Year: 1859

free territory to slavery, and we are truly
and in substance guilty of the crime o.
slavery, as the man who furnishes an.
other with a loaded pistol, for the express,
known purpose of taking the life of a
fellow being, is in substance guilty ol
murder. And no man who believes tha,
we are bound, first, and at all events.
to obey moral laws" can give his con-
sent, either express or implied, to such
an introduction, without stultifying him
self.


But Mr.. Hedges takes the old beaten
track in justification of the institution,
that the negro is better off in slavery
than in freedom. We admit it in many
cases, but does that prove that the negro
is not naturally capable of self-govern-
ment? The man who is perishing with
hunger, placed at table loaded with
food, might, and probably would injure,
if not kill himself, in satisfying the crav-
ings of appetite. But would any one
pretend that the man should be entirely
deprived of all food Or would it be
claimed that the human race are incapa-
BILE of making proper use of food ?
And because the slave, by ages of op-
preston, physical, mental and moral,
has been so degraded, that freedom
would in many cases curse rather than
bless him, will any man say, that the ne
gro, as race, cannot by any possibility
appreciate his freedom +? Mr.. Hedges
says" Better that the negro should be
kept under restraint until it can be shown
that they, as race, or majority OF
them can gain profit by freedom" That
ls--better that the child be kept in ig-
norance until he learns to read, lest he
make blunders in the attempt. Better
that the drowning man be firmly held
under water, until he gets out, lest in
the attempt he madly swim over the cat
aract. Better stand quietly by and see
your house and family destroyed by fire,
lest in attempting to save them you in
jure the delicate tracery upon the wall.


Again, he attempts to justify the sys-
tenn, by saying, that the child is under
restraint to his parent to certain age,
and can be compelled to labor for his
benefit, and this relation is for the good
of the child. although it is sometimes as
cruelty perverted as that Of master and
slave. Yet his own language immediate
ly after utterly refutes the assertion. He
says" Among the evils of slavery,
stand, first, the forcible separation of
families" Husband and wife, parents
and children, are ruthlessly torn
from each other and sold to the highest
bidder, for lust, passion or gain. This
the law permits-yea, sanctions and pro-
vides for. Is it SO in the relation of pa
rent and child?


"The slave ought to be protected in
life, limb and character, as fully as any
one." Is it done Does not the mas
ter compel his slave to minister to his
brutal lust with impunity Does not
the revolver, the bowie knife or the lash
frequently drink the life Of the poor
slave, and the master go free !? Can the
parent thus treat his child, and not pay
the full penalty of his crime ? Mr..
Hedges says he would sooner help the
"poor niger" to get away, than he
would his master to reclaim him, but
would never think of justifying himself
by the Higher Law. Friend Hedges,
let me ask you one question. If the
Congress of the United States should
pass law that the President Of the
United States should be worshipped as
God, and the Capitol as his temple.
would you obey that law Would you
not On the contrary disobey it yourself
and urge your neighbor to do the same
And would you not justify your conduct
by the Higher Law /? Yet men who
break the Fugitive Slave Lava law
equally repugnant to the law Of God as
the other--ale denounced by you as bad.
morally, as the Southern fire eater. who
lashes his victims for pastime


Now, where is the difference To us,
it lies just here. The Fugitive Slave
Law was made to please the South. Ii
was the perpetration Of the most damna.
bic outrage upon justice and humanity
a civilized nation was ever guilty Of, to
win the support of class who held the
balance of power. Hence its sacredness


hence its supremacy to the moral law,
and hence all who cry out against it, and
refuse to obey it. are denounced and &C


cused of acting from the basest of human
passions. revenge and malice.


Thank God there are those who hav,
enough of the /" lower law'-alias th,