The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-10

Revolution In British public sentiment
with regard to American Slavery.
THE LONDON TIMES ON THE NEW YORK UNION
ail q MEETING.
From the London Times of January3.
Those who think that the cause of the
negro has been served by the raid of John
Brown and the speeches of his canonizers
will do well to read the report of the meeting
held in New York, on the 10th OF December
under the banner Of =" Justice to the South "
This meeting, be it observed, was "large
and influential" For fortnight mani
festo had been circulating in the city, and
had received an immense number OF sigma
lures. The purport of this document was
to express attachment to the Union and
condemnation of abolitionists excuses. The
meeting necessarily followed on this demon
stration. 1t was crowded and enthusiastic,
cheering to the utmost the strong passages
in the speakers oratiOns. 1t had the con.
currence of the first men in the Union, let
tiers expressing sympathy with its objects
having been received from no less than three
ex-Presidents-Mr. Van Buren,, Mr.. Fill
more, and Mr., Pierce. We may take the
assembly to have represented pretty closely
the prevailing opinion of New York, the
largest, richest, and most influential city in
the Union the city which, being equally
removed from New England and from the
cotton States, may be considered to afford
fair sample of average American opinion.
What, then, was the tone of the meeting
held in this free State city? What were
the sentiments which received the loudest
applause? What was the Justice" which
speakers demanded for the South? One
would suppose, after the demonstrations at
Boston, that the apologists of the slave
owner would be dumb that, shocked by
Governor Wise's wickedness, they would not
dare to wag their tongues against the men,
DRY of the martyrs whose blood has watered
the tree of liberty. But, unhappily for the
effect of the abolitionist campaign at Har-
per's Ferry and Boston, the speeches of the
New Workers are pro-slavery" to an ex-
tent which must startle the most Indifferent.
So far from showing indignation at the do~
ings of the Virginians, or even excusng the
existence Of slavery in the old apologize
fashion, the orators of this meeting, with
which ex-Presidents sympathize, roundly
defend the institution on natural, moral and
Scriptural grounds, and leave it to be infer.
red that slavery does not exist in New York
only because negro labor is not wanted.
After a preamble which recited the
various Federal acts giving the slave States
right to the support of the government at
Washington, Mr.. Brooks moved the first
resolution, defending the existence of invol-
untary servitude by its practice in the Ro-
man Empire at the Christian era, uncon-
demned by the Founder of Christianity or
His Apostles, and by the fact that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob are all represented to have
been owners of slave property. The Bible
nowhere condemns slavery. "The Bible,
then, is not in conflict with the institution"
Mr.. O'Connor followed, and compared
gentleman who Kissed him to the serpent
which beguiled Eve. He considered that
the equality of the negro was as impossi-
bic as the morality of the Mormon. CASA
white nation we made our constitution, and
we made our laws vesting political rights in
that race, the white American people,"
"The negro we left, so long as the commu-
nifty in which he lived should be pleased to
order, in the condition of a bondman. ZAP.
plause.) Now, gentlemen, to that condition
the negro is assigned by nature. E Bravor
applause, and That's so !0 He has strength
and is potent to labor but the nature which
created the will denied him both the intel
lect to govern and the willingness to work.
(Applause.) Both were denied him-both
were denied him And that nature which
deprived him of the will to labor gave him
a master to coerce that will, and to make
him useful servant in the cline in which
he was capable of living, both for himself
and for the master who governed him.
maintain that it is not injustice to leave the
negro in the position in which nature placed
him, to give him master to govern him
nor is it depriving him of any of his rights
to compel him to labor in return, and afford
to that master a just compensation for the
labor and talent employed in governing him,
and rendering him useful to himself and to
the society in which be lives. :. i. We are
not to talk about slavery being an evil. ..
we are to look at it by the voice of inspira.
ton, which is to be found in the sacred
volume, and which nowhere condemns the
bon lage of those who are naturally fit for
bondage" on
There can be no doubt that these are the
prevailing ideas even in the free States of
America, and as little that the violent do,
ings of the abolitionists have had great
share in producing them. 1t is but a few
years since the language of every American
in regard to slavery was apologetic. " 1t
could not be helped it would die out
Virginia and Delaware and Maryland, and
perhaps Kentucky, would be free States
before long;" and so on. But of late no
such language has been heard, and the cause
of the change, though principally the great
increase in the value of slave property is,
in great measure. also, the hatred inspired
by the abolitionists over the whole South.
The fertile cotton growing States might be
expected to support an institution which
makes their wealth, but even the high price
maid for fine vOunU noorOps vv0ul6 HARDLY