New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-02
The National SIN.

Inc
The grand father Of the late Senator Mason,
the rebel emissary, in his denunciation of
slavery, said that it produced a most perni-
cous effect on manners. lie looked upon
slavery as national sin, and said by the
inevitable chain If causes and effects, Provi-
dence punishcs national slns by national
calamities."
The injustice owards y { colorcd citizens
of the country {; 5 practice| to-day is one OF
the pernicious eff nc;s of slavery on the man
ners of the sup 'rior race, and is also one
Of those natione sins which by an nevltab {
chain Of causes u cflcc.s Providence pu:.-
ishcs by nat:C. Il cala.a Is. There a!e
those, and they are not uconsiderable in
numbers, who 81 icve and assert that we as
a race have rece scd ut the hands of the PEP
pie G: the Unit. States much more in t! e
way of the arei ,ration Of ,ur condition, al I
in n much shot, space O. time, than we or
the world had right TO expect; and there
fore we should J : content 4 with what VI e
have and to avail with patience the time when
the country III feel disposed 10 accord the
full measure of lstice to Us. Not alone for
our interest as II cOlored race 30 VIC combat
this idea, but, in addition 10 The advantages
that accrue 10 U: we belle e 1t to be better,
far better, for e whole American people
that the nationi sin of I'M lst!cc towards the
negro be speed,' err liCatC !. 1t grew out Of
slavery, and is enc the Dernicous effects
on manners so rue deprecated by the Vir-
ginia statesman, tn grandfather of the late
Senator John NJ. ;, tsJu. The grOssest vio-
lations Of decency, law, and good order re-
suits from the ''perni'.ious effect on manners"
of the continued slayr,y, in the form Of caste,
now prevailing in tn United States. 1t is
possible for this inj tice, and also highly
probable, if allowed 20 unchecked, to grow
into national sin @ such ma nitude as by
IAN inevitable chain If causes md effects"
to bring on punis nent am uniting to
national calamity
Is it possible for the intimiia on and out
RACES now prevalent in the South against the
negro and his friends to have any other effect
in the end than to arouse the right thinking
people Of the country % action in hostility to
the perpetrators of the wrongs? From out
raging the colored people and TIER friends in
the South, menacings to the people in other
sections Of the country will follow; parties
will increase, such as is now organized in Vir
ginia, arraylng the white race in open hos
tility to the blacks, and waging n warfare of
determination on all white citizens who are
unwilling TO stihe the dictates Of humane and
noble impulses, and who uphold the standard
of equal and exact justice to all men. This
system of caste, now prevalent in this coun-
try, is national sin against the very teach
ings Of founders Of the Republic. and against
the opinions Of the ablcst men of Virginia,
who, with Thomas jefferson, held that it is
"a Suspicion emily that the blacks, whether
originally a distinct race, or made distinct by
time or circumstances. are inferior to the
whites in the endowments OF both body and
mind" The teachings IF Jefferson the White
Mans party of Virginia will do well to
ponder.
We cannot undertake 10 prophesy as to the
shape in which national calamity may come,
but as true as was the prophecy of the elder
Mason in the matter of the national sin Of
slavery, and justified as it has been by events,
so true we believe IN prophecy TO be that
the national sin 0: iniustic" - lle negro will
ifnot speedily overthrow, bear its legitimate
fruit IN the form % national calimity.
To avert calamity 4 vile spread acGuies-
cencc must be enforced TO those attachments
and amendments a5olshiHg slavery and en-
franchi.ing the negro, and full effect and
scope must be given 10 those cnactments
AID amendments, in order that they accom-
plish their purpose. Appropriate legislation
must be followed BY appropriate and earnest
execution Of the laws IL behalf Of Justice
This j, the more required bccau e the pop
ularity of injustice 70 &c nero. and is seem
iug conformity 10 la~ = reason of lhe preiu-
does Of Judge and w. III, APPROPRIATE
legislation nee led ", ii, leave doubt Is 20
the full aud Compile f. dom nd lhe equal
ity ofrights ofeyery IL 'icau citizen. Po-i-
tive elacimcnts are ne Fed to-day TO make
void the custom TO III JUDGES appeal TO
Justify outrages against lie rights OF colorei
citizens in common schools, in the jury-box,
and PERFORATED by col IN carrier. and in
places Of public resort orally.
Senator sumner. CT Rights III is a
measure which, if enac; into Ia md en-
forced with the same ear .tuess 4 he laws
Tor the collection Of re- Iue are ,lforccd,
cannot fail TO turn the It'd, Of oppression, and
10 make justice rather than injustice the GUS
tom and practice Of our courts toward the
negro. We confidently look to Congress in
the coming session to ens into Law his just
measure Of Senator Sumne :, and in, Ige the
hope that the President 81 the Init States
will deem the complete emancipation Of our
race, so as to bring them under the equal
protection Of the laws, OF sufficient importance