Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-16
From the Progress
IS Whom the Gods would Destroy, They first
make Mad -

Mr.. EDIroR 1T is related Of the celebrated DR..
Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham and author Of the
immortal Analogy" that he was accustomed to
walking in bis garden during the darkest nights
which the year afforded and that during such walks
he was in the habit of holding the following COLO
guy with himself: "Whas security is there against
the insanity Of indivdualS?'' p "The physicians
know Of none, and as to dsines, We have no data,
either from Scripture reason, go upon in rela
ton to this affair" "True, my Lord, no man has
a lease of his understanding any more than of his
life; they are both in the hands of the Sovereign
Disposer Of all things" "Why, then, might not
whole communities and public bodies be seized with
fits of insanity as well as individuals? p my Lord,
have never considered the case and can give no
opinion concerning it." "Nothing but this princi
pe that they arr liable to insanity equally least
with private individuals, can account for the major
part ofthoss transactions of which VIC read in his
tory"
This was thought to be an odd cencet ofthe great
philosopher and divine in his day. and attracted but
little attention at the time. But imagine that
many thousands of intelligent persons who have
read the history of the French Revolution which oc.
Cured since his time. and many thousands whe will
in after years read the history of the present
luton, will be enabled to account for them or at
least for many of the transactions p" of them, in
no other way than that IN which B,shep Butler
accounted for "the ma jor part of those tranSac.
tions of which he had reai in history" Many G.
our leading public journalists, and the great bed.
of our putl,c men and statesmen seem to have los,
all powers Of reason-in fact to have become per-
fec,ly dementcd They remind inc of the simple
ton who, in The midst Of great storm at Sea, in
mortal fear lest the ship should 60 down, lashed
himself last to the anchor, that he at least might
be safe. So, too, they seem to be disposed to tic
themselves fast to the anchor of some fatal measure
or measures, and it is greatly to be feared, if they
do not speedily desist, that the geDs of gravita
ton will carry them all straigh and profound
ly to the bottom that not bubble will ever rise to
mark the spot where they went down"
These reflections have been called forth by the
great favor with which the proposition to srm our
slaves has been received by part of the Press and
many prominent public men in the South. Certain
ly these men have never calculated for q moment
the awful consequences likely to flow from such a
fatal measure. Let us but consider for moment
the present condition of our country. "ConscrlP-
ton has been carried to its last limits" No exemp-
tons have been allowed except for State officers and
those who may be adjudged by an examining board
of physicians to be physically incapable of perform
ing military duty. Nearly all details have been re-
Gently cancelled, and even the nvalids are being
sent to the army. Add to this the fact that most,
if not ALL the State officers are likely to be absent
in the service Of tho State and it will be seen that
we have no white population at home except the
women anu CHuuTeu, oVfS u'ueI S'AlSehS anu
few old men over fifty. The probability is, taking
the Confederacy as whole, that we have more than
ten male slave slaves at home to one white man.
Excite the negroes to phrenzy by passing law to
conscript them, and all the probabilities that We
would have an immediate insurrection of them. Is
there man living wise enough to tell US hsw such
an insurrection, if general throughout the South,
could be put down?
But oppose no such insurrection should occur,
but that they would submit to be collected together
in camps of instruction, and formed into regiments
and brgades and receive arms, the danger would
be increased thousand fold Just imagine $50, 600
negroes well armed, with all their malignant pas.
sions aroused and the women and children left de-
fenseless. In that event should undoubtedly have
re enacted among US all the horrid scenes Of the
massacre of St. Domingo, where in the graphic
language Of Burke "every demon of destruction
seemed to be let loose and hell itself appeared To
yawn." Or if this should, perehanee, not occur,
they would most likely 60 over to the enemy in
body, as the Yankees would hold out greater in-
ducements to them Of, liberty to themselves and
their families than se do. And besides the events