Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-23

cies over the qualities OF parsonage OF
whom their actual knowledge was an inap-
preciable quantity. The Government gave
itself up to the control of the current and
placed the popular idol in the loftiest position
it had within its gift, while the idol himself
seems to have done all that conveniently lay
in his way to demonstrate his want offitness
for the place to which he had been elevated.
Human Equality y-Response to n Core
spOndent.
A correspondent at Lebanon writes to u.s.
saying he has been interested in several ar
ticles upon slavery which have appeared in
the PRESS but is unable to learn from what
standpoint we reason, and desires US to an
swer the following questions: "Do you con-
slider the negro race entitled to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happinessP Do you con-
slider the negro incapable of elEgovernment,
and altogether unmanageable except in
state of servitude 2"
We reason from the stand. point of the
actual, and not from that of the theoretical.
We do not know whether all mankind are
created equal or not. The Declaration of
American Independence states that such is
the case; but how Mr.. Jefferson-who has
the credit of the authorship Of that docu.
ment-knew it; or whether he had any
sources of information which are not open
to everybody, is more than we have been
informed. We suspect that the statement is
little more than the expression of his indi-
vidual opinion; or, st most, Of the opinions
of those who signed the Declaration with
him; and entitled to just as much credit as
the joint expressions of an equal number of
respectable, unscientiic gentlemen upon any
other point of philosophy which is totally
unsusceptible of proof one way or the other.
It may be true, and may not; but being con-
trovertible, it is msnifestly no foundation for
science of any kind.
We do know this, that men are not in
fact equal. The inequality in size, strength,
beauty, character, capacity, worth-in every
quality which enters in to make up the man
is the thing of all others most perceptible,
in looking at the humanity. 1t is not neces-
saIy here to allude to difference in races.
Between the best and the worst, the highest
and the lowest, the noblest and meanest, the
strongest and the weakest of any race and
in any society, there is space enough to JUS
tify the expression Of the ancient philosopher,
that "there is more difference between man
and man, than there is between man and
brute"
= 1t would probably disturb the equanimity
of the most strenuous stickler for the doc
trine of human equality, to tell him that he
was no better begotten and born than mig
ger and yet this would be nothing more
than presenting to him in personal way
the principle of the Declaration Of American
Independence; at least, according to the
popular Interpretation of that document.
DO zoe consider The negro race entitled to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
We consider the negro race and the white
race, and one as much as the other, and each
individual of which it is composed, as much
as the whole collectively, entitled to all that
it can get of life, liberty, or any thing else;
and we believe it is part of the immutable
economy of Nature that each will get all
to which he or it is entitled.
Every man, woman and child in society
falls into its proper place by virtue of that
selfadjusting energy which accommodates
the social elements to each other. The strong
occupies the place in the scale where strong
men belong; the weak where weak men be.
long. The virtuous and intelligent rise tC
influence, and influence is power; the viciou:
and ignorant sink to insignifcance, and in.
significance is subserviency. The thrifty
and industrious grow rich, and riches is
mastery; the unthrifty and indolent groyel
in poverty, and poverty is servitude. It i,
not necessary to go to Carolina to find tn,
master and the slave; they may be found by
our correspondent in Lebanon, as easily a
anywhere else, il he will only use his eye
and forget his theories.
If slavery in the South is any thing NOR
than that of inferiority of condition whic
naturally attaches to the absence of thos
qualities which enable men to rise to highe
places in the society where they live, the
the negro has less of liberty and the pursui
OfhaPPiness than he should have and slavery