Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-04-11

l tempt for humanity, which Tn US bearing on justice and morality IS the fundamenta characteristic of the race. They have moreover, no knowledge of the immortali. ty of the soul although spectres are sup posed to appear Among us, instinct de- ters from it, if we can speak of instinct at all as appertaining to man. But with the negro this is not the case, and the devour- ing of human flesh is altogether consonant with the general principles of the African race; to the sensual negro, human flesh is but an object of sense-mere flesh. At the death of King hundreds are killed and eaten; prisoners are butchered and their flesh sold in the markets; the victor is accustom- ed to eat the heart of his slain foe. When magical rites are performed, it frequently happens that the sorcerer kills the first that comes in his way and divides his body among the bystanders. Another charac- teristic fact in reference to the negroes IS slavery. Negroes are enslaved by Euro reans and sold to America. Bad as this may be, their lot in their own land is even worse, since there slavery quite as abso- lute exists; for 1t is the essential principle of slavery, that man has not yet attained a consciousness of his freedom; and conse- quently sinks down to mere thing-an object of no valua Among the negroes moral sentiments are quite weak, or, more l strictly speaking, non-existent. Parents sell their children, and conversely children their parents, as either have an opportuni- ty. Through the prevailing influence of slavery all those bonds of moral regard | which we cherish towards each other disap pear, and 1t does not occur to the negro mind to expect from others what we are enabled to claim. The polygamy of the negroes has frequently for it's object the having many children, to be sold, every one of them, into slavery; and very often naive complaints on this score are heard, as, for instance, ill the case of negro in London, who lamented that he is now quite poor man because he had already sold all bis re- lations. In the contempt of humanity dis played by the negroes, 1t Is not so much a de>pising of death as want of regard for life that forms the characteristic feature.- To this want of regard for life must be ascribed the great courge, supported by enormous bodily strength, exhibited by the negroes who allow themselves to be shot down by thousands in war with Europeans. Life has value only when 1t has some thing valuable as its object.
 Turning our attention in the next place to the category of political constitution, we shall see that the entire nature of this race is such as to preclude the existence of any such arrangement The standpoint of hu- manty at this grade is mere sensuous voli- tion with energy of will; since universal spiritual laws ( for example, that of the morality of the family) cannot be recog- nized here. Universality exists only as ar bitrary subjective choice The political bond can, therefore, not possess such character as that free laws should unite the community There is absolutely no bond, no restraint upon that arbitrary voiton.- Nothing but external force can hold the State together for a moment. A ruler stands at the head, for sensuous barbarsm can only be restrained by despotic power. But since the subjects are of equally vio- lent temper with their master, they keep him on the other within limits. Under the chief there are many ether chiefs with whom the former, whom we will call the king, takes counsel, and whose consent he must seek to gain, if he wishes to undertake a war or impose a tax. In this relation he can exercise more or less authority, and by fraud or force can on occasion put this or that chieitain out of the way. Besides this, the kings have other specified prerogatives. Among the Ashantees the king inherits all q, loft I,r of bai death. In other places all unmarried wo- men belong to the king, and whoever wishes a wife, must buy her from him. If the ner oes are dscontented with their king, they deposc and kill him. In Dahomey, when they are thus displeased, the custom is to send parrots eggs to the king, as a sign of dissatisfaction with his government. Sometimes also deputation is sent, which intimates to him that the burden of govern mcnt must have been very troublesome to him, and that he had better rest little.- The king then thanks his subjects, goes into his apartments, and has himself stran- ged by the women.
 Tradition alleges that in former times State composed sf women made itself ta- nous by conquests; 1t was State at whose head was woman She is said to have pounded her own son in mortar, to have besmeared herself with the blood, and to have had the blood of pounded children constantly at hand. She Is said to have driven away or put to death all the males, and commanded the death of all male child ren. These fures destroyed everything in the neighborhood, and were driven to con stant plunderings, because they did not cnl- tivatc the land. Captives in war were taken as husbands; pregnant women had to be- take themselves outside the encampment; and if they mad borne son, put him out of the way This infamous state, the re- port goes on to say, subsequently, disap- peared. Accompanying the king we con stantv find in negro States the executioner, who is regarded as of the highest consid- eration, and by whose hands the king, though he makes use of him for putting suspected persons to death, may himself suffer death, if the,grandees desire it. Fa- naticism, which, notwithstanding the yield ing disposition of the negro in other re- spects, can be excited, surpasses. when rous- ed. all belief An English traveller states that when war Is determined on in Ash antee, solemn ceremo onies precede it; among other things the bones of the king g's mother are laved with human blood. As pre- Jude to the war, the king ordains an cn- slaught upon his own metropolis, as if to excite the due degree of frenzy. The king sent word to the English Hutchinson: "Christian, take care, and watch we'll over your family. The messenger of death has drawn his sword and will strike the neck off many Ashantees; when the drum sounds