The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-14

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What Is .here in African Slavery
that should exempt it from that investi-
CATION and discussion to which all other |
questions Of the age are subjected! If
it IS right and proper in ITSELF what
harm can discussion do Il? On the
other hand If II is not right it ought TO
be investigated, that its evils, if it have
any, may be shown. If it be ar evil,
the best interest Of all where II exists
requires that fact TO be known. Again
if il be q good, let that good be made
manifest. These seem to me, to be self
evedent propositions. To exhibit the
good or evil tendencies Of any system,
nothing contributes so much as free dis
cussion. Truth never shrinks trom the
light Of investigation. 1t is only error,
conscious of its weakness and deformity,
that hides itself in the dark. II betrsys
cOncious weakness on the part Of any
institution TO refuse to submit its claims
to the touchstone Of investigation And
this is not all, it is folly to attempt to
do go. It is too late in the worlds
history to ask this exemption for any
subject or institution. If the hand Of
free iuvestig alton is forbidden 10 touch
any Of them, the hand Of violence will
sooner or later sweep them away. The
intellect cannot always be kept chained
nc more than the limbs Indeed, it is
easier to keep the body enslaved than the
mind. or the mind it is true, as the
poet has sung,
"Freolom battle on-o begun,
Beq1eaihed from bleeding SIRE 70 son,
Though baGlsd olt, is ever won
l do not say now that slavery is wrong
necessarily, or that it is such an evil that
it ought to be removed, but say that if
any one else thinks so, he ought to have
the right of saying 80, and to show it's
evils to others, by fair argument, if he
can. Upon this subject, as well as
others, he has the right of free thought
and free speech. Any statue limiting
him in this respect, is a despotic viola
ti,N of his rights. To apply epithets
of stigma to him, for the exercise of this
right, is simply an evidence Of weakness
and malignity. A fool can apply odious
epithets aud sneer as efectually as the
wisest philosopher. Beside philosophers
never treat the arguments or opinions of
opponents in this way.
Whether African slavery is the cause
of the existing rebellion or not, l shall
not undertake TO decide. That it was
made the pretezt for its inauguration is
an indisputable fact, and the same pre-
text 10 urged for continuing it, is equally
true. II ia the most natural thing in
the world, therefore, that it DO asked,
what good is there In an institution
which is made the pretext for such a
dreadful and desolating contest? Having
been thrust, by its advocates, into the
strife, they cannot reasonably claim for
il an exemption from this enquiry. The
| question has obtrusively forced itself
forward, and it has to abide the answer
Il is vain to think to avoid it, 1t ought
perhaps, to have never been raised in
such connexion but now it 10 up it must
be answered. If there is good in it,
let it be shown. And, on the other hand
il there is evil, or more of evil
than good, let it appear. II the course
of enquiry should show it so much of ar
evil that it ought to be removed, why
let the removal take place. But in any
event let the investigation go on. And
indeed we may as we'll DO this willingly
for it will on whether we are willing
or not. There is no power on earth tina
can stay the spirit of free enquiry, wheI
once aroused. Neither the edicts of au
tocrats, nor the force of prejudice snC
bigotry, nor the violence of the mob
How foolish, then, to apply the onc'
odious epithet, abolilionist, to an advo
cation of emancipation, under the pres
ent state of things. To do this, is Il
dealin the meaningless slang of the Sc
cessionist. The Union man that does SC
ia himself called an abolitionist by th
secessionist Indeed, this term has beef
so long and often nisspplied, that it ha
ceased to be term OF reproach. TIL
best and truest men in the land hav
been called abolitionists. But let al
who deal in such slang, remember tina
this is no argument, nor any answer 4
the question they have, perhaps, assiste
in raising. MORE ANON.
war Clubs.