The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-06-28

before an altar of tue Greek Church, de-
voutly told his beads with one hand, and
with the other deliberately picked the
pocket of fellow sinner by his side
Not admiring these instances, | cannot
cease to deplore system which has much
of both, while, Under an affectatlon Of
charity, it sordidly takes from the slave
all the fruits of his bitter sweat, aud thus
takes from him the handspring to exer-
tion Tell me, sir, is not Slavery bar
barous?
Such is Slavery in It's five special ele-
ments of Barbarism, as recognized by
law; first, assuming that man can hold
property in man; secondly, abrogating
the relation OF band and wife thirdly,
abrogatiug the parental tie; fourthly,
closing the gates of acknowledge and fifth
Ily, appropriating the unpaid labor of
another. Take away these elements;
sometimes called "abuses," end Slavery
will cease to exist, for it IS these very
abuses which constitute Slavery.-
Take away any one of them, and the alb.
olition of Slayerv begins. And when |
present Slavery for judgment, | mean no
slight evil, with regard to which there
nay be a reasonable difference of opinion,
but mean this fve-fold embodiment Of
abuse this ghastly quincunx of Bar
barism-each particular of which, if con-
sidered separately must be denounced at
once with all the ardor Of an honest soul,
while the whole fve-fold combination
must awake fold denunciation.
! But this five fold combination becomes
still more hateful when its single motite
is considered. The Senator from Missis
sippi T Mr. Davis says that it is but a
form of civil government for those who
are not fit to govern themselves The
Senator is mistaken. 1t is an outrage
where five different pretensions all concur
in one single object, looking only to the
profit of the master, and constituting its
ever present motive power, which is sim
ply to compel the labor Of feltoO men
,cifhom acagesl
If the offence of Slavery were less ex-
tSuUeu IL III htiS CpbuuCu W Sou-O hdt
row region if it had less of grandeur in
its proportions if its victims we're count
ed by tens and hundreds, iusteud of MIL
lions, the five headed enornlity would fud
little indulgence. All would rise against
it, while religion and civilization would
lavish their choicest Efforts in the general
warfare. But what is wrong when done
to one man cannot be right when done
to many. Ii it is wrong thus 10 degrade
single soul--if it is wrong thus to de-
grade you, Mr. Pres;dent-it cannot be
right to degrade whole race And yet
this is denied by the barbarous logic of
Slavery, which, taking advantage Of its
own wrong, claims immunity because its
Usurpatiou has assumed front of auda-
city that cannot be safely attacked. Un-
happily, there is Barbarism elsewhere in
the world but American Slavery, as de-
fined by existing law, stands forth as the
greatest organized Barbarism on WHICH
the sun nov shines. 1t is without SIN
gle peer. It's author, after making it,
broke the die.
If curiosity carries US to the origin of
this law-and here | approach topic
often considered in this Chamber-we
shall confess again its Barbarism. 1t is
not derived from the common law, that
fountain of Liberty; for this law, while
unhappily recognising d system OF servi-
tude, known as villeinage, secured to the
bondmah privileges unknown to the
American slave; protected in his person
against mayhem; protected bis wife
against rape; gave to his marriage equal
validity with the marriage Of his master,
and surrounded his ffSpring with geuer-
Gus prcsumptions of Freedom unlike that
rule of yours by which the servitude Of
the mother is necessarily stamped upon
the child. 1t is not derived from the
Roman law, that fountain Of tyranny, for
two reaSons-frst, because this law IN its
better days, when its early rigors were
srent-like the common law itself-se-
cured to the bondman privileges unknown
to the American slave--in certain cases
of cruelty rescued him from his master
prevented the separation Of parents and
children, also of brothers and sister
and even protected him in the marriage
relation and, secondly, because the Thir
teen Colonies were not derived from any
of those countries which recognized the
Roman law, while this law even before
the discovery Of this continent had lost
all living efficacy 1t is not derived from
the Mahomedan law for ander the mild
injunction of the Koran. 4 bcuignant SER
vitude unlike yours, has prevailed
where the lash is not allowed to lacerata
the back of female; where 10 knife OF
Branding iron is employed upon any hu
man being to mark him as che property
of his fellow man; where the master is