The Hickman courier., 1868-05-23
lFrom the Petersburg Index
Might VS.. Right

| JUu,UUU IN Canada and other PrOylnceS.
From the Petersburg Index.
Might VS.. Right.
| The whole record of hunian affairs
sadly illustrates aud repeats the old
fable Of the wolf and the lamb
In Christian aud in Pagan countries-
in the past aud in the preseut-the his
tory of nations is but practical asser-
tion of the maxim that I" might is right
! Whether inflicted by force of arms or
through forms of laSs--whether by the
sword or by majorities--it has been the
invarIsble practice of the powerful to ops
! press the weak. 1t needs but the finn
siest pretext aud the pretext is never
wanting.
We are sometimes inclined to think
that the world. like men, grows worse as
it grows older. The Indian who scalps
his enemy does not add to the cruelty of
the deed the hypocritical pretense of
brotherIy love. When he subjects his
captive to the process of slow torture he
does not profess to be doing it for the
sufferers good.
1t remained for civilized, humanized,
and christianized nations to add to the
ruin and destruction of their victims
the insolence of assumed mortal superb
ority and the evaporation of pretended
charity.
If there be one thing which more than
another can tempt man to curse his
better angel from Ms side it is when the
providence of God has delivered him
into the hands of sanity tormentors.
Of men who, paofessing to be execat-
ing the behests of the most high, com
NIT deeds of hate which might be
prompted by the worst spirit of the pit.
lie: it." they cried from the North
ern pulpit, /" let it be long war;" and
let it, they now cry, be a slow peace
prolong the torture as long as the victim |
has one nerve which qnivers to the pin
GERS that tear, or the iron that pierces.
Delude his soul with false hopes--mur-
der his sleep with broken faith, and
stretch him upon the rack of uncer-
tainty until, eallous at outrage and Of
wrong, he no longer las power to mourn
OF wish to murmur.
Break his heart and break his spirit
taunt him amid his suffering, and regale /
yourselves with the music of his groans
Is he not man aud brother for whom
Christ died ? Wherefore, then, should |
be not be entitled to the tender mercies 4
of the rack by which we seek to reform
him?
Such is the spirit of the people into
" hose hands we have been delivered.
not-fofu y inany- n or , our
cotemporaries in their advice to the
Southern whites not to trouble them
selves about polities-to neglect all noble /
cares and devote themselves solely to /
money making.
We DO not hesitate to call this mean
Yes. We may make mouey and at the
"a me time make ourselves base and com
plant slaves, whose souls are fitted to
heir station.
We tell our readers that never will we
ret redress until we are feared-never
will the reins of power be taken from the
present hands until the whole nation
ireads and trembles at l danger which
threatens it.
Can we expect, if we ourselves assume
10 attitude of resistance to wrong and
INJUSTICE, that others will come to our
lelp?
For private griefs it is we'll enough to
,uffer them in silence-silence, that elo
,uence of suffering.
But national wrongs must find utter
lnce, sooner or later, in words and deeds.
Upon people who have suffered an
ntolerable wrong rests the obligation Of
eternal hate to the copressor uutil he re-
lress the wrong SO far as it is possible.
The man who forgives the enemy of
lis country while yet exultiug in the
of spoliation and oppression.
5 traitor to truth, and traitor to God,
ind traitor to Humanity, of whose most
sacred rights every Christian is, ex ofhcio,
guardian aud defender.
To US the dealing of Providence with
he Southern people is a problem as dark
Ind distressing as the origin of evil.
This cursed African race, which has
been the cause and pretext for all their
wrongs, was frs. forced upon them while
yet in colonial eondition-by England.
x X x
We were forced to assume the attitude
,f masters to race which inherited its
bondage from far antiquity, aud We are
reatnient pecause we are unwfffrng 70
nave them sit in the seat Of the ruler.
We can discern IN this treatment no
other right than might; aud feeling that
to be weak is to be miserable, We can on
" add to our misery the satisfaction OF
hating with perfect hatred the perpe-
traitors of this injustice. A hatred not
unmipgled with contempt. The con
tempt which every honest man feels for
tie knave who overreaches him, and the
hatred which every Christian ought to
feel for the enemies of his country and
the despoiler of his friend
We detest the Radicals for the war
they forced upon US.
We detest them for injuries they have
done us.
We detest them for the malignity |
which perpetaate our wrongs
We loathe them f,s their canting pre-
tense of philanthropy.
We despise them for their folly, iguo-
rance, and utter Incompetence to direct
the affair of great empire; and we curse
them in the name of humanity.
THE SECRET OF SIR MORTON PETo's
Vretr ro TINS COUNTRY Sir Morton