New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-08
A pIoUs PIECE OF PROPERTY.

4 PIOIS PlLCE OF PROPERTY.
When "Uncle Toms Cabin" was 10 the full
glory Of countless editions, the Southern critics
were very angry because Mrs. Beecher Stowe
had made the hero of tie book reprehensibly
religious. They were, in fact, in an uDprece-
dented condition Of dilemma. They had all
along asserted, among other things, that Slave.
ry made negroes pious; but when they were
taken at their word, and the character of
Christian negro wa. forcibly deneated,
they suddenly discovered that, if it proved
anything, it proved altogether too much, and
that tho impertinent world would be asking
about the necessity of enslaving saints. The
possibility Of an 81 Uncle Tom" once ad.
mitted, all the puny, staryeiug logic by
which man-owners seek 10 e1tenuate narrowing,
must give up the ghost at once. Well that an
Uncle TQm," or somebody very like bim, is
possible. We are enabled 20 prove BY the author
ity of The Richmond (Va.) Dispatch. That paper
records how, upon the afternoon Of certain late
Sunday, into certain Richmond chapel OF the
Methodist South variety, walked a certain black
man /" in military costume" who incontnently
fell 10 his "secIet deyotons.' These fairly
accomplished, the stranger seut up to the parSon
certificate setting forth that the bearer was
ga pous and reliable man" the document being
attested by the Presiding Elder Of the New
Orleans (M. S.) District. After due scrutiny,
the pious and reliable man in military costume
was invited to make speech. And upon
his compliance with the request, it appeared
that he was tho property Of some
body in New-Orleans, but was just then attached
to the " Washington Artillery" of New0rleans
Aforesaid, then in Richmond aforesaid, for tho
overthrow of Abraham Lincoln and his mercena-
res. Black man, in military costume. makes
good speech, and is requested to try his tongue
at prayer. Make, beautiful prayer-prays
for the s. C. Army for the man who owns him,
for the Washington Artillery. The newspaper
from which we gather these thrilling circum-
stances, says: /" This man is type Of the vast
majority Of the colOred people in all the South
" ern States. Let A. Lincoln and his hordes of
AbotiOnists arm themselves well against the
prayers and other efforts, even Of the coorcd
"population Of the South" Fas sa ab hoSie
de,eri. We must make note OF this. The
prayers of the white rebels we should not value
a rush; but if the blacks have really taken to
praying against u.s. why the oxen, the horses,
and the mules will be at it next; so that we
may well be looking about u.s. The hordes"
can never stand against the herds-neyer
1t is difficult to understand upon what princi-
pie Of augmentation it is sought to be established
that, because men are fit for freedom. they
should be kept in Slavery. Examine the case Of
the military saint above described lie is, if we
may credit the evidence, pious, intelligent, trust
worthy and patriotic-no white man is more 80
and vet, with all these admirable qualities, be
must be owned by somebody, because he cannot
take care of himself; but must be looked after
by white man, who certainly cannot claim to
be more than pious, intelligent, Trustworthy, and
patriotic. And this Christian slave aud soldier.
if we may trust The Dispatch, is not by any
means o black swan. He is on the contrary,
"a type of the vast majority of the coored
{" people in all the Southern States" who cannot
take care of themselves! If this be not the very
concrete of absurdity, we do not know what is.
The true argument for Slavery is this: These
blacks are hopelessly degraded; they are incor-
rieibly idle; they are thieves whom it is impossi
BILE to reform, they arc liars BY nature and with
out shame; they are utterly incapable of family
ties; they can be taught no religious duties; they
are of a race which has proved powerless against
enlightenment from the first, and will so remain
until time shall be no more There is your argu-
ment, we repeat, for the validityof Human Slavery
To be sure, your premises are utterly false; but
If you stick impudcntly by tbtm they viii serve
for the nonce. But the moment you abandon
ihem--ths moment you produce your faithful, re.
ligous intelligent. afiectonate paragon OF slave.
~ ~ argument lsr the system, yea are logically