The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-02

JUDGE GEORGE
of Richmond, chairman of History Co,
presented report at meeting in Nors
----------------------
them as property just as the people
of England had done since 1913, when
slaves were held to be "merchan-
disc" by the twelve judges of that
country, with the venerable Holt at
their head. We could further show
that slavery existed at tho North just
as long as it was profitable to have 1t
there; that the moral and religious
sense of that section was only heard
to complain of that institution after
it was found to be unprotltable, and
after the people of that section had, for
the most part, sold their slaves TO the
people of the South; and that, after
Whtneys invention Of the cotton gin,
which wrought such a revolution in the
production of cotton at the South. as To
cause slave labor greatly to increase In
val.le. and which induced many North
ern men to engage In that production.
these men almost invariably purchased
their slaves for that purpose. and many
of these owned them when the war
broke out.
Not Responsible.
The South was, then in no sense
responsible for tho existence of slavery
within its borders, but 1T was brought
there against its will: it was clearly
recognized and attempted to be con-
trolled and protected by the Constitu-
I tion-the supreme law of the land-and
/ the people of the South. not, believing
/ that any other or better disposition
could be made of the slaves than by
| holding them in bondage, only con-
/ tinued to do this.
In the meantime, numerous efforts
We're made, both by Southern States
and by individuals. to abolish the IN
stitutIon and 1t is the almost UNIVERSAL
belief now that these efforts would
have been gradually successful but for
! the harsh and unjust criticisms of the
Southern people by some of those at the
North. and the outrageous, illegal and
| incendiary interfercnces by the aboli-
| tionists and their emissaries. As early
as 1869 the House of Burgesses of Nir-
| ginia tried to abolish slavery in Nir-
glnia, but was prohibited by the
act Of George ILL.,, then King of
| England, lin the interests of Eng
lish commerce." And throughout the
| period from 1876 to 1892 when the
work Of the abolitonists frs. began
| to be felt the question OF how to &C
| Thought of some of the most eminent
men of Virginia and other Southern
| States.
Mr.. George Lunt. distinguished
| LAWYER of Massachusetts. in his inter-
esting work. entitled Origin of the
Late War in which he shows that the
North was the aggressor and wrong
doer throughout. says: Slavery, in the
| popular sense, was the cause of the
war, just as property ~ the cause OF
! robbery
| Whilst we do MOI indorse this state
ment, looking at the subject from the
viewpoint of n Southerner, yet. If 1t
were true. surely there is nothing In
1T from which the people of the North
can take any comfort or credit TO
themselves
But so anxious are our former enemies
to convince the world that the South
! did fight for the perpetuation of slav-
cry, that some OF them nave eithei
MISREPRESENTATION or mislnterpreta-
tons of some OF tho sayings of ouI
representative men, to try to establish
this as u fact, A noted instance oil
; this Is found in the oftrepeated charge
that the late MIR. Alexander II
. stephens. vice-President of the Confed
eracy, had said in his famous speech
, delivered al Savannah in February
1861 that slavery was the cOrncrSt0n,
of the Confctlcrncy.'
Inferior Order OF Being.
We have heard this charge made b.
!. one of the most enlightened and liberia
, men of the North, and yet we have a
. hand utteranCeS from this same North
/, said IN that speech. Mr.. Stephens wa
: speaking of the Confederacy Just thel
; organized, and contrasting some of TIL
u principles on which 1T was founded
c with some of those of the Republican
party, then coming into power for tn
{ first time, and he said:
I "'Our government is founded on
r exactly the opposite idea Chat the
/ two races-black and white--are
Ell equaD; It's foundations arc laid, it's
:, cornerstone rests upon the great
q truth that the negro is not the
It equal OF the white man; that
$ slavery, subordlnation to the supe-
It ural and normal conditions
}, Now, it will be observed in the frs
G place, that Mr.. stephens said tho cor
= nerstone" Of the Confederacy rest
= upon the great truth that the negro i,
! not the equal of the white man" An,
]. isn't this fact recognized as true to-da
d in every part Of this land?
!; But hear now the utterances of TIL
t liberal and cultured Northcrner, on tn
g same subject, when lie says, as h
y does: ~
II inferior order OF being, not only In
:. the South, or slave States. but
II throughout the North also, not en-
e titled to unrestricted pursuit, on
r equal terms of life, liberty and
Il happiness
y Is there any difference in prIncip,
a between these two utterances?
" IT. as this distinguished Northernt
< asserts, and as every one knows to /
> true, the negroes are distinctly an il
d, ferlor order of being and not entitlc
le to the unrestricted pursuit, on eqtii
1t terms with the whites) of life l!bert
" and happiness,' does not this MAX
is Standardization TO the superior race h
4, natural and normal condition. as NJ
IN Stephens says?
Q. But hear now what Mr., Ltncol
Of himself the great demlgod Of til