The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-11-30

i Il no question that the people would vot
il ouf Of existsnce At once ii they had u
! opportunity. A Southern gentleman
thoroughly acquainted with the South
discl.,ses the fact that at caucus o
Toombs, Outcalt and others-who sue
decided in breaking up the Wing party
and who themselves owned large mum
Der Of slaves--thsy ,ooShi not dare 70 ris'
Slavery on a uote, Of North Carolina
! lie says that an unbiased vote would h,
thinks. vote it down in all States except
South Carolina, Mississippi aud Alabama
! We should add Florida and Louisiana
and We think his assertion would probably
prove true. But what does this proved
It proves that after al the political and
religious influences used in its favor, the
majority of the Southern people are con.
WINGED that it is neither just nor a prof
table institution. A few wild men and
wilder presses-like De Bows Review
and the Charleston Mercury-contsnd
probably in sincerity, that it is both just
and wise. But BY far the greatest num-
Der care nothing about that doctrine-in
fact, don't believe it-but adhere to Slave
ry practically as thing iasepdrably con-
nected nth the structure Of their society.
How shall We get rid ofthe negros is their
practical question. The negro is inter-
woven with their society in many more
ways than that of Slavery. A Christian
gentleman owns fifty slaves in Virginia
most of them either old or children. He
does nor value them as property. He
does not believe that originally he had
any right to make them slaves. He is
willing to get rid Of them. Shall he
sell them to the South! His conscience
forbids. Shall he enancipate them (if
the law permits, when society--that So
eiety in which he lives-regards free
negro as nuisance, ifnot an enemy, and
the man who sets him free public wrong
doer? In this condition he allows the
status Of the negro TO remain, an waits,
like MIcAwBER, 'for' something to turn
up" Something is turning up in this
war, and presses home upon every man
in this nation ~As swould be. true either
to his country or his raceGto answer in
some way HONESTLY, what, is to be done
with either the status or sosps Of the negro?
Some fanciful person, like Wendell Phil
lips, may say. 'Oh, let justice be done,
and God will take care Of the rest p
This is easily, often very lippantly said
but it begs the question arhe very ques-
tion is, what is justice, when We look to
the duty interest, and destiny, not merely
of the African, b.Ft Of the great Anglo
Saxon race? Justice in society is often
merely the adjustment Of relations between
parts of society. 1t neither is, nor can be
the determination Of positive and absolute
moral laws. We know these only by the
Revelation of God, and 80 far as that goes
we must abide by it. We certainly can
not know them by an appeal to what are
called natural laws. When, therefore, We
hear JEFFERSON, or WENDELL pHILLIRs,
or MARY WoLLENsToNoRAFr quoting
the attributes of God "a favor of absolute
justice, we receive it with much allowance,
when we Are yet to learn that either of
them believed in the Gully revelation God
has made of himself. What we really
want to know is not that Slavery is posi-
lively wrong, that tie war will undermine
it, that at some time it will be destroyed
we admit all this, and believe it-but
the social question remains, and it is not
to be got rid Of by any but practical pol
icy, which shall embrace the African race
in America If we were to put vote
to the mountain districts of the South
whether they would have slavery?-they
would reply-no. But if we were to put
another vote whether they would have
negroes multiplied among them. They
would again vote no In the mountain dis
tricts, this would be Of no practical impor-
tauce. But, i'll the gulf States, the two
things are incompatible. The negro is
there, whether slave, or free. II is not
merely a legal, but a social question; and
we think, that liz the discussion of Adolf
ton, emancipation, or any other matter
touching the moral condition Of the negro,
it should be honestly and fairly met. 1t
should be honestly met In the North,
which has discussed, as the South say,
this question, without having its response
bilities to meet Let Mr., CHEEvER or
Mrs. Stowe or the Earl of SHAFGEsBURY,
and the great Christian publy--wbich
must ultimately determine it--corsider
this problem, not in reference merely to
their own theories, or philosophical views
personal prejadices but to- the moral
or social and personal interests of
those to whom its determination is
vital and eternal. We began this article
in reference to the social bearings of the
war on Slavery; and We end it in the pro-
found conviction, that terminate as it may
the war has undermined the foundations
of Slavery, as a legal Institution. 1t has
set in motion antagonist forces, which are
irresistible That those forces may be
benificent rather than destructive to the
moral and pertinent interests of American
caD society, should be the prayer of every
true philosopher, as well as just citizen
and believing Christian.-[Cin. Gazette.