The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1860-03-17
A PHILOSOPHICAL PIKE.

The doctrine Of progressive develop
ment-that is the development Of lower,
resulting in higher species of organized
being-has received a new impulse of late
from the remarkable book of Darwin on
Species" Additional impulse, also, in the
same direction, has accrued from the re-
cent exhibition of Talking Fish," (now,
alasl deceased and "philosophising Pike, !"
(now, thanks be to gracious, alive and
kicking)
A morning print, which some years ago
laid the literary world under deep obliga-
ton by publishing the remarkable essay of
"Richelieu on Sausages," is the fortunate
medium Of communication between the
same world and the philosophical Pike
Moreover, the city of Washington, in
which the first essay was written, is also
the ever-memorable locality in which
Pike houndered. No wonder that it rained
on Washington'5 Birthday-no wonder the
Seventh Regiment was leftsquashing in the
mud-W ashington was occupied by no.
bier presence than Washington or the
doughty Seventh contained Pike, and
not only Pike, but Pike in labor with his
philosophical speculations, speculations
which required water and midland the
hour suited itself to the-Pike. And now,
let us here these views which constitute
not perhaps "higher law" but certainly
higher Pikery (Hiera Picra) than has yet
fallen in our way. There is the force and
strength of a strong young whale in the ex-
ordium. Pike dict.
"The negro question developes all sorts
of ideas, from the 'irrepressible conflict
doctrine to that which esteems human sla-
very to be the fruit of divine benefcence
Ingenuity is taxed on the one side and the
other of the case, until all its relations and
associations have become wearisome. It's
not too much to say that every measure in
Congress turns upon it. Every personal
outrage here (of course the outrage on the
Seventh Regiment included) grows out of
it. All political movements find their
source in it. All social arrangements are
shaped by it. The loves and the hates,
the partnerships, the prejudices, the asso-
alton and communion of all men and wo-
men of the federal capital, are colored,
guided, and for the most part created by
the negro question"
This is a strong, clear statement of a
truth remarkable in itself, and encouraging
to the eye Of faith and reason, for it shows,
under an apparently contradictory aspect,
that there is after all national conscience
visibly stirred by our great national sin.
And Reason and Christianity would add,
let the negro be the source of all ideas and
all action in and out of the American Con-
gress and nation, until by the exercise to-
wards him of mercy and Justice in giving
him full Acknowledgement, he shall cease to
become the cause of all such commoton.
But what does Pike sayY Hear him: "In
view of this palpable fact, what question so
natural as, Where is all this to end ? 1t
seems to me there can be but one answer.
This is the elimination of the negro from
our controversy. But how is he to be got
out? Only in one way, By disnaasssmg
him from among as" Further on, he ex-
plains thus: "We say the Free States
should say, con6nc the negro to the small
est possible area Hem him IN. Coop
hin up. SLOUGH HIM OFF,"
To those not familiar with surgery, it is
well to explain, that to slough part off,
is to procure the death Of the part by the
the process of modification. And this is
the process by which the philosophical
Pike proposes to get rid of the negro ques
tion-KrLLING OFF THE NEGROES. Charles
O'Conor limited at this process, at the
Academy of Music, limited at the "exter-
mination of the negroes as a means OF get.
ting rid of the question" but considered ii
ooinhuman. He preferred, ''if gentlemen
pleased, perpetual slavery" But here is
a Pike, with less heart than even Charles
OConor, who does not hesitate at herding
together and putting to death four millions
of human beings, whose right to life is at
least four million times as great as any
plea he can offer for his own pitiful, miser-
able existence Charlemagne, teased and
pestered beyond endurance by the theiving
piratical Saxons, invaded their land, assem-.
bled the whole nation, planted his sword
Joyeuse in the midst Of field, and cut off
every head which reached higher than its