Abel Thomas - The Gospel of Slavery

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." — Decl. of Ind . It is nothing to affirm that the Negro, or Indian, or Arab, is not equal to the white man – namely, in talent and the like. No two white men are equal in all respects – but if you deny an equality of rights , specify the grounds of such denial.

How long is it since Southern papers advertised the offers of rival hunters of fugitive Negroes, who claimed that they had the best bloodhounds, &c.? Truly an honorable and manly vocation. Runaway Slaves were advertised as having been torn by the dogs, thus and so, on former occasions of flight, and large rewards were offered for the capture of such ingrates, dead or alive! Shall not specimens of these advertisements be some day included in the literary curiosities of civilization?

"What is the difficulty, and what the remedy? Not in the election of Republican Presidents. No. Not in the non-execution of the Fugitive bill. No. But it lies back of all these. It is found in the Atheistic Red Republican doctrine of the Declaration of Independence. Until that is trampled under feet, there can be no peace." — Dr. Smyth , a Rebel leader in South Carolina. "Mud-sills" and "poor white trash" seem not to his liking; but what if they should trample him under feet?

Some persons sneer at any distinction between hirelings of a month or year and hirelings for life – the latter being their definition of Southern Slavery! A taste of the wormwood and the gall might bring them to exclaim with Sterne : "Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still Slavery, still thou art a bitter draught; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account." Suppose the chalice were commended to the lips of Slaveholders?

The Constitution grants neither right nor authority to interfere with the domestic institutions of any State; but Congress, representing the people and the States, has absolute control in the Territories. "More Slavery!" has been the continual cry of the South. Rebellion provoked the war-power of the President; and it is now probable that the institution which claimed a continent, will be numbered with the abominations that were! Let all the people say Amen.

A history of this Liberty War would be very incomplete without sample-sketches of the patient, shrewd efforts of individuals and families of Slaves in getting away from the house of bondage into the lines of the Union Army. Almost starved, hunted by dogs and men, shot at, some of the party killed, – none but the good Lord knoweth the miseries endured by thousands in escaping from the comfortable, patriarchal, Gospel institution of the South!

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