UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

"
from
-what
PART
III
CHAPTER I.
to New Orleans. There were remonstrances,
and there were threats ; but still, with what
DOES PUBLIC OPINION PROTECT THE SLAVE'?
passionless calmness retributivejustice held
The utter inefficiency of the law to
on
protect
its way ! Though the men who were
the slave in any respect has been shown her instruments were men of merciful and
But it is claimed that,precisely because bleedinghearts, yet theybowed in silence
the law affords the slave no protection, to her sublime will. In spiteof all that
thereforepublicopinionis the more strenuous
influence and wealth and power could do,a
in his behalf.
cultivated and intelligent man, from the first
Nothingmore frequently strikesthe eye, rank of society, suffered the same penalty
in running over judicial proceedings
the that would fall on any
other man who violated
courts of slave statesțhan announcements of the sanctity of human life.
the utter inutility of the law to rectify some Now, compare
this with a trialin a slave
glaringinjustice towards thisunhappyrace, state. In Virginia, Souther also murdered
coupledAvith congratulatory remarks on a man ; but he did not murder him by one
that beneficent state of publicsentiment merciful blow,but by twelve hours of torture
which is to supplyentirely this acknowledged
so horrible that few readers could bear even
deficiency of the law.
the description of it. It was a mode of
On this point it may, perhaps,be sufficient
death which,to use the language that Cicero
to ask the reader,whether North or in his day applied to crucifixion, "ought
South țo review in his own mind the judicial
to be forever removed from the sight,hearing,
documents which we have presented, and and from the very thoughtsof mankind."
ask himself what inference is to be drawn,
And to this horrible scene two
as to the state of publicsentiment,from white men were witn esses !
the cases there presented, the pleas Observe the mode in which these two
of lawyersțhe decisions of judgesțhe facts cases were tried, and the generalsensation
sworn to by witnesses, and the generalstyletheyproduced. Hear the lawyers, in this
and spirit of the whole proceedings. case of Souther,coollydebating whether it
In order to appreciate this more fully, let can be considered any
crime at all. Hear
us
compare a trial in a free state with a the decisionof the inferiorcourt,that it is
trialin a slave state.
murder in the second degree, and apportioning
In the free State of Massachusetts, a man
as itsreward five years
of imprisonment.
of standing, learning and highconnections, See the horrible butcher coming up
murdered another man. He did not torture to the SuperiorCourt in the attitude of an
him, but with one blow sent him in a injured man ! See the case recorded as that
moment from life. The murderer had every of Souther versus The Commonwealth,
advantageof position, of friends ; it may be and let us ask any intelligent man, North
said,indeedțhat he had the sympathyof or South,what sort of publicsentiment does
the whole United States ; yet how calmly, this show !
with what unmoved and awful composure, Does it show a belief that the negro is a
did the judicial examination proceed ! The man ') Does it not show decidedly that he is
murderer was condemned to die "
a not considered as a man 1 Consider further
sensation shook the country ! Even sovereign
the horrible principle which,reaffirmed in
states assumed the attitude of petitioners
the case, is the law of the land in Virginia,
for him.
It is the policyof the lata,in respect to
There was a voiceof entreaty, from Maine the relation of master and slave,and J or