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Show 290 LIBERTY AND SLAVERY. stanccd, would furnish the elements of the most horrible civil war tho world has ever witnessed. These clements would soon burst in fury on the land. Thcl'e was no civil war in Jamaica, it is true, after the slaves were emancipated; but this was because the power of Great Britain was over the two parties, and hold them in subjection. It would be far otherwise here. For here there would be no power to check-while there would be infernal agencies at work to promote- civil discord and strife. As Robespierre caused it to be proclaimed to the free blacks of St. Domingo that they were natm·ally entitled to all the rights and privileges of citizens; as Mr. Seward proclaimed the same doctrine to the free blacks of New York; so there would be kind benefactors enough to propagate the same sentiments among our colored population. 'l'hey would be instigated, in every possible way, to claim their natural equality with the whites; and, by every diabolical art, their bad passions would be inflamed. If the object of such agitators were merely to stir up scenes of strife and blood, it might be easily attained; but if it were to force the blacks into a social and political equality with the whites, it would ARGUMENT FROM TilE PUBLIC GOOD. 291 most certainly and forever fail. For the government of these Southern States was, by our fathers, founded On the VIRTUE and the I~TELLIOENCE of the people, and there we intend it shall stand. The African has neither part nor lot in the matter. We cannot suppose, fot· a moment, that abolitionists would be in the slightest degree moved by the awful consequences of emancipation. Poverty, ruin, death, are very small items with these sublime philanthropists. They scarcely enter into their calculations. The dangers of a civil war-though the most fearful the world has ever seen -lie quite beneath the range of their humanity. Indeed, we should e>:pcct our argument from the consequences of emancipation to be met by a thorough-going abolitionist with the words,-" Perish the Southern States rather than sacrifice one iota of our principles !" We ask them not to sactifice their principles to us; nor do we intend that they shall Bacrifice us to their principles. For if perish we must, it shall be as a sacrifice to our own principles, and not to theirs. NoTE.- It has not fallen within the scope of our design to consider the effects of emancipation, and of the rollBequcnt destruction of so large an amouut of pro~ |