Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-12-06
IFrom charles Diokens' American notes
Slavery,

! America in 1872 We make the follow
ling extract from the volume made up
of his observations during that tour,
as illustrative of his impressions con-
cerning the barbarous institution which
Z disgraced American civilization, bru-
talized American manners, deluged
cur fair land with blood, and the traces
Of which, in our constitutions and Stat
utes, are still crying shame upon our
Christianity and justice, The 'fbIoody
Chapter has had the ssbloody end'' pre-
dieted by mr.. Dickens but there re-
mains for Us another, perhaps stiIl
/ bloodier, if we do not hasten to wipe
out the last traces of this vile and thou
sand times aeoursed institutional
The upholders of slavery in America
--Of the atrocities of which system j
/ shall not write one word for which
/ have not ample proof and warrant
/ may be divided into three great classes.
The first are those more moderate and
rational owners of human cattle, who
1 have come into the possession Of them
/ as so many. coins in their trading capi-
I tai, but who admit the frightful nature
| of the Institution in the abstract, and
/ perceive the dangers to society with
I which ii is fraught,-dangeT which,
1 however distant they be, or hOWsOsVer
tardy in their coming on, are as GER
tain to fall upon its guilty head as is
the Day Of Judgment.
The second consists Of all those own
ers, breeders, users, buyers and sellers
Il of slaves, who viii, 2t71tlt lRe btOodg chap
ter has q bloody end, own, breed, use,
buV and sell, them at all hazards who
doggedly deny the horrors of the sys-
tenn, in the teeth of such a mass Of evil
dence as never was brought to bear on
auV other subject, and to which the ex-
perience of every day contributes its
immense amount; who would at this
or any other moment gladly involve
America in a war; civil or foreign, pro-
vided that it had for its sole end and
object the assa1 ton Of their right to per-
petuate slavery, and to whip ana work
and torture slaves, unquestIoned by
any human authority, and unassailed
bv anV human power who, when they
speak of Freedom; mean the Freedom
to oppress their kind, and to be savage,
merciIess, and cruel ; and OF whom
every man on his own ground in re-
publican America is more eXaeting,
and a steTner, and less responsible
despot than the Caliph Haroun AIras-
chid in his angry robe of scarlet
The third, and not the least numer-
GUS or influential, is composed OF that
delicate nentilitV which cannot bear a
superior, and cannot brook an equal /;
Of that class whose RePubli licanism
means 81 will not tolerate a man above
me, and Of those below, none must ap-
proach too nearh whose pride in a
! land where voluntary serYitude is
! Stunned as a disgrace, must be minis
i tered to by slaves and whose inaliena-
bic rights can only have their growth IN
i negro wrongs.
iii has been sometimes urged, that, in
the un&vailing efforts which have been
made to advance the cause Of Humau
Freedom in the republic Of America,
/ fstrange cause for history to treat of y
sufficient regard has not been had to the
/ existence Of the first class of persons 8
| and it has been cOntended that they are
/ hardly used, in being confounded with
4 the second. This is, no doubt, the case !;
/ noble instances of pecuniaTy and per-
/ sOnal sacrifice have already had their
/ growth among them and it ig much to
i be regretted that the gulf between them
i and the advocates of emancipation
/ should have been widened and deepen
1 ed by any means; the rather, as there
/ are beyond dispute, among these slave
1 owners, many kind masters who are
/ tender in the exercise of their unnat-
i Iural power. Still it is to be feared that
! this Injustice is inseparaOle from the
state of things with which humanity
and truth are called upon to deal. Sla-
I very is not whit the more endurable
I because some hearts are to be found
3
ing Influences nor can the indignant
+ tide Of honest wrath stand still, because
/ in its onward course it OYerwhelms a
! few who are mparatiYely innocent,
among a host of guilty.
/ The ground most commonly taken
/ by these better men among the advo-
/ Gates of slavery is this cit is a bad
/ system and for myself would willing
/ IV get rid of it if ] cOuld,-most willing
". But it is not so bad as you in Eng
| land take it to be. You are deceived
i by the representations Of thR1emancipa-
/ tionists. The greater part of my slaves
| are much attached to me. You Will
say that do not allow them to be Sc
/ vere1y treated; but I will put tito you
/ whether you believe that it can be q
/ general practice to treat them inhuman-
Ely, when it would impair their value,
and would be obviously against the
interests of their masters.
/ Is it the interest of any man to steal,
to game TO waste his health and men
/ tai faculties by drunkenness, to lie, for
swear himself, indulge hatred, seek
desperate revenge, or do murder No.
All these are roads to ruin. And why,
then, do men tread them? Because
such inclinations are among the vicious
qualities Of mankind. Blot out, ye
friends of slavery, from the catalogue
of human passions, brutal lust, cruelty
and the abuse of irresponsible power
(Of all earthly temptations the most
difficult 10 be rebisted) and when We
have done so, and not before, we viii
inquire whether j. be the interest Of a
master to lash and MAIN the slaves
over whose lives and limbs he has an
/ absolute control
But again, this class, together with
the last one have named, the misera-
| BILE aristOcracy spawned of a false re-
public, lift up their voices and eEclaim
= | F'Public opinion is all-suficient to pre-
J vent such cruelty as yOu denonnce,
Public opinion Why, public opinion
, int the Slave States IS slavery, is it not
, Public opinion in the Slave States has
delivered the slaves over to the gentle
mercies of their masters, Public Opiu-
| ion has made the laws, and denied the
slaves legislative protection. Public
opinion has knOtted the lash, heaf ed
> the branding iron. loaded the rifle, and
| / shielded the murderer, Public opinion
threatens the abOlitionist with death j.
2 he venture to the South and drsg,
z him with rope about his middle, II
t broad and unblushing noon, through
2 the first city in the East. Public opin
f ion has, within a few years, burned {
2 slave alive at q slow FIRE in the city o
= st Louis; and public opinion has e
8 this day maintained upon the bencl
3 that estimable Judge who charged th'
? Jury impanelled there to try his mur
2 derers, that the most hOrrid deed Wa'
e an act of public opinion and 9elng 50
= must not be punished DY the laws tn'
? public sentiment had made. Public
, opinion hailed this doctrine with hon
9 of wild applause, and set the prisoner
free, to walk the city, men of mark anc
? influence and station as they had beer
o before ~
! Public opinion what class Of meI
2 have an immense prepondsrance owe
S the rest Of the community, in thei
= power of representing public opinion il
[ the legislature? The slave owners
I They send from their twelve States on
= hundred mem bers, while the fourteen
D Free States, with q free population
= nearly double, return but q hundred
z and forty-two. Before whom do tht
I presidential candidates bow down tn
o most hum bly,, on whom do they fawI
= the most fohdly, and FOR whose tastei
/ do they cater the most assiduously, il
K their servile protestationsf The slave
Q owners always,
. Public opinion hear the public opin
D fovg nf fha frna EOp7fh as owVpeRand bV