The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-09-13
For he Southsrn Agis.
THE IRREPREsSIBLE CoNFLICT.

irresponsible conflict between the white
man and the negro. He only erred as to
the real character of the "confict.' He
announced that an irrepressible conflict
existed between "free" and "slave" labor;
that is, between the labor of the white
man and that of the subordinate negro
This error arose from reasoning upon a
false theory. Had Mr.. Seward been per-
sonally familiar with the practical opera
tiops of 'slave" labor in the Southern
States, or if the study of the Natural His
tory of Man had formed part of his
education, as developed in the writings of
such distinguished men as Prof. Agassiz,
DR.. Morton, DIR. Mott, Dr. Van Evrie,
etc., etc., the learned Secretary would
never have fallen into the error that the
irrepressible conflict existed between white
and slave labor, but he would have clearly
perceived and ,compreheuded that the
"confict" was between the white and ne
gro races when their normal relations were
abolished.
While the negro occupies subordinate
position to the white man, which the AL
mighty designed he should, there is no
conflict whatever between them but the
moment we violate their natural relations
by attempting to place them upon politi-
cal and social Equality" we then inau-
gurate the "irrepresSible conflict" Thus
it will be seen that the Secretary, in fail
ing to perceive the true nature of the
conflict, has, in his efforts to avoid it,
really advocated, and set in course of ope-
ration, the very measures that tend to
produce it!
The idea that our Prime Minister de-
signed to inculcate was, that the white, or
"free" man could not labor in juxtaposi-
ton with the negro "slave" without feel
ing himself degraded by the contact
This is but one of the many impracticable
and absurd Puritan theories this is the
Sumner, Greeley, and Phillips theory !;
and it is little surprising that man of
Mr.. Stewards proverbial astuteness and
common sense should fall into the silly
speculations of these fanatics. All expe.
rience-the tombstone of Truth-proves
exactly the reverse the white man feels
no degradation in laboring side by side
with the subordinate negro. Each are
instinctively conscious Of their relative
status; neither is the one lowered nor the
other. elevated by the contact. But when
it is attempted TO "abolish' the natural re-
lations of the races, and to dispense to the
white man Impartial freedom" with the
negro, that is, to place the white man on
a political and social equality" with the
negro, then arises the irrepressible and
eternal conflict, which being in open vio-
lation of the laws of the Creator, can new
er be harmonized by any human laws.
A thousand times more degradation is
felt by the white man whom circumstan-
ces obliges to labor in contact with a ne
gro who has been inflated with an artifi-
cial equality" by process of legal en-
actments, which attempt to abolish the
ordinances of the Almighty. The mo-
meut the negro is removed from his natu-
rally subordinate position in relation to
the Caucasian, and attempts to practice
his artificial privileges, the harmony be-
tween the races is destroyed, and one or
the other must succumb. ss
These facts are not so apparent to the
"higher classes" as they are called; who,
like Sumner, Greeley and other .'philan-
thropists,' possess money and social infu-
ence sufficient to place them entirely above
all contact with the most eleuated negro.
To the laboring man, however-to those
who are obliged to live by the sweat of
the brow, the case is essentially different.
They are not only obliged to come in con-
slant contact with the negro, but their me-
eessities require humiliating competi-
tion. Herein consists the real antagonism
between the races. If the philanthropists
would but condescend to stoop for mo-
ment from their high positions to consult
the views aud feelings Of the laboring
classes Of sohite men, in those States
where large numbers Of negroes exist, as
in cur own, for example, they would sure
ly be horror-stricken by the discovery that
the practical operation Of the leading idea
of their ill-spent lives would be the great
est curse that could be inflicted upon both
the aclsste and the negro races Those who
are familiar with the views Of the laboring
white men upon the question Of political
equality with the subordinate race. must
feel how impossible it is for such equality
to subsist. II is an indisputable axiom,
that the substitution Of artificial relations
for natural distinctions can not have
permanent existence. The result Of such
artificial equality, or Impartial freedom"