The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-05-26

Z SiChh AhtO ChioAet Vi SieccSo' -A> AAiN
world progressed these distinctions arose,
and it was a blessed thing that men were
not all on one level. 1t was the peryer-
1 sion Of classes that made them accursed
! 1t was because men dropped the trunch-
con down-not because they dropped
( fruits and benefits down-that classes
could be made injurious
In our own nation the greatest crimes
against honor, against good faith, against
humanity, had been committed under tha
influence of Slavery, and there was no
nation so young as We that had broken so
many treaties no nation so young as we
that had been SO perfdious in its treaty
making policy, or that had ever exhibit
ed so much iphumanity in their treatment
of the aboriginal owners of the soil 1t
was system which sunk man below
humanity-a slave was no longer man
but a chattel. And yet there were found
good ministers pokiug up and down the
Old Testament and the New--to know
whether slavery was sin or not Such
men were not born for the pulpit. 1t was
once thought there was a connection be
tween morality and the pulpIt-between
virtue and preaching-but that was an
old legend. Slavery deprecated the poor
mans capital, the value of lis work.
Whatever made work increased educated
men aud made them happy. Put servile
work and free work together, and one will
slay the other Where there is freedom,
work is appreciated 1t is honorable
When we speak of able men succeeding
in life, we say they have ,corhed their
way up. Work is dignity Slavery was
that evil which assassnated the means of
living to the free laborer. Slavery des-
troycd the Christian idea that men ought
to love one another But slavery Taught
that he weak were the lawful prey of the
strong-comtrary to the teachings of the
Saviour Then it was a burden that was
at variance with our repubIicaniSm, con
trary to our constitution, which while we
honor we violate--fOr our nation had d
lighthouse at the top and a dungeon at
the bottom. Then it fostered pride--and
rs men grew rich and independent, they
were above their brethren, and wish to
live alone SO that one class is at the top
and another at the bottom-and the bot
tom looks up and envies the top, aud the
top looks down and despises the bottom
as if a tree were to look down and despiSe
its root and the earth that grew it, as Cut-
gar Make the foundation Of a house
strong, and then the superstructure will
be safe, and can be made beautiful Slave
ry curses and blasts the bottom and at
last it curses and blasts the top. And
this is the effect of the burden of slavery
on society. Mr Beecher's remarks on
slavery created much sensation, and elic-
tied great applause, in the midst of which.
the lecturer said--"Eight years ago you
would not have done SO !"-(Lau%htcr
and applause)
The third burden Of society was the
burden OF war. There was a mystery Of
violence, a mystery of blood, in the natu-
raj history of this globe When he facts
were looked fairly in the face, destructive
ness would be found to b the organized
necessity Of animal life That destroying
should sometimes be intercalated in the
experience Of the animal creation was not
strange But man was just as fully de
stroyer as his interiors. 4 humane lion
would violate Gods law-and if a tiger
were to Join the Peace Society, he would
starve to death Man, however, was
4 II, o,-r;cJ =, ~ ,,,.,ro o,r+ /,
and spirit. He was divine and animal.
In the one de>tructiycness ran; IN the
other love was made to be supreme; and
in the conflict of life the struggle was be
tween those two principles War had
been both the business and the paStime
of whole races OF men. Blood had always
been sweeter to man than wine The
spider ate the fy, the bird ate the spider,
and the hawk ate the bird, and al for
hunger; but the boy shot the hawk, and
why? For fun. When a man killed ami,
mails for the legitimate supply of human
wants, and with the least amount of tor
tuent, what did we call him 2? A butcher.
, When man killed for the mere wanton
IoNC VI hililIS, anu IhhlClcu tue greatest
possible agony, what was he called? A
sportsman All the lower animals were
more economical in their destructiveness
than man The lion never killed but to
eat should not nIan be made to do the
same? When the President of the Unit
ed States sent out a ship to lombard a
nest of poor wretches, and killed twenty
: or so it was mere useless waste Uni.
versal cannibalism would be preferable,
for it would involve less destruction OF
: life Where, however, war was the pat
riots defence of sacred right, it was a
duty Death then was as sacred as mar
tyrdom at any stake. But wars seldom
had been freemen's heroic offerings much
oftener had they been the Kings ambi-