to excite discomfort among those that
are in Slavery. The condition of the slave
must be changed, but the change cannot go on
in one part of the community alone. There
must be change in the law, change in the
church, change in the upper classes, change
in the middle, and in all classes. Emancipa-
ton, when it comes, will come either by reyo-
luton, or by change of public opinion in the
schoIe community. No influences, then, are
adequate to the relief of the slave, which are
not of proportion and power sufficient to
modify the thought and the feeling of the
whole community. The evil is not partial. 1t
cannot be cured by partial remedies Our
plans must include universal change in pol
icy, feeling, purpose, theory, and practice, in
the nation. The application of simple RENE
dies to single spots in this great body of dis
ease, will serve to produce a useless irritation
it will merely tester the hand, but not cure the
whole body.
3. No relief will be carried TO the slaves of
the South, as body, by any individual or or
ganized plans to carry them off, or to incite
them to abseond.
The more enlightened and liberty -loving
among the Southern slaves bear too much of
their masters blood not to avail themselves of
any opening to escape. 1t is their right; it
will be their practice. Free locomotion is an
incident to slave property, which the master
must put up with. Nimbe legs are much used
In providence to temper the severity of Slavery.
If, therefore, an enslaved man, acting from the
yearnings of his own heart, desires to run away,
who shall forbid him? In all the earth, wher-
ever human being is held in bondage, he has
right to slough his burden and break his yoke
if he can. If he Wishes liberty and is willing
70 dor ao1 for lo4 L.
manly courage he achieves it, he ought to have
it. And honor such man
Nay, if he has escaped and comes to me, l
owe him shelter, sEccor, defence, and God
speed to final safety. IF there were as many
laws as there are lines in the fugitive slave law,
and as many officers as there were lions in
Daniels lions den, would disregard every law
but Gods, and help the fugitive The officers
might catch me, but not him, if l could help
1t. a man whose own heart has inspired liber-
ty and courage sufficient to enable him to
achieve what he desired, shall never come to
my door, and not be made as welcome as my
own child. / will adopt him for Gods sake,
and for the sake of Christ, who broods over
the weak and perishing. Nor am l singular in
such feelings and purposes. Ten thousand
men, even in the South, would feel and do the
same A man who would not help fellow.
creature flying for his liberty, must be either a
villain or politician.
But all this is very different from stirring UP
discomfort, and setting on men to escape by
outside influence
stand on the outside of this great Gordon of
darkness, and every man that escapes from
it. running for his life, shall have some help
from me, if he comes forth of his own free ac-
cord; yet, am not the man to go in and in
Slaves rln oUoxr 70 nd votl,o
to do it, to approve it, or to countenance it. 1
do not believe we have right to carry into the
system OF Slavery exterior discomfort; and for
this reason that IS not good for tie slqUes
themselves. 1t is short-sighted humanity at
best, and poor policy for both the blacks and
the whites. And l say again, l would not
trust man that would do it. 1t would iniure
the blacks chiefly and especially How it
would injure them, will appear when 1 come to
speak positively of what is the right way to
promote the liberty of the enslaved. / NAV saw
here, however, that the higher man is raised
in the scale of being, the harder it will be to
hold him in bondage and to sell him while
the more he is like an animal the easier il
will be to hold him in thrall and harness. The
more You make shareholders feel, that when
they Cypress and sell man, they are depressing
and selling Gods image, the harder it will be
for them to continue to enslave and traffic in
human beings. Therefore, whatever you do to
inspire in the slave high and noble and god
like feelings, tends to loosen his chains: and
whatever shall inspire in him base low, and
cruel feelings, tightens them.
Running away is all fair. for SIMPLE casns
1t is Gods remedy for all cases of special hard
ship. Is is the natural right of any slave who
is of a manhood enough to resent even tolerant
bondage. But we are not speaking of the
remedy for individuals, but the remedy for the
whole system. -Four million men cannot run
away, until God sends ten Egyptian plaques to
help them. And those who 90 among the
slaves, to stir up such disposition, will help
the hundreds at the expense of the millions.
Those left behind will be demoraized, and. be-
coming less Trustworthy, will grow sulien under
increased severity and vigilance.
4. Still less would we tolerate ANYTHING like
instruction and servile war 1t would be the
most cruel, hopeless, and desperate. of all con-
ceivable follies, to seek emancipation by the
sword and by blood. And though love Liber-
ty as my own life though long for it in every
human being; though, if God, by unequivocal
providences, should ordain that it should come
again, as OF old, through terrible plaques on the
hrstborn, and by other terrors of i'll, should
submit to the Divine behest; yet, so far as hu-
conscience of a man, with all the faith of a
Christian, and with all the zeal and warmth of
philanthropist protest against any counsels
that lead to instruction, servile war, and blood
shed. 1t is bad for the master-bad for the
slave-bad for all that are neghbors to them
bad for the whole land-bad from beginning to
end An evil so unminded and malignant.
that its origin can scarcely be doubted.
believe, however, in the right of people
to assert and achieve their Liberty. The right
of race or nation to seize their Freedom is not
to be disputed. 1t belongs to all men on the
face of the globe, without regard to complexion.
people have the right to change their rulers.
their government, their whole political condi.
ton. This right Is not either granted, or linn
ltcd, In the New Testament 1t is left, as is
air, water, and existence itself, as things not
requiring command or legislation. But, ac-
cordlng to Gods words, so long as a man re-
mains servant, he must obey his master. The
right of the slave to throw off the control of his
master is not abrogated The right of the sub
ject to do this is neither defined nor limited.
But the use of this right must conform to rea-
son and to benefit. The leaders of people
have no right to whelm their helpless followers
into terrible disaster by melting them to rebel.
under circumstances that afford not the slight.
est hope that their rebellion will rise to the dig
nifty of a successful revolution.
The nations of Italy are showing great wis
dom and fitness in their leaders for their work
in this very thing, that they are quelling fretfl
and irregular outbreak, and holding the people
steadtast till success shall surely crown upri
sing revolution. This has been the eminent
wisdom of that Hungarian exile, Kossuth.
In spite of all that is written and said against
this noble man, stand to my first full faith in
him. The uncrowned hero is the noblest man
after all, in Europe And his craftsmanship
has been shown in this that his burning sense