Life Without and Life Within; or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and Poems.Fuller, Margaret
History
Life Without and Life Within; or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and Poems.
Fuller, Margaret
Essays; Literature -- History and criticism; Poetry
How deep the shadow! yet cleft by light. There is a counter-current that
sets towards the deep. We are inclined to weigh as of almost equal
weight with all we have had to trouble us as to the prolongation of
slavery, the hopes that may be gathered from the course of such a man as
Cassius M. Clay,--a man open to none of the accusations brought to
diminish the influence of abolitionists in general, for he has eaten the
bread wrought from slavery, and has shared the education that excuses
the blindness of the slaveholder. He speaks as one having authority; no
one can deny that he knows where he is. In the prime of manhood, of
talent, and the energy of a fine enthusiasm, he comes forward with deed
and word to do his devoir in this cause, never to leave the field till
he can take with him the wronged wretches rescued by his devotion.
Now he has made this last sacrifice of the prejudices of "southern
chivalry," more persons than ever will be ready to join the herald's
cry, "God speed the right!" And we cannot but believe his noble example
will be followed by many young men in the slaveholding ranks, brothers
in a new, sacred band, vowed to the duty, not merely of defending, but
far more sacred, of purifying their homes.
The event of which this day is the anniversary, affords a sufficient
guarantee of the safety and practicability of strong measures for this
purification. Various accounts are given to the public, of the state of
the British West Indies, and the foes of emancipation are of course
constantly on the alert to detect any unfavorable result which may aid
them in opposing the good work elsewhere. But through all statements
these facts shine clear as the sun at noonday, that the measure was
there carried into effect with an ease and success, and has shown in the
African race a degree of goodness, docility, capacity for industry and
self-culture entirely beyond or opposed to the predictions which
darkened so many minds with fears. Those fears can never again be
entertained or uttered with the same excuse. One great example of the
_safety of doing right_ exists; true, there is but one of the sort, but
volumes may be preached from such a text.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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