Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-25

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Iexplained is' by refereneeto the efF6rts{tbaI
have been made; for the last thirty vears.
by State officials, by legislation: by' nol;l
ticiaus, by the press, aud by the church. to
peryert public sentiment, and foster nreir.
dicess btgotry and intolerance, in regard to
this subject. 5us - a.
u The doctrine has been taught by poIiti.
clans aud by diyines, that slavery ia a di.
vine institution and has the sanction of. the
Bible; and this same .heresay. has been "a :
echoed by the press, and as by the efforts
of these agencies, aided by legislation, dis
cusslon of the question was Suppressed
thousands upon thousands, of the ignorant
and unthtpking accepted the dogma as a
truism; not retlecting that truth courts in.
lsyestigatton, whilst error and falsehood
alone, deprecate discussion. Coetaneouslv
with the propagationf0f this false. theory
or dogma, the same; pqwers directed their
efforts to the creation s6f popular preitl.
dice, which should shut up the mind
agsinst reason on thsBsubiect. This was
done by misrepresentlSg the views I and
purposes OF those WhoTopp6sed the-institu.
tlon Of slavery, aud advocated its iInmedi.
ate abolition, or the more gradual policy
OF emancipation. All who refused the
dogma that slavery was divine ihstitu-
ton, and who opposed IL whether from NOR,
alconsideraions pr optthe score of policy,
were finally, branded as Abolitionists; and
to give this. term odium,, it was
taught that an Abolitionist was man
who believed in and was laborinu IN
secure the political and social equality of
the negro with the-white race, and thai he
WAS iu favor of carrying this doctrine to
the extent of intermarriage or amalpama-
ton; that he was necessarily an unprin.
clpled, dishonest man, and dangerous to
society, and that he should beclasscd with
the burglar or horse thief The public
having been taught thus, s,tor regard any man
who was opposed to slavery, it mattered
not whether he desired 70 discuss it in its
moral aspects, or .as q question of policy.
he was forestalled and hindered from gain.
ing access to the public mind, and his char.
acter and Influence was DESTROYED in adj
vance by this unreasonable and unfoupded
prejudice. He might discuss any question
connected with political economy, anything
pertaining to the advancement Of the inter.
ests OF society, anything connected with the
interests of, the church, he might even call.
In question the divine origin of the Scrip
lures, and denounce the church ascorrupt.
false, hypocritical-but this diyineinstitu.
.lon, which had the sanction of the Bible,
ana consequently OF reason, he must not
discuss on pain OF being branded an aboli.
ZIONIST. 1t mattered not, though he stood
ready With iuControvertibl6 statistical evil,
.dencei to show thas in the light of political
economy it was ruinous to th true inter.
ests OF the human race; thatit hiudered the
and wealth of States; that it
prevented the Development of their, re.
sources, material intellectual and moral
It mattered not, though he stood to-
show thatso far from being a divine fnsti.
tuition, sanctioned by therWord of God. it
violated everysprincipleiand every preceptz
OF Christianity; that it violated it both iu
its spirit and in its letter, his voice must
be suppressed, he must not only not be
heard, but he must be put down in public,
estimation by being branded as an aboli.
Zionist, lest, taply, he might address him
self to the reason of men, and by the power
Of truth lnjnre the "divine institution ~
The power which was thus given to the in
Of slavery over ertheminds and rea-
-! son Of men, can only be characterized as
the reign Of 6ig0try. ~ ,.s,3 s.
There was large and powerful party
ia the country, both north and south, in
,cludipg the best element in society, the
conservative element which, though it op.
posed slavery, both. on the score Of policy.
and from moral and religious cousIdera.
tions. was yet in favor Of giving it the
benefit OF the protection which the Conati-
tuition and laws of the country. secured to
1t. 1t was chiefly to suppress the opposi-
ton, Of this element, that the,policy of'sup.
pressing discussion was invented together,
with all the ,concomitant measures to pre.
Judice the public mind and il had the de.
sired effect. But error is blind, and knows
not when to stop; and by forcing new
issues has. oveTleaped itste!f The anti.
slavery men who suppressed his opposition
TO the instltution on account of his regard
toithe Constitution and laws of his country.
aud who felt the epithet abolitiouist to be
q term Of the deepest reproach, can accent
1t as term of honor, when the issue is |
made between the institutional slavery,
aud the existence, and perpetuation ofshis
government. The issue having. been thus
deliberately made up by the friends of the
institution themselves, they can no longer
hold at RbeYauce this terrible WeiqhtYof
opposition which a sound conservative
sentiment held by self-informed restraint,
as long as the friends of the institution,
keptfhemselyes in a position to claim the
protection of the Constitution and laws.
This element has not ichanped, but the
issue being changed; lit is, left free tos q
very different couEse ofaction, and is rap
idly coming to the; conclusion that the
death Of slavery will be the life of. the
State; and the odium Of the. term sboli-
ttsnist having thus been removed by the.
consent OF. its friends. freedom, of discuss,
sion is again restored, wherever the Fed
eral arms are found for the protection of
those principles of eternal truth on which
our torefathers founded our beautiful sys-
TEN OF government. Letus then. approach
this question as NE would any other qaes.
ton peEtainipg to politics, morals OF res
ligiopii let US subject it 70 the scrutiny of
reason Z even Of the most rigid inyesiga-i
Let us look at tin. the light of statisti !,
cal facts, bearing upon it.as question of
political economy, Let us try5it by. the
word of God. Let us view. 1t in !, its
social effects, as also In its political, and
If it is found wanting let il be absndoned.