The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-19
TIE PulTTTt... AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF SLAVERY.

admits the impossibuty Of maintaining :" half caste
republic on this northern portion OF the Western Oonu-
nent by the political anagamaton OF the slaves and tne
masters, touches this much yexed question as win
needle and lets the exact truth. The HERALD, aiier
long years OF observation and study Of the character OF
the negro race has hesated at various times to cx-
press the opinion that they vastly Inferior to the
whites in all respects that they cannot exist with auy de-
gree Of comfort except in state Of servtude where
the influences of Christianity, well self interest,
tain it, the Southern staes in its very miidest form.
Is intention to take up at present this view Of
the subject but to embody briefly possible all that
wort knowing Of what here term the political aud
social history of slavery gathered from the very best
authorities within reach Of the student and scholar
Slavery has existed from the earliest periods, and Is
spoken Of institution by the earliest writer's known
n the Patriarchal times-a part Of the system which
governed the Jewish Sates continued throughout Asia, in
Greece Rome, during the Christian dspcnsaton the Md
die Ages, and down to period. Thus, whether
We consider 1t either as an evil per Sc, or one OF
the consequences of the difference OF permitted
under the government OF Inc world has pervaded
all and all countries and remains 10 puzzle and be-
wilder States.
We are informed by the best ancient authorities that
from the earliest ages slavery the condition Of the
hreest portion Of mankind and although by numerical
strength they could then have emancpated themselves
they made the attempt Abraham had three hun
dred eighteen servants, slaves, born in his
house, who followed him implicitly, were counted
part Of his possessions and for him valuable spos
In battle in the valley Of Jehosaphat OF which he how
ever generously retained but tenth The slaves spoken
of in the early Scriptures either prisoners taken in
bought with money they and their offspring were
the property of their masters who could sell them, iuc
corporal punishment upon them, and put them TO
death. The Hebrews had slaves also Of their own
ton-men who sold themselves TO their creditors when
they could not pay their debts, and in doing SO entaed
the consequence upon their wives and children Noses
their great awgiver who ruled them under the ir,me
date direction Of God, whose gorcs had been manifested
him in proof Of his authority not only did abolish
slavery rs we might suppose he would have done If he
had had the modern views Of such phanthropss
the good wbeforce but recognized this natural condition
Of man, and adapted his legislation 10 give legitimate
and more decided character.
He treated slaves property-the servant was his
masters money; but he Disseminated between the
subsection Of his brethren, enslaved through po
verify theft descent from the former servants Of the
household. Both humane and political unques.
honaby led to the law which required the Hebrews 70
obtain their servants from the heather.
"Both thy bond men and thy bond maids which thou
shalt shall be of the heather that round about
you--of them shall ye buy bond men and bond maids
Noreover of the children Of the strangers that do
ourn among you, OF them shall ye buy and Of their fam
lies that with you which they begot in their land and
they shall be your possession. And shall take them
inheritance for your children after you inherit them
possession; they shall be your bond for ever
Again: "I leave these heathen nations to you aud
your children. At all times ye shall find servants for
yourselves out Of them"
Now is very evident as it is very remarkable,
that slavery and the buying and selling Of SER
wants. and the provision for their maintenance, the
various regulations for the enjoyment Of their privileges
of certain portions OF their time OF their right acquire
wealth and TO redeem themselves, all founded on
the assumption that slavery in itself lawful Bat
there another view Of this liberation and maintenance
Of slavery principle among the jews which think
has been sufficiently ever, noticed BY the conro
vere,asss the subject.
The Jewish government was theocracy; il was inme-
daeIy directed by Godthe only instance Of tina, kind in
the history Of the world Now then, in the giving OF the
Law to the Jewsand 1t was full Of details, monia and
mora-how il that God through Noses did not at
once and absolutely prohibit slavery q moral evil and
the purchase and possession aud of slaves in the va
rious forms in which they held that period as
contrary to his divine wls All the crimes which ae:t
the relations or influence the fate Of most RI
statute laws and our common laws recognise the early
principles Of right and wrong written dowa by the ugcr
OF God the tables Of stone aud the precepts OF Noses
Why did he not abolish slavery It belonged to these
categories, instead OF shaping out directions for
its modification and continuance? Here = people
whose manners habits social relations and laws all
Of divine arrangementthc work Of who represent
ed as the unchangeabethe yesterday, today and
forever and yet the political condition of slaves among
the Jews confirmed, established and recognized as
principle and necessity Here Gods actual personal
government Of peculiar people, whom he enlightened
above all others, among whom he permitted slavery
exist, and whom he authorized TO extend the prin-
cpe by the subsection Of the heather nations their
service. Can be deemed, in this historical point of
view, any greater evil than it then aud
shall say that God has changed HIS moral 60
vernment Of the world As the regulations with regard
10 the servants slaves of the Hebrew nations are
within the reach OF all the readers of the Bole not
necessary 60 into detail their character neither
to the perpetuity Of bondage by the OF the
slave and the boring of his ear-the difference between
alien and native slaves Of the effect Of the jubilee
and the various modes Of remaining in escaping from
subsection.
With regard to slavery among the heather nations, it
Is curious fact that the introduction of its principles
abaed much Of the horrors Of Carves usually
put TO death, and only spared when it was found
they could be sold.
Slavery existed throughout the whole Of Greece Ars
totle considered household complete without slaves
denomnatng them working tools and Possessions"
None Of the Greek philosophers iuveghed against slavery
and the former, whose opinions quoted by large
class Of learned and thinking men, own day.
justified slavery "a the consequence Of the dverses Of
Among the Greeks two kinds of sIavcs-thsse
obtained by conquest and those purchased with money
An example Of the former the celebrated race Of
Helos who reduced 10 the most abect misery by
their oonqueros the Iacedemonans and OF the latter
those who bought and sold In abe of CONNER
cal cities obtained from the Greek colonies of Asia Minor
the interior Of Asia, and from Thrace where parents sold
their own children. In Athens there regular slave
market, the Kuklos, called because the slaves 70 be
disposed Of stood round In circle They sometimes
sold by auction and then placed tia; they
might be better In Athens, says a compe-
tcut auth thcir