The Placer herald., 1865-09-23


thousand co|ored population. leads the van
as the champion of bIark citizenship. But
is 1t not strange that the negro should shun
his sincere and sympalhizing friends in Mas
sachusel's, and seek home among the peo.
pie Of Maryland and Virginia, who are rep
resented as his worst enemies? Is there not
something singular in the fact that New
Eng gland, with all her dsin,eres,ed regard
for "lhe sable son of Africa" had, according
to the census of 1860, only twenty three
thousand and twenty.one negroes, with a
white population Of nearly two and a,half
millions? While the slave State of Mary
land with white population of less than
halt million, had population of seventy
four thousand seven hundred and twenty
three FREE negroes. And, indeed, that cen.
sus shows that New England and all the free
Western States, from Ohio to the Pacific,
contained five thousand four hundred and
twenty-one fewer free b acks than the State
of Mary land aloneI And Virginia, with her
white population of less than nine hundred
thousand had "a 333 free blacks; while Massa-
chusetts, with white population of 5S | s 3
had only 1856 free negroes. Why is this9
How are we to reconcile the conduct Of the
black man in stunning his white brother OF
New England, who is so full of words in ex-
pressing bis tla,ernal love for himl 1t is the
instinct of the colored man which teaches
him that the men of New England are no,
his friends-that they do not wish to serve
the coored man, but to be served by him
That if the negro wishes for kindness ant
happy homes, that be must seek them else
where than on the icy shores of New Eng
and9 Or will it be SAID that the black maj
cannot endure cold climate? If such b,
the fact then it is proven that he is not The
equal of The white man, to whom all eli
mates are alike
The sturdy New Englander. the hardy sons
Of frozen Norway and Denmark, form pros
porous colonies in Texas, Mexico and Brazil
while the mercurial children of sunny France
for centuries have been established in the
Canadas: and they are acknowledged to be
the best guides among the snow drifts of the
Rocky Mountains.
But does this Declaration Of Independ-
ence, fairly construed, mean that all men,
without regard to race, are equal To inter-
pref doubtful part Of any instrument, the
intention of the writer must be ascerlaned;
it must be considered 10 connection with III,
contenls-that is, with reference to what
precedes or follows the doubtful clause or
sentence, the true meaning of which is
sought to be ascertained, and the clause it,
self must be considered with reference to the
lect matter treated of.
IIlN h.,
that when it becomes necessary for one peo
pie to dissolve the political bands which have
connected them with another people decent
respect to the opinions OF mankind require
that they should declare the causes which
impel them to the separation. Now, to what
one people does the "Declaration" refer,
when it says that decent respect for the
opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impe them
to separation9 The States were occupied by
a white, red. and black people-doe the
expression zone people" refer to the white,
black, and red people, or to on one of
them? Had the negroes of the Colonies any
political relations with Great Britain No.;
for under the authority of Great Britain they
were bought and sold as property Hence
the negroes were not part of that people
who dissolved the political bands which un'
ted them to England. Was the position of
the Indians, in a political sense, different
from that Of the negroes1 No; because the
British Government regarded the Indians as
mere savages, who were to be cleared away
with the wolf and the bear. Then, as it was
neither the Indians nor the negroes who dis
solved the political hands which united the
Colonies with the mother country, it mus
have been the whites that did So But this
is rendered certain from the fact that the
Cooniss were the direct offspring from
Great Britain, while the other races had diff
ferent origin; and neither the Indians MOI
the negroes were represented, directly or in
directly, in the Congress which published
the "DecIaralion." Hence, then, it is con,
elusive that the word "people' was used in
that instrument in special sense, to mean
white people, or the European race, from
which the Colonists sprung.
Again, the clause OF the "Decaration" al
ready referred to, says, "a decent respect for
the opinions of mankind requires that the
causes which lead to the separation should
be made known"
Now, the word mankind" taken in its
general sense means the whole human family
but it is evident that such was not the mean.
ing of the trainers of the "Declaration," for
copies of that instrument were sent TO the
nations of Europe. but not to any other peo
pie. Then the word "manknd" as used in
he "Decaraton" refers exclusively to the
European race, for had it been intended to
mean the people of China, or Egypt, or Mo.
rocco, commissioners would have been APP
pointed to have communicated the "Declar
alton" to them, as we'll as to the nations OF
Europe, which was not done. 1t is clear
then that the words ."peopls" and mankind
are used in that 10 that instrument in linn
tied, and not in a general sense.
The "Declaration" then goes on TO say
We hold these truths to be self evident, thai
all men are created equal; and in genera
sense the words "all men," like the word