The Nevada journal., 1860-01-06
HELPERS aIMPEND1Nc oRIsIs.,

Inc N l. ECen1Hg f0st thus fairly and sensi-
bly, sums up the facts in the case which has
given so much trouble to the Pro-Saverv section
of the unorganized House
Helper is young gentleman of the State of
North Carolina, who, born in the midst of slay-
cry, and knowing the influences of it upon his
native State and upon the whole country has
not conceived so high an opinion of its worth as
seems to be entertained by many who live bv its
proceeds. Conceiving himself disnterested
witness of its effects, he wrote book about it.
addressed chiefly to the minds of those of his
own class, the whites of the South who are not
Shareholders. In many respects his book is an
admirable book; not equal doubtless, as lite
rary performance, to Bacon's Advancement of
Learning, nor so interesting as Uncle Toms
Cabin, but plain, sensible, Intelligent and CON
vncing argument against slavery.
Helpers first chapter is a comparison between
the results of slave labor and free labor, drawn
mainly from the statistics of the last census and
showing conclusively the superiority of freedom.
The author takes the States one by one, contrasts
their physical and commercial condition. COM
pares their productive resources their commerce
their wealth, their educational establishments
their newspapers and churches and the rapidity
of their progress in all the elements of civiiZa-
tion and the conclusion he demonstrates is, that
III everything that contributes TO the welfare and
happiness OF man, the free States are lmmeasur-
ably in advance of the slave States. Slavery, he
South, impoverishing and depopulating the
cities, laying the country under tribute to the
North, degrading the free white men, and cor
ruptlng the slaveowners. Not with a feeling of
triumph, as he cOntesses, but with profound
modification and regret, Helper records the re-
suits OF his patient and comprehensive investi-
cations. They were SO humiating to the South
and such reproach upon the intelligence, indie
pendence, and energy of his fellow -cOuntrvmen
that he was forced to cry out against the abuses
ntiicta1 fartila md h.
the seltishness of small class among its nhab-
itants
In his second chapter Helper proceeds TO in
quire how the cause of all this stagnation and
wrong may be removed, or, i'll other words, how
slavery, the monstrous mother of the horde of
evils he had uncovered, may be abolished. And
IN his answer he touches upon the sorest point
OF the system, irritating it in such way that
the defenders of slavery, in and out of Congress.
| are bowling with pain. Seven-eighths OF the
people of the South SAYS our author, are non
shareholders, having no interest in the affair
| and only oppressed and degraded by its exist
enee. They have been robbed by il of that pros
perity which they might have otherwise at
tanned the industry of their free arms has been
paralyZed by II they have been kept in igno-
| rance by it and they are practically, through
its effects, deprived of the better part of their
cial and political rights. The Shareholders CON
troll the political machinery of the South they
enjoy the profitable offices they determine the
ana RANK OF men III society, ana
in all their private and public conduct deport
themselves exclusively with reference TO their
own predominant interests. Though numbering.
all told, not more than three hundred and fifty
thousand persons, while the other free whites
number six millions at least, they assume to
themselves peculiarly the name of the
South" and always talk as if slavery were
the only fact in Southern life. The six millions
of non shareholders much ignored by
them as if they were only so many cattle OF so
many beasts of burden.
Now this is degrading position for the free
whites, according to Helper and the remedy he
proposes is one growing directly out of the evil.
He counsels the mons -slavehoding freemeu to set
up little for themselves, to protest against the
despotism of their oligarchy, and manage their
political and social affairs in view of the larger
interests of the whole people, and not for the
benefit of a single class. We are strong, he OBJ
serves 10 his brother freemen we have rights,
and we ought to maintain them. He advises,
therefore, as a means of practical effect, the
adoption of the following principles:
|. Thorough organization and independent
political action on the part of the -slavehold
ing whites of the South.
-. lneligibility of prO-slavery Shareholders
never another vote to any one who advocates the
retention and perpetuation of human slavery.
"S. No connection with pro-slavery politi-
clans; no fellowship with them in religion no
utilization with them in society.
A. No patronage to pro-slavery merchants
no guestship in save-wating hotels fees to
pro-slavery lawyers; no employment of pro-
slavery physicians; no audience to pro-sayery
parsons.
% No more hiring of slaves by non-shave-
holders.
sc. Abrupt discontinuance of subscriptions TO
pro-slayery newspapers.
=. The greatest possible encouragement to
free white labor
There is something extreme, no doubt, in this;
but it is only retorting upon the Shareholders
themselves the course of proceeding which they
have long recommended towards the North and,
under Helpers experience of the intolerance OF
the privileged class, not altogether unnatural.
In the remaining chapters of his book Helper
| fortihes his own conclusion with the best opin-
ions that he can gather from the collected wis
dom of the civilized world. He begins with
citations against slavery from the writings Of
Southern statesmen themselves from Washing
ton, Jefferson, Madison, Henry, Pinckney the
Randolphs, Marshall, Mason, CASTOR, Mcdowell,
Clay, Benton, and others, and from the resou-
tons OF Southern Legislatures He next ad-
duces the testimony of Northern men Franklin,
Hamilton, Adams, Warren Jaw Clinton Ames
and the rest. He then passes to the evidence
given TO the same effect by the many ilustrious
thinkers and writers of all ages, from Plato and
Cicero, i'll ancient times; from the Popes and
scholars of the middle ages; from the publiciss
of France; from the literature of England, down
| to the splendid eloquence of Burke and Brougham
in our modern eras Finally he avais himself
of the declarations of the Churches of all de
nominations and sects, which have put on record
| their eternal hostility to the subsection of
| by man.
This work has seemed to many persons, who
sympathized in the leading objects of it, so well
adapted to its ends, that they deemed il impor-
tant to the best interests of the nation to give it
as large circulation possible. Not that they
conceded in all the views of the writer or that
| they approved every particular phrase he may
have chosen TO express his meaning in for that
would be impossible, but simply because they
regarded it as valuable exponent ofthe opinions
of a Southerner, and useful instrument in the
| correction of public opinion Leading Republi-
cans, indeed made an effort to procure it gem
eral perusal. Ii had been objected to them az
a party, that they had no adherents at the South
But how could they have adherents when they
had few means of reaching the Southern mind,
from which all free opinion is so systematically
excluded, and when their principles and aims
were studiously misrepresentedg Not q
speech or a Governors message is ever printed
there which gives fair and impartial account of
the designs of the Republican movement. Ex-
tracts from the rabid eloquence of extremists
calculated to excite the terrors of the South are
republished in profusion, as the settled senti-
ment of the North but the real sentiment is for
| the most part travestied and garbled. Helpers
book was of a nature to khow its Southern read
ers, if il found any, the reason why tine North
was so attached TO freedom, and why the South
itself would be benefited by an adoption of our
| better system; and ii deserved the favor of all
who were interested i'll the good of the country
The Republicans, we believe, however, did not
circulate it to the extent that was desired few
| certified to It's worth, and some subscribed to q
fund for its diffusion, but the effort was not on
| the whole successful. But what the Republicans
| could not or did not accomplish the representa-
| tives of the shareholders in Congress are about