New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-27
THE ETERNrTY OF SLAVERY!

sur-rrx-~sss..ssur~s
THE HTERNETY OF SLAVERY!
We mark with wonder that cOtemporary
goes on, specuatipg and spinning and spinning
and speeuiating until be involves himself IN the
following extraordinary cocoon: " II this mad
scheme of Emancipation were carried INTO
effect, the necessity for cotton would rem
" troduce the present system OF labor IN less
than ten years. This ia what is termed III
vulgar parlapce, :. q settler" we must nave
.otton--we cannot have cotton without en-
SAVING human beings--therefore, we must en-
slave human beings. Of course, morally, there
i, 10 limit TO this style OF logic. Given cotton
as o sire qua non, and everything favorable to
its culture becomes right and equally every
thing unfayOrable becomes wrong. Before the
omnlpctent need indicated, all must give way.
There is a Necessity that knows no law, hu-
nan or divine. A starving man may steal
nread-a freezing man may steal coat-and
inan in general, that he may not sfarye nor
freeze. may st-al other men. But there is
,omething wore involved in this proposition viz.
regenerste and dise;thralled world returning
Ia its original sin for the sake Of sblTt
IL "a as if our progenitors, Adam and Eve, had
suddeuly discovered the shane of nakedness
while in condition Of original righteoufness,
ard 20 desperately swallowed the apple, as Inc
Only way OF getting Tor themselves an ou'h'.
We can im;gine o world without light, or
world without heat, but world without
cotttou shirts is a cosmogrtphca imposs iol'ity.
We may make good resolutions, reform abuses
do unto other, az tho golden rule directs, pro-
,,dod our shir,s are not taken from Us thereby;
brt when il comes to matter oil sbif' OF 10
shirt al moral Considerations can ooly De- im-
morally regarded, and the hight Of virtue is TO
be vicious. We do lot remember snythlng quite
so extrep,e as this in Machiayel, VI bees, or The
+ able of The Bees. The sequiiH, OF course, IL,
that While some men wear shirts, other Een
must be slaves or perbsss il may be pnI
thus -
/. without Shirts there con he no Men.
III. Without Cotton there can be no Shirts.
III, Without Slaves there can be DO Cotton.
Ergo.
Nv. Without Slaves there can be no Men.
V. Without Men there can be no Worid-atd d
vi. Without World
But it would be painful and it is unneces-
sary to 90 further.
Thus it will be perceived that tie World
actually reyolyes not upon an Axis but upon q
Pod. Itprogresses because something is planted.
A few bad crops and We are nowhere. What
cheerful prospect!
This is, of course, change. There was
time when shirts, "saye their own painted
"skins "--as the aniable COwper has it
"our sires had none" There was time
when men struggled through his dark destiny
! in linen shirt. There have been great mon
who s.lll cut o considerable figure in history,
who knew not The blessing Of cotton SHIRT.
1t is reasonable to suppose that S,lumon in all
his glory never enjoyed that comfort. Alexan-
der the Great triumphed in steel shirt and
tippIed in silk one. Julius C@sar-poor
man went ia wool. We have some rea-
son for suppOsiDg that Gen. Washington him.
self always wore linen.
- But the difficulty is that once having worn
q cotton shirt, mankind must cootinue to wear
one, or cease to exist. No more fg-leaves
now No more purple and fine linen! No
more leathern conveniences! We may, indeed,
fancy that ours will be the privilege, pitiabe ut
the best, of going shirtless if We please but
toning our coats to the chin, after shabby
eenteel fashion. Not a bit of it. The eye OF
the Destroying Angel will pierce through broad
cloth, and discover our deficiency in Cotton
Shirts.
The deduction Of the Eternity Of Slavery
from the Necessity of Shirts is not pleasant
one; but We must take it as it comes. Once
in England, they used to put the case little
differently. Then it was said that Man could
not live by Bread alone but must have Rum
with Sugar in it. Then the formula ran-No
SLAYER, No Rum aud Sugar Cd it," sara
honest John Bull, "in that case, WIN iaii
"back upon my Beer and Braudy'" Iais was