The Portland daily press., 1862-09-24

JOSEPH b. HALL,
aug2ldtd Secretary of State.
A Remarkable Curiosity - Slavery Defen-
ded on the ground of Gods Ordination.
The Advertiser of Monday last had an elab-
crate leader, written with evident case, and
bearing the marks of thought and ability, en-
titled "God and the White Man, and the Ne
gra Race" We style it remarkable curiosi-
ty, and we do so because it is a curiosity to
find views expressed in the anti-slavery State
of Maine, in a professedly Republican paper,
on the question of the everlasting negro that
would be voted sound at Richmond, and label
ed "orthodox" by the magnates of Charleston.
The article, as we have said, is editorial, and
1t contains internal evidences of its high au-
thority; that it is from the pen of the owner
ofthat paper-Hon. f. o. J. Smith--who seems
now to have vaultedi into the editorial saddle and
to occupy the position of editor-in-chief Mr..
Smith is not unused to editorial labors, and he
will undoubtedly WELD an able and vigorous
pen. But with all his confessed ablity,he will
scarcely fail to excite smile in some minds
when they reflect that man whose election
few days since was heralded by the Argus as
an anti-republican victory, now furnishes
brains for SO important a republican paper as
the Advertiser
In the article in question Mr.. Smith contends
for the natural inferiority of the negro that
God created him for subordination to the white
man, and from these assumptions he argues
tbo ,;rbt Of tho u,h;fa ma =, IN hold h;,, in oia
very, and that he who attempts to destroy this
relation will find himself fighting against Gods
law A few quotations will give the scope of
the article. The keynote is sounded as fol-
lows:
The mistake which underlies the whole theory of
dboiifoaism is, that God, who created the white
and the black man, was God q only one idea and
SO must have designed all the different races of the
human family 10 be equals and, consequently that
all should subsst upon one and the same plane of
privileges, rights and social equality.
Mr.. Smith combats this idea-usually re-
garded as the great fundamental idea of the
Declaration nofIndependence,a of and fundamental
idea of the New Testament, which declare that
God "hath made of one blood all nations of
men, for to dwell on all the face of the EARTH"
Our casust seems to find in the discontented
and rebellious spirit of the white man eviden-
ces of his superiority, and fitness to dominate; !;
=" -. ,n w ,' 80 .oe'' "' auu
- -, ~ =. " e'',on' va,
halfa century, as they have governed it for
the past fifty years. He says:
Jpst In proportion as a race of men is endowed by
nature with spirit of discomfort, insatintc long
Flrnn faa .lar.
ly and thoroughly than another is just in that
proportion the power will obtain ascendancy over
the latter and all other rules of heaven influences
of hell cannot alter the result or this measure of do
mnion by the the other.
Now the white man, of pure blood is always, every
where in all cmes and under every condition ofis,
restless Hssafisfed discoatented, even reJeiioas.
m,
1ne negro Is not thus restless, dlscontented
a,d ra,,aI,,o,s H.,
""e D'
The ncgro-snd no more conclusive evidence ought
10 be asked OF God different ideas and designs in
creating the negro from those which governed his
under ali emes and e~ery condon
stupid. selfsatisfcd, unambitous and consequently
ass or horse, who aspres to no condition above that
IN Which nc placed by superior intelligence and
and he asks no more. He will then not even enter.
tan tam thought OF work nor Of yesterday nor Of to-
sion Of superior, who exacts works Of him.
From, tbasa .Ilaoa5 l;g,ra,oas ouaa A.,
be ordained by God-our philosopbic cotem-
fo'' = ~so' 'e en' " 'a'es' "ousn he
'.o p''n " sr''s ~ n'iue'' VI
"''S'' +" '''e'' ""''''' o says
as n e arnr 'ne1 ms INA, ,he designed
this law Of creation-to bring the negro into cond
ural law, and It can only be done by draprinr the
white man an down ON his natural condition and des
the negro up from his natural condition and destiny
hnn AZ II a., .n's work unnatural and gnwse you will
and Providence, that the instant you your
of dparpar tbe white mani Sng ,e b VI & ana
will burst you asunder. and the negro would fall
for which God ordained him. and the white man will
od dp ,sa up 70 snas ABOVE ,ne negro r which
the South, degradation as at the North, and You
less negro NOR h;s natnra sne negro any
Gus and severe
Inc white mans freedom seems to be the
only freedom Tor which the new editor Of the
AdVertiser mas any regard, and perhaps he en-
uorses Tue ioea that a negro has no rights
a,a' "'ii'c iiiah - Douhd 10 respect Hear
MN.
to he warred Dna i; .'e INA. siavery ought
arghf 70 seek for, which is the ichite mans freedom,
privilege over the negro and the Indso aIs ana
Usually it has been asserted by writers on
political economy, that.the slavery of the ne
gro exercises reflex influence. so that while
one end of the chain is rivited uno, ,ho rm,s
of the slave the other is coiled around the neck