Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-11-04
The Lesson of the Harpers Ferry Riot
sonnd Counsel. from n virginia Press.

iis issue Of October ~
"Tho Investigations which have been and
are being made into the secret history Of
the recent terrible aud remarkable outbreak
will we hope and believe. he productive OF
good influences upon the popular mind IN
both sections Of the Union. II has two
lessons, which Il seems 90 us that IL may
very appropriately teach. The frst Of
these |. the lesson which II will convey to
III. North, .s,ching them t. look even with
more than their wide spread aversion upon
the principles and teachings OF those Wis
ionary fanatics among them who, like Gar
rison h Co. claim that the constitution OF
our country (" !. covenant with he'll, )" and
that the dhty Of slaves to rise in The
nighttime and free themselves from TRIAL
dom nv cutting the threats 81 their mas
tiers and helping to the property accumula.
ted by their unrcquitcd toll IL will. We
say, teach tho northern people. when these
hnatieal abolitionists z, about through
their cities and towns. holiin; their period
zeal S,,urnhlia. to lo,k upon thor primer.
pies in the proper light, and will inspire in
their minds moro Of a dcep..ea,ed hostility
to their wicked and disorganired rawlings.
IN this way tho results Of these irvestiga.
ton. will aiIec, the northern mind for good.
On tho South /, oueb, likewise TO make
deep impression. Here, in this Ilarpcr's
Ferry riot. We have an iIlu',ra,ion which
both prscept and example have before told
Us, is altcseiher possible contingency In a
country in whose miI., there exist, a large
and degraded class Of humanity. We can
not take Ere in our bosomsan not b. burn.
ed III. Scripture and own experience have
laugh, US. Nlither can we have in our
md., four millions OF scri.. whose color,
whose intellect. whose habits. whoss every.
thing j. difrcrcn, from the ruling element,
without li,hilitic. to tho same dangers that
have always attended society m every eoun.
try where such large servilc element has
existed. san Domingo has taught this les
son to the world Southampton has taught
II to the people Of this country and this
State. Scarcely moro insecure arc those
people who work by DAY and sleep by night
unecrneaih tho craters Of vc'u'iu' and 1T
ma. and who are liable 20 an Eruption at
any moment OF burning lava, than many
eommunitle. Of our southern states where
the slave. number two or three 20 one Of
the whites. These slaves. by their constant
and rapid illegi,imato in,ermiusling with
the whites. as well a. by the very condi.
ton Of coniac; between superior aud infsri-
or races. are becoming in each generation
more intelligent, and consequently more
the objects " dread. They are ,loushirg
OF gradually that torpor add ob,useness Of
mind seemingly natural TO them, even ias-
ter than they are shedding their original
dark hue. Slowly, bu, certainly, they are
acquiring more Of the Characteristic Of tho
white races. and losing those Of the Arr.
can. Look a, the frightened complexion Of
the race in all our southern cite, and towns
In Charleston. South Carolina, Tor instance
the mixed element immcn'urlbly FREEDOM.
mates over that Of the black, and j.. we be-
lieyc, cqurl to II not GREATER than the white
population. Look at many other OF the
South Carolina communities. Look AZ
Richmond. Lynchhurg. Petersburg, Nor.
folk and other place. IN our State. We
ought 10 look thesa thisgs all in the face
now. They have an importan, practical
bearing on onr social condition. when we
hear men and papers either openly adyoca-
ting or covcrtly wiukins at revival OF tho
oiious slave trade, it is time that public At
tsntion wa. called 10 these things. II is
u.ele.. TO rail at wicked and reckless aboli.
iionis,s. like Brown, who in their blind
iAnatici.m thlnt-ii they think or care
at all-that they ara doing God service
when they teach and aid slaves TO rise
ngains, their masters. There will always
30 such men. They are to be expected
when We think OF the vast amount Of opin-
ion. religious and non.relgious, which ox.
i.t. throughout great country like our.
on the moral and political aspects OF a ma
tional question like that Of slavery. Like
wise j. it all uselc-. and idle TO expect that
men having minds 10 think-minds which
mus, ,hink-and tongues which are free to
speak will ever stop having opinions or ex.
pressing thom upon either the justice or
the eIpediency Of slavery in the abstract.
Our security lies in advancing, not in re-
treating. We must go back and read up
the opinions Of the fathers Of the republic
as to the probable issue Of slavery IN this
country. We must know that the best men
Of that era busied themselves not only with
conrctures Rs to what were to he its re-
suits, but also with ways and means by
which they might be able to provide against
these very instructions. Mr.. Jefferson
we should remember, up to his dying hour
never ceased to express his approximations
and to suggest his plans for exemption.
The possible contingency Of great San
Domingo rebellion he declared, was to him
continually like fire bell In the night. +"
lie +" tremblcd," he said, Ito think Of it. D."
And il was because that he so well knew
the peculiar conditions which invested tho
negro race, both naturally aud artifcially
in this country, that ho dwelt so earnestly
on his plan for Central American coloni-
zation OF the race. Something OF this sort
has got to be- done. For look at it: We