, 1860-07-03
[ar,cI;aI:a Il: Ttibuttc.
~ o,n ACQUAINTANCE

Te like to meet oo "e40
mir, re find Mr.. RICHARD aA1pEAAS,
of p.nusyl,apia-tho author Of a recent pa'''
rhlet entitled: r,ox &n
!. .,ukE1caS SLAVERY REGARDED FROM AN
UNUSUAL STANDPOINT.
..,,z,.,t, xbsroo;on. 1y.nrei 1mnaie'ttl and
d e+o,s Rodtca1 I~ae Eussi." |
-snno,nted rs a member Of the Dongtns lie
rnoc,atic National COMMITTEE, we 1cjoiee to
acknowledge The fitness Of the selection; and
to confess that the right man has been tound
for the right place. Since the Douglas party
in National Convention l,avs declared their
readicess for Congressional Slave Code, pro
,idcd tue Supreme Court hive already declaea'
or uoy hereafter decide, that Territorial Legs.
lstures canpot abolish slavery, Ar. Hnlde'
mans elevation in the ranks Of the party be-
comes even signify just and appropr'ate.'-
About three months ago this gentleman, rs
President Of tue Democratic Union CLUB o.
Harrisburg, Pa, issued pamphlet with the
ab>vc capticn, which was quite exscis'stls
frauked to the Northwest hy the Douglas
members Of C:ngrcss from this State Inc
c,nr which, fell into our hands bare the sign
manual Of the Hon. J. 4. Acclernand. We
o,ro il 4 brief notice at the time Of its te7mes
uo,oricty, and since tie author has earned
promotion by his success in pr'psgat'ng new
ideas Of social economy, We may venture 10
ca,, attention again to the leading features Ct
his document.
Mr. usldcman argues that the idea Under
living tic Republican party, and giving 1t its
unc1smpled success, "ccnsists i'll vague bc"
"lef in the cquali,y Of I'LL races Of men,,
belief which has obtained degree Of currency
md strength in the United States quite unwar-
1an,ed by apy premises which have been cs'
tablislled by history, religion or common sense:
This idea he says WAS first heEalded by the
French philosopher and seep1ic, housseau'
through whcsa brilliant writings the popular
mind Of France was imprcgna1ed With the no.
ton Of slibcrtv, equality aud fraternity" so"
called, the whole resulting in the Revolution
Of :?s, 1he slaughter Of hundreds Of lluman be-
ipcs. and the enforcement Of tie goddess Of
Reason! The American idea that "al men
urc created equal found in our Declaration Of
Indapendcnce, was derived from this bloody
parturition in FRANCE. Mr.. lIaldeman is rath-
CT misty in Lis chronology at this point, not
explaining how the american Revolution hap
pened to come On twenty years before the
French. He holds, nevertheless, that JetIer-
son became imbued with tie dogma Of the
equality Of all men from his association with
Freackmen- Thus he says, "this abstract
"opinion was adopted by the nation, and q
'vazue belief in the equality Of all races hn:
"foated through the national mind Of America
"from that dar to this
THO purpose Of the pamphletecr is tito re
"ply hy the proof that such an idea is thE
"conception Of moon-struck theorists ant
"buiders Of castles in the air." 1t is for thi
French Revolution, whence, IL alleges, tn
notion Of the equality Of mackiud WINS import
ed to Au:rica- Heprocceds to argue that tn
African race has teen enslayed from tile pcrio
Of remotest aa1iquity-that the negroes hay
never given evidence Of acapacity for civiliz:
tion, not even By borrowing from civilize
races with whom they are brought in COZ
tact b5 trade or proximity Of territory. It'll
inference is, Ct course, that the whip is The 0,
II reliable civilizing agent to be applied to Il
African, and "picklicg" the only eure nca,
Of grace, by which he may be brought to ii
knowledge Of eternal 1hines) The chasm b
tween flis train Of ideas and the c1tren
Southern creed, that slavery as it exists
morally right ard socially beneficial, is casi
skipped over. Tho pamphlet ends with i
assertion Of the broadcast Ca]hounism, dccl:
ing that the equality Of the human family
an arrazt heresy, uusustaincd by either fa'
Of logic.
WhiIe We take issue with this member
the Douglas National Committee as to his "a
and logic, we eau but confess that he ho
the proper ground FIR the maintenance Of
political position, and VIC can but rejoice
find the issues Of the campaign thus be
narrowed down to their legitimate propoEtio
We can but congratulate our readers aud I
Republican party Of the nation, that the
called Democracy, even in the Noril,, are c.,
Ing of the diEguises which they hare here
fore worn. As long as they were making
plea that the integrity Of the Union demand
the continuance Of S.arery; as long rs IL
excused its existence by daclaiming respou
bility for its beginning; as long as they p
fcszed to dcpecate its effects upon the 10
polite AID social and to hope for its remoy
they were dangerous just in proportion to
extent Of the popular belief in their sinccri
But let them once etand before the Ameris
people as the champions Of that herssy VII
maintains that any nation or individual m
necessarily be condemned to s!evcry, and th
fate may he ut once loretold. Without bc
nble t. describe the logical process by wi
they would reach that conclusion, the men
tol-the men who Sow and reap, who hamr
iron, plano boards, build machines, make 70,
and do tho work Of tie world general,
would feel that the enl,raslment Of the Ill
man, by virtue Of that herc*y, is but the /
lude 10 the enslayement Of themselves;
that the Virginia maxim, "ccndition, not &
il tho essential prerequisite Of slavcl
would not wait long for IN application to
white men, Ar. Trademarks argument vi
now has in marked degree the sanction Of
Douglas party Of the nation challenges
reproduction Of HESRr CLAY's famous lie
Of 1sl9, written in the maturity Of the e
mans intellect, on the occasion cf tie
Constitutional Convention in Kentucky.
letter III too long for the limits Of this art
but the wise and statcsn.an1ike views whit
presents are peculiarly opposite to tile mf
under consideration. II. KNOW" said
Clay, "thers are those who draw an argur
sin favor Of slavery from the alleged intel
"ual inieriority Of tic black race Whe
"thls argument is founded in fact or !
will not stop to inquire, but merely say
"if it proves anything at all it prove
''mud,. 1t proves that among tic white
ain the world any ono might properly b
"alaved By any other which had made gr
"advauces in civilization. And, if this
"applies to Iations there is no reason "
'should not apply to Individuals; q,
''1uight easily be proved that tho uiaest
ain tue world could rightfully reduce all !.
"nnen and women to bondage"