CHRISTIAN MORALITY IMPRACTICABLE IN FREE SOCIETY--BUT THE NATURAL
MORALITY OF SLAVE SOCIETY.
It is strange that theories, self-evidently true so soon as suggested,
remain undiscovered for centuries. What more evident, obvious, and
axiomatic, than that equals must from necessity be rivals, antagonists,
competitors, and enemies. Self-preservation, the first law of human and
animal nature, makes this selfish course of action essential to preserve
existence. It is almost equally obvious, that in the natural, social, or
family state, unselfishness, or the preference of others' good and
happiness, is the dictate of nature and policy. Nature impels the father
and husband to self-abnegation and self-denial to promote the happiness
of wife and children, because his reflected enjoyments will be a
thousand times greater than any direct pleasure he can derive by
stinting or maltreating them. Their misery and their complaints do much
more to render him wretched than what he has denied them can compensate
for. Wife and children, too, see and feel that in denying themselves and
promoting the happiness of the head of the family, they pursue true
policy, and are most sensibly selfish when they seem most unselfish.
Especially, however, is it true with slaves and masters, that to "do as
they would be done by" is mutually beneficial. Good treatment and proper
discipline renders the slave happier, healthier, more valuable,
grateful, and contented. Obedience, industry and loyalty on the part of
the slave, increases the master's ability and disposition to protect and
take care of him. The interests of all the members of a natural family,
slaves included, are identical. Selfishness finds no place, because
nature, common feelings and self-interest dictate to all that it is
their true interest "to love their neighbor as themselves," and "to do
as they would be done by,"--at least, within the precincts of the
family. To throw off into the world wife, children, and slaves, would
injure, not benefit them. To neglect to punish children or slaves when
they deserved it, would not be to do as we would be done by. Such
punishment is generally the highest reach of self-abnegation and
self-control. 'Tis easy and agreeable to be indulgent and remiss--hard
to exact and enforce duty. Severe disciplinarians are the best officers,
teachers, parents, and masters, and most revered and loved by their
subordinates. They sacrifice their time and their feelings to duty, and
for the ultimate good of others. Easy, lax, indulgent men are generally
selfish and sensual, and justly forfeit the respect and affection of
those whom they neglect to punish, because to do so would disturb their
Epicurean repose. Christian morality is neither difficult nor unnatural
where dependent, family, and slave relations exist, and Christian
morality was preached and only intended for such.
The whole morale of free society is, "Every man, woman and child for
himself and herself." Slavery in every form must be abolished. Wives
must have distinct, separate, and therefore antagonistic and conflicting
interests from their husbands, and children must as soon as possible be
remitted to the rights of manhood. Is it not passing strange, wonderful,
that such men as Channing and Wayland did not see that their world of
universal liberty was a world of universal selfishness, discord,
competition, rivalry, and war of the wits. Hobbes did see it, and
supposing there was no other world, said "a state of nature was a state
of war." But the family, including slaves, which the Abolitionists would
destroy, has been almost universal, and is therefore natural. Christian
morality is the natural morality in slave society, and slave society is
the only natural society. Such society as that of the early Patriarchs
of Judea, under Moses and Joshua, and as that of the South, would never
beget a sceptic, a Hobbes, a Wayland, nor a Channing. In such society it
is natural for men to love one another. The ordinary relations of men
are not competitive and antagonistic as in free society; and selfishness
is not general, but exceptionable. Duty to self is the first of duties:
free society makes it the only duty. Man is not naturally selfish or
bad, for he is naturally social. Free society dissociates him, and makes
him bad and selfish from necessity.
It is said in Scripture, that it is harder for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
We are no theologian; but do know from history and observation that
wealthy men who are sincere and devout Christians in free society, feel
at a loss what to do with their wealth, so as not to make it an
instrument of oppression and wrong. Capital and skill are powers
exercised almost always to oppress labor. If you endow colleges, you
rear up cunning, voracious exploitators to devour the poor. If you give
it to tradesmen or land owners, 'tis still an additional instrument,
always employed to oppress laborers. If you give it to the really needy,
you too often encourage idleness, and increase the burdens of the
working poor who support every body: We cannot possibly see but one safe
way to invest wealth, and that is to buy slaves with it, whose conduct
you can control, and be sure that your charity is not misapplied, and
mischievous.
Is there any other safe way of investing wealth, or bestowing charity?
We regret that delicacy restrains us from putting the question to a
celebrated, wealthy philanthropist of the North, who is candid, bold,
experienced, and an Abolitionist to boot.