Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-25
For tie Enquirer
For me E"1nFV.
Samuel Mott Of Boston and Horace Greeley OF New
York on the Failure Of Free Society.

IOIA Ou IAS n140IS Va &tSS SAey'
II i, strange and lancntablc that whilst al
most all writers on Society in Western Europe
and in our North maintain that the experiment
Of free society with the whites Of Europe has
been 4 failure attended with the most dls;s-
trous consequences that Southern men, very
generally, take the opposite view OF the sub
jcct and insist that "egro si1r'ry alone Is just
fable or cNpcdcnt
Mr.. Mott of Boston. in work Oh Slavery,
that has reached its fifth edition, shows that
Slavery is not only Il natural. but necessary
element OF society, and that its abolition in El-
rope has been, and still Is attended with the
most banciul effects. He further, with truth
and discrimination, asserts that the multi
tudnous suls Of Europe and america, are but
attempts to restore slavery under new names
and notifications. In effect, that Socialism Is
but the halfway house between freedom anu
slavery II is only from his broad grounds that
slavery can hc defended. Southern men should
all read his work. which can be had from ~
Appleton a Co, Philadelphia. by the remit
tancc of ~ cents in postage stamps. HIS rea-
son is convinced OF the necessity Of slavery,
black and white: but his prcjudicc> circum-
scribe and control his opinions.
lie asserts, in the beginning of his work, that
slavery is an evil-and then forthwith pro-
rccds To show, throughout the rest Of his book,
ly the clcarc<t arguments and most convincing
proofs, that it is necessity. II is very sin
.,,llar work both in style and matter, and bears
unmiS,a!,c::'lc marks Of genius originality,
and mat,rcl thought and information. His
theory throughout j. that the world is too
l,tIc governed" since the abolition Of Euro
pcan Scrfloil. thus ju>tiying white slavery,
whilst most Southcrncr, are offering pltliul
pleas and apologies in behalf OF mere negro
slavery. cwill not quote from Mr. Mott, Tor
that might iniure the sale of his book, which
we hone, for the sake of both North and South.
will have very extensive circulation. We
refer to his sixth chapter on. European Ex-
pcrimcnts with SerilOm, as sustaining fully
our allcga,ion-and, especially, To note to
that chapter, at page 81. We are sure that
neither Mr. Nott or his friends can success
fully dispute the character which we have
,,iycn Of his book. You. McSSr>. Editors, |
hone. will send to him the paper containing
this communication.
Mr.. (;rcclcy'S work. or rather the work OF
Mr. Greeley aud Mr. Raymond, is contro-
ycr.y about Socialism, in which the former
As in Europe. is an utter failure.
Both gentlemen display great research and
ability. Mr.. Greeley. So fur aS he charges the
failure of society in Europe, and shows how
much better the scrfS were oil five hundred
years uro. than the free .laborcrS now. has
much the better of the argument. But he Fails
to proye that society has failed, or Is likely
soon to fail at the North. We greatly prefer
Southcru social organization; but we would at.
y;.c the North to "lct well enough alone, and
not to try Mr. GrcclcyS plilanSterie>' OF any
n,hcr form of white slavery. until her laboring
population becomes crowded anu pauPer'Se!l
like that Of Western Europe. When Mr. Gree
lev proceeds Il step furthcr anu uelineS 'hc
new social system, which he proposes IN place
of the present. which hc would SllhverI' hc hc-
Gins TO C.ltcr and blundcr, and suffers Mr.
RAYMOND to come oil triumphant by not con-
! lining himself wholly to the work Of de>iruc'
ton. Social systems grow up anu are ho'
formed hv man He should have taken warn
ins from the examples Of Plato, SIR Thomas
Moore, Locke, lbbcsicgcS, &c 1t Is easy tc
null down society. but impossible To build II
no. After centuries OF anarchy and dcSpotish
il may return inScnsibly to it, old FORM
Mr. Mott charges Mr.. Greeley, as Il Socialist
with being the advocate oi white slavery:
viii hc deny the charge: Here are te"
sentences from Mr. Nott's charges "Name'
Jo moi alter things. Words Of freedom cannot
make the modern devices other than ne"
slavery in remedy Of the ills Brought in 10y
freedom too absolutely aboliShcd-ot the cvii'
oC too free Il freedom. Under the plausible
names of fraternity, equality, socialism, VIVA
is called for but regulation, direction, 1"""'
in regard to labor. time. place, capital proper
t., hitherto too free: .,.
We charge and shall adduce the pool, tha
Mr. Greeley asserted free society to he failure
long before we did. Ills paper abused Us II
three long columns for making the accusation
which he had long before made Can he repc
our charge, or justify his inconsistency:
The pamphlct containing his controversy l.
ont NJ nri,t IL was burnt at the llarpers
lie should publish new cditi"h IL "oula u
Surc of an extensive sale. People would h'
curious to scc the denunciations OF Tree society
by fine great Abolition editor and leader. W.
will first give his description OF the moral as
meets of the society in which he lives. "Brlei
IL !, seems to me. if some malignant >pirl
lad undertaken TO contrivc Il social framework
which should subject the poor, the humble. AM
the ignorant to the greatest po>sibleamount ant
var;r,v If Ctemptations-which should, virtu
aily constrain manv, and irresistihly draw ia
NOR. to the wavs of dissipation and Sin h
could hardly, in the light OF Christianity AM
such civilization as We have devise any 'liih
more admirably adapted to his purpose tn, thai
the social system under which we now , ''ve
In the next quotation, which We snail CIV
from Mr.. Greeley. he asserts that rec socle!
has been a COM pete and disastrous failure II
Europe" and he goes on to attempt 10 prove Una Una
it is rapidly tending to the same ena III Ame
RIGA. The reader has only to 'recoliect' tina
five centuries ago, the laborers OF hurop
were slaves or scrf>. to see that what we al