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Show 94 OBSPOTISI\1 may be very freely discussed there; but the same is the case under all despotisms. Any body may freely discuss at Rome or 1\ioscow, the merits and demerits of American slavery. The only prohibited subjects arc, the plans of government and systems of policy upheld by the pope or the czar. So at Charleston or Richmont.!, one is at full liberty to discuss subjects having no obvious bearing upon the political system anJ social condition of Virginia or South Carolina. But approach that subject, lisp the word, slavery; dare to insinuate that the existing system of southern society is not the best possible system ; assail ever so cau· tiously the tyranny of the slave-masters; point out ever so temperately the inevitable wretchedness of the slaves, and you will soon be taught that despotism is as jealous, as watchful, and as fierce, in America as in Europe. 'l'he discussion of this prohibited subject is not only visited by severe legal penalties, under pretence that it has a tendency to produce insurrections,-the same reason, by the way, which is given at !tome and 1\foscow,- but it is still more efl"ectually suppressed by the terrors of Lynch law, a system of procedure, which in cases of this sort is either openly countenanced, or secretly abetted by the gravest jurists of the South. Not only is t.liscussion prevented, but it is dangerous to receive, to read, even to have in possession, any book, pamphlet or newspaper which has been enrolled i11 the Index E:cpurgatorius of the slave-holding Inquisition, or which, though not proscribed by name, appears to treat upon the evils of sl:lvcry and their remedies. 'l'hc United States post-office at Charleston was violently assaulted by a mob, headed by the principal inhabitants of the city, and a large part of its contents publicly burnt, under pretence that among the newspapers and pamphlets contained in it, there were some of an ins1trrectionary character. At Richmond a bookseller received a box of books containing copies of a certain work compiled by a IN Ai'\TF.IITCA. 95 Virgini<l clergyman to aid I . . It was principally ~adc u t le ColomzatJon Society. delivered. in the Virginia l~o~~s:~~Dts from s_peeches of a prOJect for the nradL l .. elegatcs m favor shipping off the sla~es t •a abohtwn of slavery by after the Southampton in~ur~fn~a, br?~c.hcd shortly de_nounccd as incendiary bycc:~on. R" 1/lls book was mittec of Safety and b . e IC lmond Comwere delivered up and by t~eir rder all the copies In the District' of C itrn ~n t 1e public sqnarc. happened to have amOJ~ ~~~bta an unlucky botanist servation of plants s . g liS papers used for the prepaper. He was a:rcsoticnde co,ptes of a p_rohibited ncws-b . c , a most torn 111 p· e b h mo ' thrown mto prison where he Ia I ceds y t. e months, and it was with , .. y upwar s of SIX quittal was obtai~ed. great d!lhculty that his ac- It is a curious fact that at the ver - which the Richmond Tf''. Y .moment at Phillippe and his mii;ist ~g was assa1lmg Louis the French press the .J, ers yrdtheir restnctwns upon ing those restrictions b ow na es Debats was defendmust be cm;fessed that ~lthl" cx:t~ple of Virginia! It feet liberty com . d 1? rene 1 rcstnctwns are perth~ souther;l stat!~Ic wrth the law and practice of rheSccret Tribunal ofV ·. h. . . ymous accusations and ?nice, w Jch received anon~ Withont notice ujv~n to \~~lich fi'O~ecded to judgment denounced as b · . . e en pnt, has been always that can possi~lny I~stltutwn the most hostile to liberty lar, and in man e llnagmed .. ·rribunals very simi~ exist throuah y respects much more to be dreaded states. Tl~e;l~c~~n~st the whole of the slave-holding citizens in awe ·ra c th~ eonntry and hold all the most dread d i-· d he pumshments inflicted are of the ~re, banish~en~ms~-de~th by the gallows or a slow Jurisdiction is Jn' ourgnlg, tar and feathers. 'rhis judges and ex 10\~n a~ Lynch law, and the nccus~rs sons. As wasc~tJOneJs a:c generally the same per~ confines it'-elf :c ~ase With thr. Secret ·rrihunal it such actio;ls a~rmclpally to state crimes, that is' to are supposed to Ita ve a tendency to |
