Press enter after choosing selection

Piracy And Robbery

Piracy And Robbery image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
June
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Man is born to subjection. Not only during infancy is he dependent and under the control of others; at all ages it s the very law ofnature that the strong and ihe vvise should control the weak and the ignoran t. 'Man can have no pro;ierty in man' - a phrase as full of meaning as "who slays fatoxen should himself be fat.' Certainly he may, if the laws uf society allow it, and if it be on sufiicient ground-, neither he nor society do wrong. It is the order of nature and of God, that the being of superior facuHies and knowledge should nontrol and dispose of those who are inferior. It is as tnuch the order of nature that men should ENSLAVE EACH 0T11ER, as that other animáis should prey upoa each other. Would you do benefit toTHE l RSE or th OX by giving hiin a cultivaied understanding and fine feelings? So far as the mere laborer has the pride, the knowledge or the aspiraition of u f ree man, he is unfitted for bis situation, and must doubly Teel his infelicity. If therc are sordid, servüe and laboriousofiicesto be performed, is it not better that thero should be SORDID, SERVILE and LABORIOUS BEINGS to perform them?"- Memoir of Chancdler Horpcr, read in Charleston, 1839. The principies of a man chiefly composo the man himself Take them away, and thcre Í6 nothing left thal isvaluable. What is a mau worth wbo bas no guiding principie ofaction? Novhing. Again, a man's principies constitute his moral character, and make it eiiher good or He who intends to eteal and juBtifies it in others ts a thief at heart, whether be ever does sleal or not, Ho should be avoided and shunned as a thief. "Ho that hateth bis brother is a murderer." The intent deterrnwès thè character of the man. Again. the facTthat a máh zesdutinctly the rights of his neighbor, and yet not only robe him, but insists that this rolbery isjust. ifiable, onty shows liow far gone ho is ir. depravity, and how far bohind be bas left all regard for truth and rectitude. Wbat says the judge to tho criminal who is ím opencourt, admita the robbery alledged, but justifies the crime, asserts that God Me licensd him in his wickednesa, and giv.es the ourt to underetand that the commiesion of acts charged cannot be a crime, becauao he ollows robbery UPON PRINCIPLE? All omrounity would cry out, that this justiaation added to his guilt: ihat his crime deraadded punishment; and that hÍ3 justificaion required it to be more exemplary. Juet ppy these positions, and you will agree with U8, ihat eo far as a man'a approval and uatification of others cao reoder him guilty, Chanceller Harper deserves a permanent e8idence in the Penitentiary, with oiher riminals who openly practice those crimes which he approves and comméndá. Before ou begio to cry out, denunciation, c.'lpok little at the tne nature of the case. . .,1. He justifiea the A frican SlavecT.rade with all Ub horrors, hich our laws -have udged to be piracy, and have deeníed tho ffender worthy of deatlj . He. 'saya, _it is he order of nature that men should enilave ach other." No limit&tioné' whate.ver.artt put in, ónly that "the etrong and tho Vise houid control the veak and gnöraoü."' ' The same principies juatify eveiy form ot'man-stealing and kidnapping which God has deemed worthy of the .punishapent ■ of eath. 3. He iüeists he hae a right TO ENSLAVE any one, whom he ia "wise or 6trong" enough to entrap aiid overeóme. Animáis )rey upon each other- so may men- why not? Might makes right. Color - ;haracter - condition inake no difference.,% Chancello r Harper would hav no scruple to enelave General Washington- or Wilberforce - no, nor even our Bjlessed Saviour, the Son of God. For Jesus Cbrist was1 a man and he says 'hnen may enslave eactr other." By his own principie b, he claims a right to make a elave of you, or your fapiily, orfriends, and if you labor fyr your support, he tvould wish to see you approximated as near Lo the brute as possible. He would do what be could to make you a "sordid, servile, laborioue being." He would etrive to eradiiate from your mind every deaíre for the knowledge or the noble feeJings of s freeman, and blow out from the human soul the little that might remain of that Prpmethean fire of intellect which Heaven had in mercy bestowed! And then your female friends- how effectualiy would the tuition of this "wise and etrong" mnn removs the '-"infelicity" arising fróm ccultivated undeVstanditig and fine feehngs," - and how readfly would the teacher be able to able to percêUé the effect of hia instruction on his pupil s, by a perpetual and accelerated progresa towárds open and undisguised beetiality. Finally, he not only promulgated these destructive and proflígate sentiment', but has the nnpudence blasphemously to represent th&t God Aiiiiighty sanctions and approvesof tliem. We submit to the caudor and good Eense of our readers, whether the character of the man who upholds and justifies all kinds Of piracy and kidnapping should not etand on the same level with thé reputation of those who raerely carry out and practice the crimes which he, in his precepts and influence, supports and recommedds.