The Portland daily press., 1862-09-24

to be the white mans servant, and it conclus-
lively follows that slavery is right, and that he
who fights against it is opposed to God, and
his ordainings.'
We will not take leave of this matter with
out protesting against the premises, as well as
the conclusions, of the writer under review
He asserts, without one word of proof, the
natural, God-ordained inferiority of the black
race to the white race. This may, or may not,
| be correct; but that the editor of the Adver
tser proves it to be correct is not true. He
does not bring one word of proof, only his ar
rogant assumptions.
We assert-and our mere assertion is quite
as good as his, no better-that God has made
no such distinctions of inferior and superior
We assert that the line of distinction be-
tween the inferior and the superior, eth
er in amoral, physical, or intellectual point
of view, does not run parallel with the line of
color; that whole tribes of c,lored men are
superior in either or all these regards, to whole
tribes or classes of white men; and that the
mean difference between the black and the
white is no greater than the differences
among the white races themselves. We have
neither time nor space, at present, to go into
this NATTER but, an Offset to the assump-
tions of the Advertiser, we will barely intro
duce the testimony OF man whose opportuni-
ties have been, at least, equal to those of Mr..
Smith, for forming correct conclusions on this
matter. We refer to Dr. Baikie, the celebrat-
ed African explorer, who has had five years.
experience in Central Africa, who now resides
there, and who is presumed to know whereof
he speaks. Writing from Bidd Nupe, Cen
trdt Africa, Jan. IA, 1862, to the London
Daily News, he says, referring to copy of
THAT paper, which had just fallen into his hands:
Iu an account of an American meeting, where the
subject of slavery was introduced. the speakers
asserted. argument in its favor that the intel
ect of Africans is inferior to that of white races
Precisely the argument of Mr.. smith in the Adver-
tiscr.l The name african" is of wide application
and includes many races, but regards one among
them to which this term is frequently confned-,z.,
the negro-haying now lived among them for nearly
five years, and had constant daily opportunities of
observation, have NO hesitation in contradicting the
statement The intellect OF the negro races uncul-
hvated and untried TO any extent but feel certain
that when duly developed that il will be found no
respect inferior Il certainly has its peculiarities
that OF every race has. may be comparing
a Russian with a Dane, German with Spaniard
or in our own Islands, on contemplating the reflect
P,"Hi.osi't hhsio-oaAou WIN tbt iupusfc, uf-
thinking Cclt.
Could the American speaker see the king of the
country from which am now writing, believe he
would change his opinion. Could lac the amount
of business he daily gets through the manner in
which he rules his Kingdom. how he manages the
nous races OF his subjects his ideas of justice his
quaintance with every detail he would be compelled
TO acknowledge that at least African was man
of intellect. haze mentioned him as being near 10
me he first occurred to my recollcciions but could
were it necessary, adduce MANY other instances
Among my followers have representa- ives of some
Az lsfin trfl.r
difficulty in teaching them any trade art, and
nave now among them many whom l implicitly
trust About nine months ago. rescued little girl
about eight or nine years old from save-dea-
ers: she belonged 10 a very rude tribe, and when
first received her she rather wild-ooking and
savage Since that time she has by merely little
care being paid 10 her, quite altered her habits and
appearance. and is quite reconcled to semicivi-
lied life. She has acquired rather difficult lam
guage, the Nupe, and is fast progressing with
another, the Hansa-and this remember, is the pro-
gross OF mere child, compromising anecedens, in
nine months.
But we stop here, as the lawyers say. We
might, had we not already extended this arti-
Gle far beyond its intended limits, show the un-
soundness of Mr. Smiths conclusions as well
as the falsiiy of his premises. Because one
race is inferior to another, II does not foilo,c
that its surbordnation or slavery is right, or
not to be 'warred upon' 1t is the old doctrine
of might makes right'-the doctrine of ty-
rants, and it lily becomes the teacher of re-
publican doctrines in a country of assumed
democratic equality. But we pass this over.
Mr.. Smith promises continuance of his
article, in which he "wil explain the differ
ence between using and dbotishing the insti-
tuition of slavery" "The want of proper
comprehension Of this proper distinction.n he
asserts, ''has misled many honest minds into
the illusion of abolitionisn as a necessity. when
In fact it is not even an expediency.- Mr.. S.
evidently does not believe in ''prohibitng'' but
only in regulating" not in 4abolshins' but
in using" it,-as one Of the South Carolina
statesman once suggested, probably, to make
1t the cornerstone of our republican edifce, by
which to supersede the necessity of an order of
nobility. In closing we will simply add, that
the article of Mr.. Smith in the Advertiser is
in perfect harmony with a speech of the same
gentleman, delivered in the New City Hail.
Jan. %, 1861, in response to a card of invita-
ton, signed by Messrs. Moses Macdonald,
Samuel j. Anderson and Others, before pub
lie meeting over which Gen. Anderson presid-
ed, and in which the distinguished speaker
elaborated the Bible argument in favor of sla-
very, and defended il as diciae institution
We close, in substance we commenced. by
suggesting that, taken in all its connections,
and with all its surroundings, the article which
we have passed in review is "a remarkable Gu
riosity."