The national era. [volume], September 12, 1850, Image 1

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THE NATIONAL ERA
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U. BAILEY, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR; JOHN G. WHIT TIER, CORRESPONDING EDITOR.
VOL. IV.?NO. 37. WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1850. WHOLE NO. 193.
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I HE NATIONAL ERA.
WASHINGTON, SKI'TKMBKR 9, 18.10.
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v\ v'?a% ?>5.
J'VAAJ % It
ittlfKjtw wa w-wwwmv.
BY CAKOLINK C .
To : You have asked me, in a moment of
doubt and perplexity, where lies woman's mission
ground 1 What is her proper sphere of action ?
Contradictory voices, and that other and louder
voice speaking from your own soul, have bewildered
you?you who, pfrhaps without knowledge
of this warring of tongues which has lately
troubled so many, would have gone onward in
the right path at once, without hesitation, fulfill
ing the purpose for which you were born.
I'he desire which you have expreased, that I,
an entire stranger to you, should "speak my
mind " on this subject without reserve, leads me
to speak plainly?more plainly than 1 would dare,
perhaps, if you were by my side to-day, looking
on me as you listened.
Let me preface what I have to say, by stating,
that while 1 do not and cannot recognLe any
right of precedence among mortals, save that
fully and obviously given and endorsed by wealth
of heart and intellect, so also among human beings
can I .conceive of no such thing as precedence
9f sex?of weakness and inefficiency, heluuyvng
to one of the two great classes of mortals, more
than to another.
Morally, mentally, men and women are creaven
equal?using the word equal in its broad signification
To my apprehension, strength of mind,
grasp of intellect, capacity of high attainment, is
given to woman as to man, and to man as to woman.
But, obviously, the sphere of their duties
differs widely. While those devolving upon man
have led biin, as a geueral thing, into paths where
the powers of his mind were chiefly taxed, the
sympathies and the affections of worn in have been
eallei more frequently into life?into conatant
action. 1 leave out of contemplation now the two
great extr tnes among women, the few deep thinking,
aspiring, and struggling intellects, (-druggltng?to
escape from the narrow routine of thought
which the custom and habit of ages has imposed
upon her.) and themyriad others whbae life is made
up of w trifles light as air," of the great mass of
women who are compelled by circumstances to
the performance of little, wearing, but holy, and
therefore noble, duiies; there are myriads voiceless,
who. if early in life called to occupy the stations
held by their brethren, would have, by their
career, Triumphantly disclaimed the narrow and
ridiculous idea of spiritual, mental sexuality !
" We are all Bent," observed one to me, not
long since?a woman whose sphere of labor,
though contracted, is richly filler!, whose sympathies
are wide as the world And I was struck
by her remark more forcibly than ever by the
fiercely agitated questions of" Woman's Rights "
and " Woman's Mission"?she has so well conceived
her own duty, she has so fully recognised
the mission of unobtrusive goodness on which
God has sent her to the world.
Everything rests on our own apprehensions of
duty?on the courage we have to act on those apprehensions.
If the inward oracle speaks from
the gloom of doubt, telling us convincingly that
our way lies over the Atlantic or the Pacific, to
those far regions where the heathen dwell, it will
be over an easy path that we shall tread ; and we
hall surely find our mission ground there. There
have been many, there are many, who, with heroic
courage, have struggled against the love of
home, and kindred, and ease, because a voice from
the depths of heathendom has called to them;
they have gone forth conquering and to conquer;
and we should not do well to doubt their sacrifice
was not pleasing and acceptable to God?should
not do wisely to doubt His spirit had illumined
their eyes to see where their paths of mission led.
You remember the young and much-loved Harriet
Newell; you have not forgotten her, who has
recently gone forth to find in India a sphere of
glorious labor, leaving behind her mourning
hearts of kindred, and countless loving friends
who never looked upon her face; the gentle,
brave-hearted daughter of song who adjured the
love of fame for loftier, holier love. When we
remember all that she left, and all that she had
' -u.,11 ?? V???
ground has yet been entered and worked ?
There have been those, again, (an army of martyrs
would come before us as I speak of them, had
1 a conjuror's power ) who, by the calls of inexorable
duty, have been hedged in within the walls
of their own homes, whose labor there calls for a
moral strength, a courage, and a power of enduring,
in which me n, if put to the test, would be
found, more frequently than woman, rrantinn. I
call to mind one. a girl who has not yet re tched the
age of womanhood. Ily a dreadful accident her
mother hod been deprived of the use of her arras,
is helpless in her household These winter snows
have fallen upon the new-made grave of the father
: and this child, the eldest of eight children,
is the only strong hand of that miserable home.
That she is a martyr, dying an awful death, fewcan
doubt, on looking at the little colorless face,
and pini hed. stunted form, that moves about uncomplainingly,
with a piteous calmness, laboring
at her never-completed work.
Necessity has brought the girl to this continuous.
wearing labor ; but necessity never enabled
one to do with patience and love what was drying
the life-blood in the veins. Recognition of duty
it is that supports her ; it, will soothe her when
her weary head droops for the last time on the
comfortless bed. It will make a martyr of ber,
as it has of countless multitudes , but it will make
a saint of her also !
There is little needed to uphold nny mortal in
these conflicts of life, in this " Rattle of Life,"
hut moral courage, a pure and kindly heart, and
tru?t in Providence Without these we shall he
we ik missionaries indeed?feeble to wage against
besetting foes; with them we shall be conscious
of no want of strength.
There are wastes of corruption nearer than
thos'of the heathen lands; to penetrate these
one needs the most exalted courage?needs to pnf
on the " whole nrmor of God " Even around
nhouf us are minds that grope in the thickest
d irkness of ignorance?denf and dumb and Winded
to the orHeles of God If you Lave any scruples
as to whether this mission is mission ground
in which woman may properly enter, snd successfully
lnbor, without an effort yon may recall the
names of fome of those whom God has greatly
blessed in the work of moral reformation, and you
will have triumphant proof that it it rr'H for
woman to reach a hand down from heights of purity,
even to the lowe-t depths of degradation, if
t-he may thus elevate and restore a brother or a
'Mster1 An ! have sAid before, her own apprehension
of the kind of duty that devolves peculiarly
upon her, will lead woman into that path in
which ahe can best lalmr.
From what you have written me, I feel that I
have not yet dwelt upon that mission ground on
which it in your probable destiny to tread. You
'ell me that you are almost entirely independent
of human control. That your fortune la great,
your de?ire to use it well alao great; yet you
would take counsel of another, would ask of mwhat
is your sphere of duty.
It would seem to me that the great social circle
which surrounds yon haa been drawn towards
joii for a purpose. You ^je in society almost
onxtantly; necessarily you are in a manner of
the world. There are many who, hy virtue of
y?ur riches, (I say this because I know it Is a nece-wary
or sure consequent of such possession)
will look up to you, follow, fl atter. be led by you?
and there are other some who will love you, if
allowed There are enough of men and women
who will stndy your deeds more thsn they will
'heir Bible whether you would have them or not.
1 our words and actions will be quoted and imitated.
to an eitent that would convince you, were
you weak and vain, that you are. or that yon possess
something that Is more than priceless. Your
words convince me that yon anticipate this, that
you have had cause to prove the truth of it in a
measure already.
Nurh being your position, I would hsg you to
aspire n/rer to become a "leader of fashion," a
ple-mure queen'' Those who soar to such
1' ighte seldom eiert a "saving influence " on tbs
miuda of their associates , and the vain, sxtrava
gant, foolish child of fashion mt?hr Took for effects '
of her exampli in places her eyes would shrink !
from penetrating, in houses over which she,oould .
she know of them, would weep scalding tears ,
of shame and sorrow 1 would counsel you, of |
all things, do not become a restless pleasure-seek- !
er; there is nothing in creation so miserable as \
the position of the wom^n who, having exhausted
what are called the exciting pleasures of society,
is left at last, an years go on, with no resource
of intellect or heart on which to fall hick
By right of the station you fill, you will give a
tone to the circle in which you move You, cannot
avoid it. In Heaven's name let it he a lofty
tone?a good, moral influence. Never indulge in
any of these mean habits of mind which tarnish
the crown of human nature, be truly noble in
spirit, and recognise a common humanity aad
brotherhood in all who are worthy their name of
.^ ' jsan. Mayhap^od.w^a* given, you abilities
* ~--J ??Hi. .? hv vour voice and J
vour works leave a testimony to the everlasting )
majesty ed VuTity, rue
It is not for you to work with your pen, perhaps,
but you may labor, aod <juite as effectually,
iu another way. which heart and conscience will
suggest. The burning plains of heathen lands
may be never trodden by your feet; there are
baathen about you. not the degrade*], do: the outcast,
the shunned, the ignorant heathen, whose
bunds jou daily clasp; cnu yeu not t?*fr them in
a thousand ways the falseness of the gods tbey
wor-hip ? Is not your roice strong to teach them
unfalteringly that there is no God but God, that
the " pomp of riches " and the " pride of life " are
unity, compared with the more shining and glorious
possessions, truth, justice, mercy, and love 1
You are, I trust, above all sectarianism; you
believe that freedom of conscience, as of limb, is
an inalienable right?a birthright of every human
being. In your mission to the social world?
to the world in which you are now living and
moving?there is a great and glorious work to
do; would it not be right joyous to aid in it?
There are superstitions of the dark ages alive
among us, which must be removed ; there are recognitions
of right, elevaflotft of the very principles
of justice, yet to be made. By unchaining the
heart s sympathies, and sufiering th< m to rangr
in free the sunlight of God's truth may you aid
ia fiiC- caa:e! By choosing a light from heaven
to guide you, rather than one of thos^Wying lamps
of earth, oh, my sister, you will have illumination
for your path!
Remembering ever that
" He prayrth best who loveth taset
Both all thing* great ami small,'*
go forward to enlighten, to aid,to strengthen, and
warm, and cheer, thus will you Men all those
who come within your influence , and this is, can
you doubt it, your mission?for this were you
"sent!'' God grant you sight to recognise your
duty, will to do it ! Farewell.
C<iiuintl<iigun, 1850.
forth* National Kra
TilK TRIUMPHS OK GENII'S.
BY T. WICKKRSIIAM.
Before going into a discussion of this subject,
the mind seems naturally led to inquire, What i.t
Genius? To define that which has no tangible
form is ever a difficult task. It will doubtless be
found as impossible to explain the intrinsic principle
of Genius, as it is to understand the primary
nature of the imponderable agents, light, heat,
and electricity We only speak of these from
the effects which we see produced. So it is with
Genius. We witness the power of its inspirations
in the beauty of itB creations, but we know nothing
of the secret spriDg from which they take their
origin.
From the character of those men who, in com*
mon parlance, are denominated " men of Genius,"
it seems to be a superior endowment of some peculiar
mental power?a creative energy?a faculty
for originating, which has produced those beautiful
forms of painting and statuary, and from
whence have flowed those exquisite strains of
poetry, music, and eloquence, which in all ages
have called forth the admiration of the world
This elevated nature has been the gift of only
a "favored few," yet the fire which they have
kindled has warmed the heart of many adesponding
wanderer, and the light which they have shed
abroad has illumined the darkened pathway of
multitudes, whose latent energies, quickened hy
its genial influence, have suddenly started from
the shades of obscurity, snd come forth to fulfil
their part in the great arena of human action, j
There is something so ennobling in the aspirations
of Genius?they command the attention, I
fiscinate the senses, and arouse every refined
element of our being with a new and holy inipi
lse.
Genius is subject to no conservative principle;
its field of action is the illimitable universe ; its
labors, like the works of Deity, nre for all time.
Its expansive and far-reaching energies grasp the
materials of the past, present, and future, and hy
the activity of its superior powers, it creates anil
recreates from countless combinations, till the
rugged pathway of ages and the barren deserts of
I sniceare neonled with the imagery of iumgina
tion These glowing fancies, these brilliant conceptions
and lofty aspirations, hare rendered the
Sons of Genius the admired of all men ; have impressed
their brows with the signet of divinity,
and crowned them with the chaplets of undying
fame.
It is these rich qualities of mind which give to
the painter that power by which he nlmost imparts
life to the insensible csnvass?by which he
conceives matchless forms of loveliness, the c >mbinations
of h thousand living memories and fancies,
cherished within, and portrays them with a
master's skill before the eye of the admiring beholder.
Who does not feel, when gazing upon
the sublime works of Raphael and Michael Angelo,
that Genius has asserted its Heavendescended
nature?that the eternal conceptions
and undying energies of mind have triumphed
atid proven iheir supremacy over all that belongs
to the external ? The trials and triumphs of Genius
have ever been a wonder to our minds. Hehold
a tluaker schooll>oy, creeping by stealth
into his father's garret, busied hour after hour in
a labor to which he has devoted his whole sml
Missed at school, he is surprised by an offended
mother, snd led from his retreat to receive the
reptimand of a father's frown. But the spirit
within was too strong fir imprisonment?hi* hand
would not rest from its labors The prejudice of
sect was arrayed against him, but with no avail
Tbev could not quench the fire within, nor
banish the visions that haunted his soul. He
triumphed; anil the fume of West is enrolled
among the Sons of Genius. Thus does Genius
conquer circumstance.
Let us go to the land of the sculptor, and wander
among the forms of the '"gods snd heroes''
which people the silent hulls Italy, for centuries,
has been the home of the artist There, in
the language of Madame de Stool, "Beauty, in
eternal sleep, seems dreaming of herselfand,
in the imp issioned words of our own V\ estern
Wallace?
" There the soul* are all ft nine, th? heart* are all lire,
There the river*?the nwuntain*?the lowliest sod*?
w ert; naiiow^i i?iim iiuk w; ms us'**** ??... o
What triumphs huve hceu achieved by the
sculptor in that "shrine of the suit!"' In the
shapeless block of marble his genius beholds an
exquisite form, and, lo! from the untiring labor
of patience and time an image appears, clothed in
all the symmetry and loveliness of his cberiahtd
ideal, and he only needa to realize the fable of
Pymalion, and the beautiful creation would feel
as he feels, love aa he lovee, and adore aa he worships.
There ia something that holda the soul as
by a magic spell when gazing upon these forms of
oold mirble?these temples of the material in which
are enshrined the ideals of the spiritual. The
thought which thrilled the heart of the sculptor,
while giving to the statue each graceful and refined
touch, by some secret spring of sympathy
inspires us with the sums emotion, and we are
melted in love of the Beautiful and humbled in
adoratiou of the Divine Thrre we behold the
impress of noble thought fixed on the brow forever,
and pttssione portrayed on features through
which the warm life-blood never coursed ; and we
tauae nnoonsciously, almost expecting to see the
and move in grsture of welcome and the lips
part with the smile and word of salutation
Thus do we behold Nature wedded to Art in
the marble of Paroe?another triumph of the labors
of Genius.
But how ahall we speak of the achievements of
Geniua, when, as we turn from the harmony of
proportion, our cam are charmed with the sweet
symphonies of Muaict Totbe mind of the indifferent
observer, there is nothing peculiar in the
voices of Nature. To bis ear, there is merely a
compound mixture of sound. 'TIs truly said?
11 Who bai bo iHtrard beauty, itoa* porwtvM,
Thumb all around la bwtuUftU."
But when the heart of tha minstrel was touched
with a live coal from the altar of Genius, then his 1
ear awoke to theconcord of Nature In each anuud f
that rises on the air, he detected a note of the diatonic
scale; in the intonations of each warbler's <
voice, he perceived the elements of tn< lody; and d
in the many tones that, ascending, mingle th?m- ?
selves together, he noted their perfect combination
in one, and called it harmony. Thus, by the
refined sympathy of the intrrmil harmony with
the harmony of the wlaiial, did the musician
combine the multitudinous tones of creation, and
make strains of sweet melody, and by the admirable
blending of strain with strain, do the enchanting
notes of harmonv swell upon our ears. And
thuB we behold the Genius of Music recreating
that which seems in nature half complete. Indeed
it seems that this part of God's work must hare ^
been designedly left for the art of man to perfect. .
Should the divine art of the minstrel cease? 1
should his strains of melody and harmony no 11
more swell upCh our ears?wuaf * vacuum nuuiu
there beta tne enjoy mints or man ! ' \ new wouta ) '
*_ - ? - *. ?^- l . -. I o
r"-** - - .
would he one chord shattered in the harp ol the '
universe
Music is so native to the human heart, that he a
who is Dot alive to its pure and delicious strain* 1
is denounced as a most unnutural being
" Let no eneh men bf frosted," i
eiclaigia the great bard of nature :
" The m?o who ba.? no mnsle In himself.
Nor is not movei with conoor<l of sweet sounds.
Is (It for treasons, stratagems, and spoils."
Music is so refined and spiritual in its nature,
its votaries so unworldly and shut up within the
secret chambers of their own hearts, and the
pleasure it confers so pure, so deep aud elevating,
that we are almost prompted to say of it what
Schiller says of love?
' Lebe maobt den Himmel
Himinliscber?die Krde
Zu detn Himmelrei.h.
' Love makes heaven heavenlier?makes earth
a heaven." For Love is only the outpouring of
sympathy warmed into quickened action hy the
presence of that which, combining with it, produces
and wherr A*. K**?ioi\y
there is Music. ^
But Groins has given to harmony a more lasting
measure than that which flow* in the.accOTlts
of music. This sweet concord is transferred from
sound to language, and when it serves to clothe
the thoughts and emotions of the heart, we call it
Poetry. And thus have the great nn 1 good of nil
ages made song the vehicle by which they transmitted
their souls, us il were, adowy the stream of time,
and hold communion with other sges, long after
their own spirits mounted the fiery chariot of the
skies. But, strange inequality, the bards immor
?.,i l.un i?t ivru fi-w None save the Di
vmtlt/ inspired have survived the shafts of the |
oriiio an<l the scythe of time.
The true poet is characterized by that love for
his race?that ardent sympathy for humanity, 1
which has ever been the parent of noble eeuti- 1
ment?mingled with that intense love of the
Heautiful, and that passionate admiration of the
Sublime, which huve made him the worshipper of '
nil that is perfeot, and given to his mind an everpresent
ideal of a more exalted state of being.
Hence it is that Genius gives to the poet so
wide a field for the exeroise of his powers. Now,
he tunes his harp to the thrilling measures of |
Love, touches the "delicate indwellings" of the
spiritual man, and calls up the refined sympathies
of our natures, till he creates
" A sweet, expansive brotherhood of being;''
and now he bids the heart he strong in the integrity
of its Ileaveu-descended virtues; cheers it
on by the commingling of Faith and Hope in bis
harmonious measures ; and, ainid our trials and
weaknesses, holds up before our minds
" The eternal images uf Tiuth
And Beauty."
Anon, inspired by "the divinity that stirs within,"
the fire of his Genius hursts forth, and in
the sublime elevation of hiB bouI he ascends the
rocks by the mountain cataract?treads the giddy
heights of the path araoDg the clouds?
" Anil with the thunder talks as friend to friend,
And weaves hi* garland of the lightning's wing;"
nor yet falters in his daring as he courses slong
the starry pathway, almost scaling the rumparts
of Heaven's battlement?
" And seeius at home,
Where angels baehful look."
If the Genius of Poetry thus elevates the soul
of man, what shall we say of its twin-brother,
Eloquence ? That it is the acme of human greatness?the
1 ist step in the acclivity to the temple
of Fame, where the victor grasps the unfading
laurel, and wrenthes for himself the garland irn- <
mortal. It gives to man among bis fellows the i
majesty of the lion among the beasts of the for- i
est. It clothes him with the strong spirit of a 1
detni-god, and he rules the mass of mind as Kulus I
is said to have controlled the prisoned winds In <
all ages, men have bowed hefore the power of Florence
as to the voice of God, speaking from the i
clouds of heaven. t
Hut Genius confers uo gifts on the unworthy. f
The pathway to this distinguished eminence is ]
one of effort and arduous toil. The orator has <
been a student of nature as well as of lore. Here j
lies the secret mystery of his jxiwer. He has r
looked into the depths of the human heart He r
has compassed and weighed the elements of mind 1
He is master of his own powers?his thoughts, l
his emotions?so that they come to his aid and h
vanish at his bidding ; and so well is he skilled j
in the use of that great lever?humansympathy? li
he kuows when to instruct and when to persuade, n
how to cull up an emotion, to m>ve the passions, r
and control the will. And thus he plays upon f
the minds of his hearers as the master performer p
touches the keys of the harpsichord. v
Such have been the triumphs of Genius since n
the rolling tide of ages commenced its course. To n
earning?element* no essential in maintaining
ree institutions ?
In review of these facte, I nek, if it is policy to
rt'inl further that " imtitution,' which couM anil
hi cause a Jefferson to exclaim. "/ tnmhb: for
tj country when I remember that Gotf it just.' "
A.
Waihiufton City, D. C-} 18'i0.
For the National Era.
SLAVERY AM) THE BIBI.E.
BY A CITIZKN OK MtlYLtNH
Having been a reader of the iVr?- York Ohs-rver
or many years, i have been pleased to see it conlooted,
in most casts, with so much firrane-s, and
n such an uncompromising spirit. The only I
natter in which 1 have thought th.re has been
r*"?V?berration from the path, and some little
F2' Z.*"Z ^ i. iKio tb'sryr*
f slavery. I havesem with regret an alacrity I
II giving a ^
eem suited to quiet the fears of the slaveholder,
nd to lull his conscience; while papers of an op
x>site character are remarked upon with no little
evenly, placing all anti-slavery tm Tenants in
>ne great claaa. with the heading anti sabbatical,
adicalism. deism, turning the world upside down,
tc. We have seen a want of care to Veep before
he public eye the difference there is between the
satise and the occasion of a thing. The preach- j
ng of the Gospel was the occasion, not the cause. |
>f the peraecutiona that ensued , the evil position*
>f men rising against its pure and pacific exhibi- j
ions were the cause. The abolition movements
nive been the occasions of enacting more severe
aws, by which the poor slave has suffered a very j
treat increase of wrong; the evil, vindictive pis- |
dons of slaveholders were the cause The very i
signature appended to so many articles, w A South- j
rn Cl-rgyman" reminding us of high ecclesiaati- .
sal authority, was, no doubt, soothing to some
ninds. however imbecile the logic And with
irhat promptitude was it announced, that Profeslon
Stuart am) Wood had signed the commendUory
letter to Senator Webster. And again, how
MValierly are anti-slavery men treated, by iutouching
the case of fugitive slaves, with the donga
of chose good mee who drew up our Magna
['harta And then to show, forsooth, by extracts
rrom the book of Professor Stuart, a celebrated
Biblical critic, that the Bible, rightly interpreted,
(7>u/. xxiii. 16, 16, &o,) does not prohibit the arrest
and delivery of fugitive slaves Now, I know
nothing of this book, save what 1 learn from the
extract and the editor's introductory remarks.
But whatever effect this extract miy have in dissipating
the scruples of anti-slavery men. and in
cheering the slaveholder on his weary way to
xrrest his trembling fugitive, coming, as it does,
from one so good, and, in most cases, so judicious,
I must say it does noi answir inc enu ior wnicri
it was written, and for which it has been here
adduced, vix: show that the Bible iD'iii. xxiii.
15, 1(1, &c) does not prohibit, in our country and
in our day, the arrest of the runaway slate, and
delivering him to his master. I would know, and
be ruled by the teachings of the Bible in this
matter. The opinions of great and sj>od men are
to he respected; but, I remember, that to err is
human. I oan follow the Professor, and find his positions
in the main consistent with the Bible, and
his reasoning logical; but his conclusions are vitiated
hy false assumptions: " The Mosaic law,"
says Mr. Stuart, "contemplates Hebrews held as
slates hy Hebrew masters.1' 1 would rather say
htb! to snvicr ; because such a state as in common
parlance is set forth by the term slavery, did not
exist among the Hebrews. One of the most ohnnxioiia
features of slavery, as it is among us, is
this, the master has an absolute ami nneontrollahle
right to the person and services of his slave ;
it is as his right to his horse or his ox The
slave's next friend, or any one prompted by humane
feelings, may intercede for his liberty ; he
may, in the kindness of his heart, propose to redeem
him, and the master may refn?e The proposed
redemption price may be Increased a hundred,
or, if you please, a thousand fold, and the
master may still refuse to liberate. Not so among
the Hebrews: for the Hebrew oould not hold his
brother Hebrew to service more than six years,
and even for that term not as a bondman, but as
a hired servant, and in the end he must be sent
out liberally provided for. When an alien, or
stranger, sojourning among the Hebrews, had
purchased a Hebrew servant, the next day, or the
next hour, his friend might present the price paid
for him, and the master must accept it, snd set
him at liberty. The sum could not be increased
by the caprice or rapacity of his mnster; it depended
entirely upon the sum paid, and the proximity
of the jubilee. (Jjtvit. xxv, 47?.IS) No
one, then, can legitimately refer to tbia kind of
servitude among the Hebrews in justification of
slavery as it is with us t In this very important
point they are totally dissimilar. Of such servitude
who would pronounce it sinful prr ff But
jf slavery, as we have it, I could not so speak.
What is slavery among ns 7 It certainly is
lot the mere holding of our fellow man In bond- ;
?ge. while we trent him humanely, and compen- :
<ite him for his services, permitting him to have
lis own wife, and to treat with kindness the chil- 1
Iron of his own bowels; to entertain the yearn- j
ngs of paternal love, nnd to exercise paternal j
nithorifv. It is not that state of things which
ihtafn* when, though living in a land governed
>y riimroiis slave laws, the kind, npright, benevo- ;
ent Christian man (I rejoice that there are manv j
ueh) holds to srrvtee his fellow man. Slavery j
s just what the laws make it. It is not onlv
lolding the person to service, but if is practicing
II that barbarity and cruelty which the laws foleate
and justify; under which, though he be a
irother in Christ, your servant is as much your
imperty as your house, or your horse?under
rhich the husband may >>e deprived by bis master
f hi* wife, of hi* children, of nil the endeartenta
of the domea'ic circle, the comfort- of hi*
wn " hcarthatone"?under which a promiacnnus
rid degrading concubinage in allowed to auperede
the consecrated marriage relation, and oner
which 'he alive la not permitted to worship
Jod, except hy the anfferance and under the e?ionage
of aoine impiouR and tyrannical maater?
nder which he ia kept in ignorance of hia own
haracter, na a religious, -account'ihie, nnd immoral
being. that he may he the more servile and
hae<jniou??and where the maater may aeparate
t plenaure what God hath joined. Thia ia alaery
aa we hare it. If thia ia not ainful, p*r .?<?,
rhat ia ?
2. "The Monaic inw contemplatea " aaya F'ropssor
8'nart, "heathen slaves of Hebrew misers''
Here, again, I would auhatitnte hondmen
>r the word slave*, because the theocracy under
rhich the I lehrewa were, aa I haye already shown
ever countenance anything like ala?ery. aa we
iaye it among ua. And eyen thia bondage was
lot necessarily perpetual, except in the case of
he servant's ohatinate tenacity of heathenUm,
nd refusing to lie amalgamated with God's
hurch and nation; for the Moaaic law provided
or the ad mis-inn of heathena into the NraeliMah
hurch and nation, and when thua amalgamated
hey receired all the privileg'-a and immunities I
hat belonged to him who waa of patriarchal decent.
Now, if I apprehend the matter correctly,
h? application of thcac principle* of the Moaaic
'iw to the Christian diapenaation would aet at
iherty ail slaves who make a credible profeaaion
f the Chriatian religion, aa aoon aa their maatera I
rere indemnified hy th'ir service* for hi* c are
r r tbem daring their minority and pupilage 1
rhus alarery. with the definition we hare given 1
f it. coold not, exiat among the Hebrews vix :
he Jew could not hold hia hrother Jew in 1
lavery?the aame law sulmtan'ially obtained I
rhether the aerv int w ia of pitriarchai descent,
r a " proselyte of righteonaneaa"
There were thine* that the Jew might do to '
he heithen which he might not do to a brother '
f? ; the why and the wherefore of thia we preend
not to gi?e. Thif which died of itaelf the
fehrew might not eat; but he might (rife it to
he stranger. or aell it to an alien that he might !
at it. He might not hold hia brother Hehrew
n perpetual bondage ; but the heathen he might,
fheperaiated in hia heatheniam,and apumed the
ioly rites and aerfieea of fiod'e church. I know
lot why it waa that orertures of mercy were, for
o many agea, con fined to Urael why God did
ot make it obligatory on the Jewiah church to
reach to all the nationa of the earth by meana of
la law, by acribee well inatrnrted, and by hia in- 1
titnted oeremoniea and aaorifioeg, the way of life,
nd preaa upon their atten'ion the hleeainga of
he go?pe|. | know aot why It. waa that when |
'hriat first commissioned hia diedpleg to go out i
nd preach, they were restricted in their miaaionry
operation*: u do not into tha war of the Oenilea
; and into any city of the Samaritans enter
' not." fiat I do know that thia restriction
>aa bean reroored, and that the whole human
amlly are upon a perfect lerel, aa It regpecta the
hligatlona of the Church to preach tha goapel.
rhara art no Jewa and Gentilea now In an inyid
recount the struggles 01 its voiumcm wouni nurueii o
the pages of history They have been long mid n
wearisome, and naught save the fires of its alur ?
could have nerved the hearts of its chosen ones (J
to endure all that the accumulated ills of life (
could inHict, And yet flinch not from the purpose p
to which they had wedded their souls n
Genius has found n new home, and there is a r
new era approaching The free soil of America p
has opened new fountains for bleeding humanity. n
Here may she expand in the nmilea of Love and n
the God-like majesty of Truth, and here shall T
Genius build a habitation, not amid the Neroe* w
and Alexanders of the past, but among the free
thought and progres-ive enthusiasm of the pres- ^
ent. Shall not the Genius of America triumph I f(
Yes, it shall come forth in its glory, and, long af- fi
ter the surges of time h ive swept the old nations ^
from the earth, shall our fatherland be the school n
of the arts and the museum of the world 1
Let as, then, hasten the coming of that tri- n
umphant day Let that talent, now budding, ex- (
pand and bloom in the fertile fields of thought
Let that light, just beginning to shine lorth, incresse
in brilliancy, till It becomes as a beacon f
fire on the shore of time, and then the Genius p
which lies slumbering in obscurity around us (
shall start up at the sound of our footsteps, and t
seizing the pencil and pen, and catching the lires
of poesy and eloquence, will call hither the de- t
parted spirit of Gref ce and Home ; ami the Genius j
of our own native bind, bloc,ming with the fresh j
vigor of youth, shall commingle with the Genius n
of Homer and Deraostheues?oft'iceroand Virgil. f
>? o
For tbo National Kra 1
TO WHAT DOKS SLAVERY TK.TD ! J
No. t. ^ ?
It nuluraiiy lino OI UTCtmn; luuium iu tuiv *
lute monarchy ! tends to undervalue the utility 0
and dignity of labor, to create unwarrantable
diatinctiona and cU'see in society, wholly incom- (
patible with the spirit of republican and demo- j
rratic institutions, and, oons<intently, prevents t
that fret social intercourse among nil the citizens f
of a community so essential to the diffusion of t<
good feeling and useful general intelligence and +
happiness! j(
That such should be the tendency of the "/? - p
culwr uutUulut*? follows as a matter of course, j,
for " as the fountains are, so will the streams be " ?
A slaveholder is lord (abeolute) of his planta- a
tion. A community of lords m?ke a S r* i k of n
aristocracy! And those individuals, in such a p
community or State, (however intelligent and h
worthy.) who happen not to hold elaves, but " la- a
bor with their hands" for an honest livelihood, a
are loohed upon by theae " lordt of creation," as t
little better than the slaves themselves, hence, (
at once, an invidious distinctiou in aociety?prac- a
finally destroying the idea that "all men are a
born free and equal! t
And who doe* not know, from theory or prac- y
tloe, that suck a state of things soon built to im- h
proper distinctions in society, hindering or de- f
stroying m uh of good neigh borbood intercourse, o
stinting the growth of geuiua, enterprise, and 1
iouH sense; no Barlmriuus or Scythiaus. This
gospel breathes the sauie benign spirit to the
whole human family?fur all are nowr brethren.
This being the state of the case, we assert that
what the llehriw could not do to his brother Hebrew
you must not do, I must not do, to uuy of
those to whom (Jod has comiuauded the gospel to
be preached and this iucludes the whole human
family, from the time the order was proiuulged,
"go preach the gospel to eveiy creature," down
to the end of time. " The Mosaic law,' says Professor
Stuart, contemplates u fugitive slaves ,
who have escaped from heathen masters in a for- |
eigu land" "These," says Mr Stuart, "were
the slaves which were not to be delivered up to
their master," and so say we. 1st Because the J
treatment of slaves among the heathen was more
rigorous and severe thau it coul I lawfully be under
the Mosaic law, the heathen master possessing
the power of life and death, of scourging and
iupkccaiog, ?r putting ts; .xwr toil, ev*n to
I'tiH **/ ,,n<t inn) hy fur th? nuirp imnnrtunt '
vutosiavTiinun was that only among ibe YYtbrews i
could the fug4Wfe slave come to the knowledge
aud worship of the only living and true God. |
Now, admitting that these are the true reasons {and
we know of none other) why the slave was not
to be delivered up to his master, (Doit, xxiii. lf>,
1C, bic.,) we remark, with rt?pect to the first, it
clearly defines our course as Christians towards
fugitive slaves ?scaping from Southern plantations.
If ihe laws iu the slatfe States warrant
and justify a moie rigorous and severe treatment
of the slave than would be tolerated under the
Mosaic law, or by tmy people whose legislation is
based upon the laws of Christ's kingdom, or is
consistent with Christian ethics, then is it right,
we ask, to place theiu again under those laws,
which iu severity and rigor are anti-Mosaic and
anti-Christian ?
Do not our slave laws leave to the master the
power of scuii/ginf, of imprisoning, it may be in
his cellar, or gariet, or out-houee, with or without
the chain, or in the common jiil? Do they not
leave him the power of putting to ?xceseive toil
the poor slave, even to any extent he pleases ?
While there are laws guarding the heullh and
comtort of white minors among us, forbidding
their 1? ing uv<\ hJi'htl, we are nouti)thing
of this kind in ftvorof the troddeu-down
negro slave;.i/. i her<ri."( know it is a ''dead
letter." His only security is the humaue feelings
and enlightened moral sense of the muster into
whose hands he may chance to fall. And had
not the slave, held by a heathen master, in unteCbristian
times, quite us g< od u guaranty in the
kind sympathies of his master? Why, then, usk
a Christian man to assist norr in the arrest aud
return of the fugitive slave ?
The slave must not he restored t<f a heathen
master, because, secondly, he would be left in
darkness and ignorance of the character aud worship
of the only living and true God And is
there any legislative provision for the moral and
religious truiniug of the negro slave? With reference
to the character of G<h1, the wuy to life,
nil bis morn! ?nd rcliirioiis duties it WnH incul
c.ited in the Mosaic law, "Thou shalt tench them
diligently to thy children." la there any respect
shown to this oounael by Southern legislators,
providing for the education of the slave ? So far
from it, that many of our Hluve laws arc in the
very teeth of this command given to Israel, and
solemnly binding upon all of us. If we do not
egrogiously unmake to teach the negro slave to
read is in some States made a penal otience.
liven litre in my own State, and close to Mason
and Dixon's line, it is warmly maintained by some
who call themselves Christian men, that to receive
colored children into our primary schools
is an indictable oflence. ''Tell it not in Galh!"
Laws claiming like paternity may be found in all
slave States. Such legislation is surely not suited
to induce Christian men to disregard the prohibition
in Dmi. xxiii, 15, 10 &.C., with Professor Stuart's
reasons for that prohibition. We doubt not
t bat there ure truly p.ous Christian men among us
w ho deplore this state of things, and us individuals
they do to some extent iustruct their slaves,
and labor to win them over to Christ, Hut are
our Northern friends in duty hound to return
our fugitive alaves, wheu those laws under which
they would sgttin place them are rigorous, severs,
cruel, opprcrsive, and adapted and intended to
keep them in ignorance and deep degradation?
Surely not, if Professor Stuart is correct as to
the in liters upon which the prohibition in Deut.
xxiii is predicated. G.
from the Wstchnuui and Keflector.
CHINESE DESCRIPTION OF THE EARTH.
Another evidence that the people of China are
beginning to open their eyes upon the outside
world, is in the fact that they have at last commenced
studying geography. Heretofore, the
millions have been made to believe that the Celestial
Empire was not only the principal part of
the terrestrial sphere, but that the sun and moon
were the especial, if not exclusive, ministers of
light and heit to their relatives of the Flowery
Kingdom. The study of geography is about to
extinguish some of these stars in their poetioal
firmament, and give them a practical realisation
of some of the more opaque planets that shed their
borrowed light upon the earth. They have now,
thanks to the facilities of travel, and the expansion
of intercourse, a genuine maker of geogra
phies, who is disposed to tell them all hp know*
about other countries than China
The Missionary H-tiilil for July contain* a letter
from Mr Feet, giving a full account ot a upw
Chinese geography, written hy the lieutenantgovernor
of the Fuh-Chau province, and recommended
hy the governor-amoral a* worthy of coufi
lence and patronage It wis commenced four
or five yearn ago while the author held a aubordinate
elation at Am >y, and published aoon after
hi* promotion to hi* present high offioe. It itt
written in the Chineae character, and makes ten
volumes which, say* Mr Feet, correspond, as to
length, more nearly to our chapter* In the first
three, the figure of the earth is noticed, the use of
map* stated, and the countries of Asia, excepting
China, which " is too w. II known to require fur
ther accounts,'' described. One volume i* tievoted
to Africa, two to America, and the other
four to Kurope.
The author give* a particular account of (he
discovery of America, the general features of the
continent, its inhabitant* original snd Kuropean,
and of the situation, extent, mountains, rivers,
\c, of the United .State* Of the maps, forty-two
in number, they are pronounced in the introduction
as "correct outline* of those made hy western
men " First among them i* the map of China,
a* that country "is the head ' It ia stated that
" west, rn men have aho written nnmtls in great
abundance," and that "countries lying to the west
arid north have been described hy western men."
The author seem* to have a good opinion of these
1 western men," with some of whom, particularly
Mr Aheo),the missionary, he has had frequent
conversation*, hut he complains of the ditticultic*
arising Irotn language
"It ia v. ry ddlioult to distinguish the nam's of
western countries Ten men would he likely to
give a* many different word* for the MM thing,
and the sumo man will give at first a different
wjrd from what he does subsequently, because, in
western languages, the same sound doe* not have
two word*, while iu Chinese the same sound may
have several tens of word*. In western language*
two or three h tiers unite in forming one sound,
but th * Chinese language ha* no such element*
a* these. Hence, in using the Chinese characters
u> ex press luri-ipu wuiun, 11 is nui poesiuiu lor :
more than seven or eight tenths of them to barrnoni/.".
Western men, residing in the Cantou
province, and uting the vulgar dialect, cannot express
the correct round* of the nundtrin. Wi lleru
men are not aide to di*tiiiguish in ni indarin
many word* which hare different tone* 'J'he language*
ot wiatern nation* are not the same, and
..re not uniform. The Kug!i*h u*e fewer word*
in translating into Chimae than the Portuguese
Foreign name* of persou* and place* aeldom consist
of aingle word*, hut often include eight or ten
1'his is ungrateful to the author, a* well as to hi*
reader*, hat he has endeavored to mark and dot j
the.se name* ao as to apprize the reader and pre- i
vent misapprehension "
Mr. Peet say*, the work is interesting to foreigners,
a* showing what the Chinas* think, and !
how they write shout us, oa indirectly admitting
and confirming the correctncaa of our chronology, j
a* well a* the superiority of our bistoriries over
theirs ; and exhibiting a more definite and discriminating
view of the different religions of the t
world than has yet appeared in the Chinese Iangunge,
and a* furnishing a medium, through which
the light aud Meanings of Christianity may find
access to the millions of benighted China lie
then proceeds to give extensive tranlatfons illustrating
the?e points. We oopy a few of them:
" THK KAKTrf ANI) IT* FHtWKW Ot'MNN.
"We knew in respect to a northern firosen
ocean, bat in respeet to a soutbqn frosen ocean we
had not haurd Mo that whtn Western men pro
duced maps having a frt/.en ocean at the extreme
south, we supposed that they h?d made a mistake
in uot understanding the Chinese language. uuJ
had placed that in the south which should have
been placed only in the north. But on inquiring
of an Ameriouu, one Abecl, he said that this ,
doctiine was verily true, and should not t*
doubted.
' A large portion of the Kwang-tung (Canton)
and Fuh-keen provinces lies within the northern ;
hwangtaou, (tropic,) and. compared with the :
n rthern provinces, the cold and heat are very !
different. Proceeding south, the heat increases
till (as was formerly supposed, not knowing the j
sun's path to be the earth's centre) you reach the
south pole, where the stones, fused by the heat,
pour down a golden stream!
'-From Fuh-keen snd Kwang-tung, men going j
v, .i.i v... :.i i ?r
Borneo, a pari of which lien directly under the
chih tvtOM ' kwl where the winter is like
i'W'i # ?""? ^ a nr? irfh?*
- - ? **-? ? r - (
southern extremity of .Africa, bail and tmow are).f
to be seen ti? fmt?iitti| vtAa ,,
agonia, of South America, near the southern Lib- ,
taou, (polar-circle ) there we meet with constant (
snow and ice Thus, heat and cold; and. there- ,
fore, they speak of the region of the south pole as ,
being a froten ocean. Why should Chinamen
doubt, since their vessels have not gone a great
distance, and since the Bub-keen and Kw.ingtung
provinces are the extremity of their oountry ?
It is a mistake to suppose the chih-taou to he the
south pole Truly we ought to hear this explana- |
tion and believe it.
" THE UN ITKU STATES.
" At first the English took possession of North
America, drove out the nations, and cultivated the
fertile land. Emigrants from the three islands
(England) settled tbecountry. Englishmen flowed
thither like water. People from France, Holland,
Oettmark. and Sweden, who had no estates
at home, entltarked in ships and removed there,
daily opening the country, and preparing the ridi
soil for cultivation. The English appointed officers
to he located at the cities and towns on the
n< a-coast, to levy taxes for the use of Government.
Trade was flourishing, and wealth was rapidly 1
v v 1
" Curing Keen-lung's reign, (which com- '
menced a. n. 173.1, and closed 17'Jl) there was c
wur 'for -*wvvt*i years l>elwcen the English and '
French Every place was taxed, and the taxes *
continued to increa-e. It was an old rule, that <
the importer of tea alone should be taxed, but I
the English issued an order that the purchaser 1
should also puy a tax on the same article. The '
Americans refused to do this nud, in the fortieth 1 1
year of Keen-lung, (a. t> 1771.) the chief men and
elders assembled Hnd requested an audience and 1
eonsultation with the governor, who refused The
taxes continued to press still more heavily, till
the people were enraged, entered the ship and east
its cargo of tea overboard. They then consulted
and raised a force against the English.
" UKORGK WASHINGTON.
"There was at that time a Washington, an i
American of another province, born in the ninth j
year of Yung-Ching, (a. r>. 1712) His father!
died when he was hut ten years old. lie was
then trained up hy his mother. When email, he
had great views hoth in regard to civil and military
affaire, and excelled in strength and courage.
Washington held a commission in the war ot
the Knglish against the French, led out his
troops agiinst the native plunderers at the South,
and successfully subdued them. Rut the Knglish
general did not report his worthy deeds. His
countrymen, notwithstanding, wished him to be
appointed to an oflice over them, but sickness
compelled him to retire within doors, so that he
did not go out.
" At the time when all the people rebelled
against the Knglish, they pressed Washington to
become their general. He then immediately entered
on his oflice. Without arms, ammunition,
or provisions, Washington stimulated his countrymen
to action by a righteous si irit He pitched
his camp near the provincial city, (Boston ) At
the sainc time, the Knglish general had collected
his Bbips of war just outside of the city. Suddenly
n great wind arose and scattered them Washington
attacked sml took pot-session of the city.
Afterwards, the Knglish general collected his
forces and drove Washington from his position
At this, his soldiers wore greatly terrified, and
wished to be disbanded; but he, with the same
spirit as at first, having collected and united his
army, again attacked the Knglish "with suctions
From that time, during eight yeurB of hloody oontlict,
while his iirmy was often reduced and weakened.
Washington's spirit was undiminished, and
the Knglish army had become old. The French
raised an army and oroNsed the sea. ami joined
Washington against the Knglish Spain and Holland
with theirarmies admonished to peace |1| The
Knglish, unable to oppose, concluded a treaty with
Washington, hy which the northern part, a cold
country, was given up to them, while the southern
part, a fertile region, reverted to him.
" Washington, having established the kingdom,
disbanded his army, and desi ed to return to the
business of husbandry ; but all were unwilling,
and urged him to become their ruler. In reply,
| before the Assembly, Washington said; 'To obtain
a kingdom fur one's self, to transmit to bis
posterity, Is selfish. In becoming the people's shepherd,
such ought to be chosen to this office as have
virtue.' As to Washington, lie was an uncommon
man. He coinjuered more rapidly than Shing
and Kwang, ai.d in courage he was superior to
Toiiou and Lew?(men of much renown in Chinese
history ) Soiling the two-edged sword of three
cubits long, he opened the country ten thousand
le He then refused to receive a title, or to
secure one for his posterity, preferring to establish
an elective Administration Patriotism
to be commended under I he whole heaven J Truly,
like the three dynasti<>s ! (I lea, Shang. and Chou,
mostly included in the traditional history of the
Chinese, previous to the age of Confucius) In
ii<luiini*iiriiig the itovernmenf, no lotierm virtuous
customs. ari'f, 11 vai?iin>r war, made his country
superior to nil other nation* I have Keen hi*
portrait. 11 in countenance eshihltn ((rent mental
[lower Ah! who would not cull him an uncommon
man I
" I'M 'I'l.K OK THK UMITKH 8TATKH.
" The Americans are nil ilecenilnBle of Kuropeans,
mostly from Fngland, I loll ind. and France
Of these three kiUfcdomw, thorn- from Knglatid
nre fir the moat nnmeroua, and, therefore, their
language an I ruHtoms are the Hame an (hone of the
English The emigrant* received their laud for
cultivation from the aborigine*, where they were
willing; and where they were unwilling they removed
to other placcn. Their merchnntH and me- (
rhanicH are all white men They nre mild and
kind in disposition, hut considerate and skilful in
trade They navigate the ' four seas ' They all
receive Ya koo kaou, |i. e, are all Protest^n's |
They are fond of making their religion a matter
of conversation and of inntructiou. Their schools
are everywheie. Their learned men are divided
into three classes . ministers, physicauj, and lawyers.
The first claee give themselves to asironomy,
geography, and the doctrines of the Yhhoo;
the sec ind to the healing of diaeawea, and the third
to the admin iHt rat ion of the laws."
Thi* is All we have room for at prevent. There
in in the hook a recognition of ail the important
even'H In our Scripture history, and a tolerably
correct presentation made to the Chinese of the
different systems of religion
SENTIMENT IN SLAVE STATES.
To ll,e h'.iluor ol tin; National Kiu :
Or Baii.ky If thi* following testimony rda- 1
lire to tli* r**?l atitc of feeling *t the South, upon <
the all-absorbing topic of the day, lie worthy ? 1
place in your crowded column*, it in at your aerrice.
It ia from a Southerner with whom I bod 1
the pleasure of apending the winter, and firmed '
a portion of L)h remarks ujiod the proceeding* in '
Congress
' The majority," mid he, "of our people ar<
not anxious to nitnd slavery. We wink you ol
the North to attend to your own concerns, ol I
which our domestic institution* certainly form |
no part We hare alaven, and will hold tbem
Hut we hare no wiah to tilrnd alarery. We arr
0 lOMuutntly not so deadly Opposed to the Wit- i
u.ot Proviso aa you imagine. The irritability 1
and feeling of the South upon thia subject an t
greatly overrated The excitement ie almoei <
wholly kept up by politician* for their own aelfiah
end* it ia the J.inii'trt of both sections that i
cauee all thia commotion The jrtpbt of the
South do not cry dUuulon, nud in the errut of a
dissolution, thoiiaanda of our people would g?>
with the North."
Speaking of a certain honorable Senator who
baa played rather a oeuapiououa part in thasariocomic,o
display in the national halls, duriog thia
aeaeiou, he remarked, " that he waa an much of a
laughing-stock In the South aa he oould be at the
North."
Theaa are the words of a veritable elareholder. i
and one, too, who haa good opportuuitiea of judg
ing of the matter of which he speaks. a* he has
travelled through all the slaveStates. from M*rylan<l
to Louisiana. Nor ia he in the least tinctured
with Abolitionism On the contrary, he
hatea thero. and stoutly contenda that slavery is a
divine institution, directly authorized and sanctioned
hy the liible. This testimony, from such
a source, seems to me worthy of attention, and
confirms the opinion, which 1 have long entertained,
that the irojfir of the South ure not s<?
anxious to extend slavery over territory now fiee
as the proceedings of their public men would lead
us to think. Nycom.
TilK SLURRY Ql E8TIHM - THE MIRTH \MJ
SOI TH.
To th" K'iuor of th >. Stiiioruil Era:
Dkar Sir Will you permit me to addros
yotir-readrra through th: the F. >
?n those Mipfetfe ^ucetion vjLvcL
?r ?er irti-K'/ptr our cumfrv ' In do'irw n<> vou
nt*a uoi endorse my sentiments unless you approve
of them. All that I ask is merely to be heard
ou a question, *>11 (be bearing* of which, I am
Afraid, are uot distinctly understood by the great
mass of our countrymen, Besides, where there
is a free discussion of truth, there need surely be
no fear of its discomfiture or overthrow. It* inherent
power insure to triumph over all opposi
tion, no matter how impotent or irnthcieui utay
be the means, agents, and instrumentality a, which
may be brought to its support and elucidation
BelieviDg this, I do not hesitate to offer my vitws
on the present aspects of slavery, hoping that
they may meet with at least a respectful consideration
by all from w hom I am obliged to ditirr
The first topic which I wish to p i*s under review
is that in relation to the extension of sin
very. Ought the North, under any circumstances,
to permit slavery to be carried to the
territories which we have recently acquired ft<.m
Mexico? It is known that this is the great
point for which the South is now contending
tnd, therefore, the real matter at issue lietwern
he two groat sections of our country It is
ny sincere desire to present this subject in its
rue light. I wish to discover, ami make clear,
f possible," the real\tuty aUfa now devolves up
>n the North and it* Representatives in Congress,
n the exciting and thresteni/ig emerg*;n(;y?if
mergency it really be If there lie danger to
iur country, resulting from the portentous aspects
of this subject, it im not only a right, but a
luty, for us to eudenvor to ascertain from what
sail see it originates. The surest safeguard of
I- ....-n.?..- e _
"UI t.i'ii.j lomwm^ouvtpnuciinj uy VirillV , It?r
without knowledge there is a continual danger of
our tailing into error unawares
Let us then inquire, in the first plsce. whether
at all, and if ho, for what reasons, wp should as
?ist. the South (for without our assistance the
thing cannot he accomplished) in this their re
newed and hold attempt to extend the unhallowed
dominions of slavery ; nu institution universally
admitted to he, by the civilized and Christian
wor d, not only a great evil, hut a curse, both to
the whites and blacks. Perhaps it may appear,
upon due inquiry, that we have not only ho right
to aid in the extension of this evil, hut, on the
contrary, thst we are actually forbi'lJ-n, if not by
nutnan laws, (which, I think, ought to he the case )
at least by those of the Supreme Lawgiver, and
also by the feelings and convictions of the whole
civilized world, from ptrticipatiug and cooperating
iu this most glaring iniquity and open vio
lotion of the most sacred rights "to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness,"' to which the Af
rioan race and their descendants are justly, and
equally with ourselves, entitled.
lu this controversy the South, it is known,
claims, what it has seen proper to denominate
" nn equal participation in the territories '* It
asserts thst Congress has no right to legislate on
the subject of slavery, either for the purpose of
restricting or extending " the institution." But
why not? To whom do the territories belong, if
not to the tt holt p'op/t f And how cun tluu will
or feelings he better expressed, than through our
national Conguss ? The Constitution of the
United States has plainly conferred upon Oongres
the right Bnd duty "to make all needful
rules and regulations in relation to the territories."
Why, then, should its members not exercise
their just powers I Is slavery so snored an
institution that everything must yield to it I
Respecting its true chsracter is it not universally
known that exactly the reverse of this is the
case ' There seems to be and no doubt is, a mot at
curse resting upon all its developments and aspects.
It blights whatever it touches, whether it
he the soil upon which it rests, or the institutions
of society into which it constantly infuses its
own virulent poisons No society can runuin
secure, or prove prosperous, which rests upon its
basis, there is a withering moral simoon, like
Ki'ii w iiiuii sweeps over me ueseris 01 nanara,
which accompanies it in nil itk hateful and insidious
contortions In its progress it overwhelms
in its (estilentiul devastations all 'hut is fair,
ami lovely, and noble, in the domcslio relations of
life, leaving behind it one wide-spread scene of
desolation ami woe, comprising the wrecks of human
hopes, and the torn and lacerated sanctities
of aiFrotion.
Knowing the "institution" to be such as we
have stated it, why should we then consent to its
extension 7 Ilut "the South! the South! the
injustice to the South!" is the terror-stricken
cry which assails us on every hand, htjuitict to
the South? Has the South, then, really any
ri^ht to take its slaves to fut territory 7 On the
:outrary, is not such a prrJtiuiou, on tho part of
ibo South, tho most glaring injustice to the
North? Is it not known to every person of inelligence,
that free labor and slave labor cannot
o-exifct on the same soil without degrading the
oriner? What, then, is this, but an attempt to
leprlve the non-flurrhohlin^ portion of our counrymen
from enjoying their just and etpial share
if udvnutage in the Territories 7 Ware theslavetolders
to emigrate with their slaves to the now
ree Territories, and thus succeed in establishing
his institution in California and New Mexico,
he fiiturf of our country's history would indeed
>e sad to contemplate. Kvery Christian, I am
Hire, must feel anxious to see the time arrive
when thin miserable ami wicked triftio in the unpaid
toil ami suffering of the slaves shall erase
It Im clrur that the .South hare all the rights in
he Territories (with the exception of taking
heir alovt's there, whioh we hare already shown
0 be no ni;lii hi all) which their neighbors of the
Vorth eiij >y More than this they ought not, to
xpect. Were alnvery an institution which
night be taken to the Territories without preju
lioing the interests or the welfare of freedom
iri'l the Iree people of the North, then there
night he some shadow of a plausibility for the
lotnpliiinia of (be South Hut even this excuse
s denied them They insist upon taking their
ocal laws and customs where they cannot he in
ro tuned without producing the greatest injury
iO the other classes of our eitixens. Thia ought
iot to he tolerated. As well might the argument
hat there ia a hind of liberty, be udductd in jus1
final ion of any crime whatever.
There ia but one plain course and duly before
he North. Slavery ia an evil of such depth and
Magnitude that we cannot consent to aee it exended
without incurring the moat serious guilt
ind responsibility Here ia a solemn obligation
resting up n every one, Ind especially ujiou the
i eople of the North, to encourage and strengthen
he spirit of litwriy, and to discourage anil denounce
the spirit of slavery We ought to be
n advance of all the world on this subject. Our
ipportunities for acquiring the most enlightened
eniiineuts touching this matter, render It inex
-usable and in the highest degree* oeusnrable fur
in to be in the It-tut behind the age on this point.
Ah our article in already ofsolliolent length, we
nust now panne. At no distant dsy, perhaps, we
nuy have something more to say on similar
opice O. II J.
I'lithiihljihui, lHjl).
FUGITIVE XLAVKX,
To the Editor o/ the Notional Era :
There is one subject on which I hare thought
i good deil?that is, the nuhject of I-'ugiiive
Slaves My reaeonlrig In thin 1'he Constitution
says that the person shall he delivered on claiui
of the party to whom service or labor may be due.
Now, shall we take the lawn of the slave States to
sty whether labor 1m due, or the oommon law and
Justice, which say no labor otn be due from one
man to another, in the abience of any contract
on the part of the laborer 7 No labor can be due
from one man to another, escept he agrees to perform
that labor, and has received, or is to reoeivs,
compensation for the same. Now, the slave has
not received any compensation for his labor, more
than a soanty supply of food and clothing ; neither
haa he agreed to perform any labor; nor dues
Justice require that he should. Consequently,
there is no labor due from the slave to bis waster.
Aocordiug to my uudsrstauding of language, the
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