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Show 88 DESPOT\Sl\1 in slaves is not a kind of property generally aclmowledged. 'rhere arc whole nations who deny that anj" such kind of property ought to exist. All the mort enlightened people in the world are preCisely of that opinion. Within the last fifty years, an effort has been begun,-an effort which every day gathers new force and earnestness,-for the total abolition of this kind of property. 'I'he alarm which this effort produces among the holders of slaves is natural, and it is great. An alarm exists at all times among slave· holders, because there is always a certain apprehension Jest the slaves themselves may reclaim their liberty by force. But that alarm reaches an extreme height when it is known that there are other persons, over whom the slave-masters have no control, who sympathize with the slaves, and who profess the intention of using every moral means to bring about their emancipation. JJforal 'means is a phrase which slavemasters lind it difficult to understand. Force, violence, is the only means with which they are familiar; and this means which they themselves so constantly employ, they naturally apprehend, will be used against them. The degree of alarm thus produced, is su!liciently indicated by the ferocity with which the persons called abolitionists have been assailed by the slave-holders, and by the savage barbarities exercised upon such abolitionists, or supposed abolitionists, as !'ave fallen into their hands; exercised generally upon mere suspicion, and with hardly any evidence that the sufferers were guilty of entertaining the opinions ascribed to them. Thus it appears that under a constitution authorizing slavery, one of the chief items of property, namely, slave property, from its very nature, its total want of any foundation of mutual benefit, is peculiarly insecure; and this insecurity spreads to every other kii.Jd of property, because the institution of slavery, by llS necessary effect destroys all respect for property of any kind, in a large part of the population, and also creates a vast number of depredators. lN AI\JEIUCA. 89 U. vVe come now to that branch of Security, whJCh relates to the person. Here again the privileged class of a slave holdin~ commumty arc beset with alarms and dangers. 'l'hes~ dangers and alarms are of two kinds,-dangers from the slaves, dangers from one another. l. Dangers from the slaves. The master retains his authonty ot~ly ?Y the .cm~stant exercise of violent means. Th1~ vwlence IS liable at any time to be retorted upon himself. 'rhc subjugation and cowardice of thos~ over whom he ty:annizcs, afford the master a .ccrtam degree of secunty. But passion often supphes the place of courage; and we frequently hear of ternble.acts of vengeance committed upon the person or family of the master, by outraged and infuriated senrants. . But this danger is trifling ·compared with that anticipated from a rising of the servile class. Every two ?r th:ce years the report of an insurrection, real or Imagmary, spreads the most frantic terror through the s?uthern states. ~he anti~s enacted upon such occaSions, would be m the highest degree farcical did they not general!)' terminate in bloody tra~~dies. Men who are individually brave, and who ~would march to the assault of a battery without flinching, '~orlc each other mto a complete paroxisrn of fear. A smglc negro sren in the woods with a gun upon his shoulder, suffices to Jlut a whole village to flight. Half-a-dozen Ullmte!IJgJb!c words overheard and treasured up by somcc~esdroppingovcrseer, or invented perhaps by some miScreant, who delights himself With the public alarm, are enough to throw all the :~uthcrn states mto commotion, and to bri~1g nights of Bo011Y. and sleeplessness to hundreds of thousands. ut this IS not the worst of it. When terror makes COnfrds It always makes bloody-minded COWards. 1 fod! blood !-nothing else can appease the gcnef~ a arm .. Committees of safety with the most absote a~tthontr, are every where established. On these commtttees stt many a village Tinville, many a rustic 8* |