Year: 1862

It is not the being born and bred among
Christian people that can make man 0
Christian. The vc1iest pagans in religious
feeling are often found to be those who
have heard the Gospel preached all their
lives. Neither is it being brought forth
and reared up in civilized and enlighten-
ed land, that always keeps man from
being savage in character and barbarian
in life. We have only to glance at the
morals and manners Of those who claim
the highest culture and best society Of
our time, to see the most accomplished
rsfinements, and all the best humanities of
life, often giving way to vile practices
and debasing passions that would shock the
moral sense and rousc the indignation Of
Of any people the most barbarous and de-
graded. An aristocracy always boasts of
its superior refinement and high culture;
it prides itself on its pure blood and noble
natural gifts, and challenges the world to
match it III high impulse Or generous and
distinguished achievements. But an aris-
tocracy always admits, and indeed, asserts
as an essential to its existence, that there
must lie beneath it an Under class Of COM
mon people or slaves, or both together, to
hold it up with their rude and coarse
strength, and furnish means and oppo1tu-
nifty for the growth and display Of its supe-
rior virtues and splendid deeds. Christian
ity proclaims that all men are Of one
blood, and brothers Of one family, while
aristocracy asserts that there is pure
blood and an impure; families first, aud
families second, and families too low down
to be counted at all. It claims that men
arc not all brethren, but are to each other,
lord and scrf, noble and common, or mas
ter and slave. Ono star didereth from
another star in glory, and 80 there is one
glory Of the man who OWNS many Of his
fellow men, and another glory Of the man
who owns but few; and no glory at all Of
the man who Owls nota a single other man;
and from this last must perhaps be taken
away that which he hath, the glory Of OWL
ing himself. Deprived Of tho distinction
being the owner Of other men, all such
poor devils sink at once, and hear them
selves drop 10 thc bottom as "poor white
trash"


But the "poor white trash might find in
their loss Of caste a great gain; and might
gather from their being denied the position
Of master a compensation, in being free
from its curse and evil; and learn lesson
| Of manly self reliance and noble ambition.
immensely more valuable than large gangs
| Of black slaves. But with sor7ow and in
dignant disgust, we are forced to acknowl-
edge, that so far from this being SO, more


ahject, mcan-spirited, and groveliug men


are not to be found, than some Of the non


Shareholders in the slave States. or some OF


those who have moved and settled in the


Free States The institution under which


lhey were raised, seems to have witherej ]


and blasted all that was manly and gene1-


Gus In theirnature They delight in crawl


ing at the feet Of the class who only


treat them with scorn and contempt; and


choose to degrade themselves to do the


dirty work Of the men who pay them with


insult and abuse. The free States, esoe.


cially in the Northwest, containsome from


this body Of poor whites, who were driven


from their native places, by the influences


Of slavery; and who afford to-day NOS,


convincing proofs and examples of its de


meaning and degrading effects. Manyo


them did not live long in It's blasting an6


debasing atmosphere, and yet, with noble


exceptions, but few are found who ca1


erect themselves, look upward like men
and not on their betters, and glory in tlat
Shame. Of licking the dust from the feet tha
Kicked them away from their homes, ant
are yet planted on their necks The nams
bywhich this class is known at the South
| that Of white trash" is titly given to thos,