Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-12-06
From the " Y. Independent.
Anecdotes as Arguments.
By HORACE GREELEY.


The Saturday ReoleU-perhaps the ab.
lest, as it surely is he Interest, If British
champions of the Stakeholder Rebellion
protests against the use Of, or rather
against the Influence accorded to, AnecdOteS
in opposition 10 Slavery. For, says The
Reriew, with some puuSibility, there is
nnihlug that AnecdOtes-that is, isolated
examples Of hardship, cruelty, or unde, erved
suffering-may not, by bnlrowlng industry
with skilliul arrangement and grooplUg, be
cited aud marshaled to prove, and it illus.
trates its point by supposing a malignant
foreigner intent on proving that human lite
in London was at the mercy of every mis-
creant-,hat murders for gain were there
committed with impuniTy-and that the po'
lice and magiSiracy were OF Ell the accom-
plces AID protectors of the assassin. All
this is very smarlly set forth, and will, 10y
the lhoughtless many who are piepoSseSsed
in It's favor, be hailed as lriumphant-con'
elusive.
Let us gravely examine it
What the Christian world is substantial
Iy united in condrmniug in Slavery is the
maintenance of GnjuSt, obstructive, perRictOus
LAWS. And that Slavery IS the wicked
wrong we pronounce it can most clearly 10
most minds be demonstrated by an exhibit
tion of those laws in baleful operatiou-
that is, by instances, or (fyou please )anec
dotes.
The laws of most if not all decidedly
Slave States forbid aud punish the literary
instruction of sIaves-often of all negroes
aud this because it must be SO if Slavery
is to endure Make 1t lawful to teach
slaves 10 read and write, and Slavery would
very soon pass away, probably in bloody
couvulSiouS. 1t is wrong TO forbid the
teaching of slaves, only because it is wrong
to bold men and women iu boudnge. Ii
Slavery were in'rinsically right, then the
punishment of teachers of slaves would be
right; for the latter is indispensable to the
former. Four Millions of Slaves expert in
reading aud writing could not be retain ed
! in bondage any more than so many black.
birds or pigeons can be retained in an un-
fenced field or forest Shareholders must
either provide striugently for the repress.
ion of all Instructors Of slaves in letters, or
they uust give up Slavery.
| Now, then, the numerous instances of
severe punishment Inflicted on the teachers
of slaves come 10 play TO prove-not that
slaves should as slaves be taughl-but that
Slavery is fagrantly wrong, in that it com'
pels the repI eSslOn Of mental culture, the
stngnarion Of intellect, the perpetuation Of
ignorance, brutality, and barbarism. Sla,
very is proved evil by The fact that it re-
quires immortal beings to be retained, so
nearly as may be, in the condition of The
bruleS that perish
A Young lady who went South some
years since and taught school for months 10
| North Carolina, was consulted by the lady
with whom she boarded, on subject which
had caused her intense perplexity aud men-
lal distress. She was devout Christian,
holding what are recognized as emphati-
cally il not distinctiVely orthodox views re-
speeding the nature aud authority of the
Bible. She received that hook implicitly
as the very Word of God, able aud design
ed to make wise unto salvation. To her
view, the Bible was, before aud above all
churches, presthoods, illustrations, aud
ordinances, Gods messenger 10 the human
soul, intended to wake it TO penitence aud
fit il for heaven Hence, she held it the
imperative duty of every rational human
being TO study the Bible, and the right Of
each to be so instructed that he or she mag
study it. Holding several slaves, Sue
deemed herself under special obligation to
take care that they be duly qualified TO
draw living water from the great well Of
salvation.
But the laws Of her State expressly for.
bade and prescribed severe penalties for
teaching of slaves. What, then, should
she do Her religion prescribed one line
of imperative duty the civil law prescribed
an opposite course. Which should she
obeyi Her dilemma was paioful one
and she sought light upon IL from various
quarters without finding any.
j Now II would be quite absurd to suppose
that every slaveholder-oF even every