Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-29

and effect the inner life and th,
workings of slavery, not only upor
its victims, but upon all connected
with it. In it, as in mirror, are
seen how unnatural, how inhuman
and how wicked were its demands
Torn from his mothers arms in in.
fancy, he was treated with the same
disregard of his comfort and the
promptings of Nature as were the
domestic animals of the farmyard
As he was transferred from one
master to another, every one can
see what the hazards of "chattel
personal" were, and how the kind
ness of one only aggravated the
harshness and inhumanity of an
other. In the extreme solicitude
manifested by his kind master and
mistress at Baltimore that he should
not learn to read, and their marked
displeasure and change of treatment
when he had thus learned, are seen
not only the stern necessities of
slavery, but how it quencheth the
kindlier feelings and turned to bit
terness even affection itself. In the
terrible struggle with Corey he so
graphically describes, when "the
dark night of slavery shut in upon
him. and he was transformed to a
brute" is disclosed something of
the process by which manhood was
dethroned, and an immortal being
was transformed by something more
than legal phrase into a chattel-a
thing. Had he, after his first un-
successful attempt to escape, been
sold South" as he had reason to
apprehend, and had not been sent
North to Baltimore, that night
would have remained unbroken, and
that transformation would have
been complete; and the world now
knows what light would have been
extinguished and what a sacrifice
would have been made. He escap-
ed, indeed; but how many did no..
Not all SO richly endowed, though
none can tell how many village
Hampdens," how many "mute in
glorious Millions have thus been
lost to letters and to man; while
many have learned to sympathize
with DR.. Campbell, at Finsbury's
Chapel, when he exclaimed: "My
blood boiled within me when 1
heard his address tonight, and
thought that he had left behind him
three millions of such men,"
And sadder still when it is seen
that all this was done, if not in the
name of Christian religion, in spite
of it, by those protesting its holy
faith, his owner and tormentor,
Corey, both being members of the
church-the latter punctilious and
pretentious in his church-going,
praying, and psalm-singing, adding
the latter generally to his daily
family worship; and saddest Of all
when Mr.. Douglass, rescued as from
the lions den, bore a testimony
which could not be gainsaid, the
muititudes, though fascinated by
his thrilling story and matchless
eloquence, withheld from him what
he earnestly sought, and only the
few We're willing to receive the un-
popular doctrines of his abolition
ism. For twenty years he labored
IS few others could, addressing
upon thousands in the
New England, Middle, and Western
States; and yet till the beginning of
he Rebellion he belonged to a
lespised minority, and the system
hat had so outraged him and his
people still dominated the state, and
vas sanctioned, if not sanctifed, by
he church. In the light of such a
history this mountain Of national
,uilt assumes more towering pro-
portions and its base is seen to rest
lot upon the South alone, but upon
he whole land. The crime was
,igantic; and, though its expiation
las already been terrible, who shall
ay that it has been commensurate
With the crime itself Many COM
'lain Of the burden left by the war,
re impatient of the slow progress
# practical reconstruction, and are
boxing gloomily into the future.