, 1859-03-18
..Bresa:&Grihttttt.
TMEFoorsTEPsoF pwPor1sm

FRIDAY, MARCH IS, 1859.
THEFoOTsTEPs OF DEsroT1sm.
The: recent action Of the Arkansas Leeisla-
ture in relation to tho deportation OF cnslave-
mcnt Of the free negroes in that State, is the
latest but not most dabolical outbreak Of that
into1erant spirit which Slavery has engendered
in half of our country, and which false De-
mocracy keeps alive in its lcngh and breadth.
1t is mean, traitorous and cowardly, but in
keeping with the dogma announced by the.
highest Judicial authority in the Land" black
men hase no rights which White men nre
bound to respect 1T Is anti-Republican and
-Cl,ristian-uay, fendish; but it. is Demo-
cratic: and every doughtace in the North
whose highest boast il is that he is !" Demo-
crat and nothing clsc,' viii applaud the infam.
GUS act
We spare our readers recital Of the losses
aad, inconyenicnees tho sundering7: Of socal
and domestic relations tho bitter grief Incl
dent to expatriation, to be encountered by The
,,nfortunatcs Of tho race ut which this oligal-
chica1 decree is aimed. when it is put in force;
and call their attention to the fact, that they
may otherwise overlook, that the white men
tho laboring classcs Of our country, North
and South--arc more interested in Legislation
Of this sort. than the negroes who arc to be
subjected to its pains and penalties in that
xemi-barbarous State Of Arkansas.
There has always been Il contradiction in
volved i'll the profession Of Democracy and the
support of Slavery, which tic most accom-.
rlished casuists have failed to reconcile, even
where slavery was apologized for US iii evil to
he deplored, and by and By c1tirpated. 1thas
been felt that the two were irrcconcilable, and
that assertion Of the rights Of humanity where
slavery was suffered to exist, was Il inockcry.
But when the broad ground is assumed that
the accidental differences which, under Provi-
dc,,cc, occur in individuals Of the human race
differences Of color, differences III physical
strength, differences in moral sensibility, DIFF
fcrcnccs in social status-may authorize one Of
the parties iu comparison to sit in judgment
upU0. U41EIs allIA W 4o4 kAIA* ~ III
cattle or mulcs-rcduce to slavery or expatri-
ate t}lcm-a principle and precedent are es-
tablished which puts the liberty Of every labor
ir= wltc man in peril. We do not mean that
tic gentlemen Of tic Arkansas Legislature
llave it III their power to put manacles on a
single free white man not accused Of crime, or
that tile proposition to do 50 would not be
secuted even there. But they arc doing more
than that; and the t'poor whites con-
stitucnts-as blind us blts, and as Ignorant rs
lorEcs-arc sustaining them in their act. They
are removing the cornerstone upon which
American freedom is laid; they arc falsifying
the prccepts to which every man, be heblack or
white, appeals III defence Of lis right to lie
vs1nt God made him; they are laying the
foundations Of an ,ntempercd despotism Of the
inajority-a despotism more fierce and cruel
than that Of any crowned tyrant that ever
lived. If their action is sustained, and it is
decided by. tho American people, speaking
: through tue Democratic party, that any man,
no,natter what lis color, condition. birthplace
or lineage, may be deprived Of lis freedom for
any cause less than crime otherwise pun
jshcd by death or imprisonment, the danger to
white men is not far of. Already it is de-
clarel by Democratic authority in Virginia,
tint condition. not COLOR" is the warrant
70: and justification Of slavery. The
''condition of the ''poor wllite man '
Of tue Slave States, Of the cmigraut
foreigner, or II the povcrty-strickcn
i'll the North, is not less all accident than the
color If tue black mans skill Admit that lie
who h;s tho latter is without rights and I'M
worthy protection; and the day is not far
distant when white mcn will wear tic collar
and thc badge Of Il scryitudc forced upon
them by Ill oligarc'.y tllat might have been
struggled i'll its cradle. Nations in the enjoy
mcnt Of free institutions do not part with
them suddenly and without cause. Tie fou,a-
dations Of liberty arc sappcd slowly, and will
with infinite pains taking and skill 1y which the
work Of the miuer is concealed. This crusade
{" the Supreme Court, the Democratic party
and certain State Legislatures, upon the black
man, !.y which he is deprived Of Ills freedom
is but the first step toward tile abandonment
oi the poor and unprotected white man to t!le
mercy nI tl,osc WIN would olu,ress him.