Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker Politics volume 4 .djvu/305

Rh not much darker than you and I, if born of swarthy mothers; it allows the South to sell them at will, brand them as cattle, mutilate them as oxen, beat them, not seldom to death, burn them alive with green fagots, for the sport of a mob of "very respectable gentlemen," a "minister of the Gospel" looking on and justifying the deed as "Christian." The North allows all this: it is only "an incident of Slavery," the shadow of the substance. New England allows it. Boston has no considerable horror at any of these things,—I mean a part of Boston. Up to this time Boston has defended slavery with her "educated intellect," and by means of many of her "citizens of eminent gravity." Hitherto the controlling men of Boston have been the defenders of slavery; this day they are not its foes.

Now, if the South may thus ruin one black man, so it may all white men whom it can master. Colour is an accident to man as to these roses; it determines neither genus nor species; it is of the dress, not the person. There is only one genus of man, one species,—the human genus, human species. The right to enslave one innocent man is the right to enslave all innocent men. One- seventh part of the Federal House is painted black, the rest white: do you believe you can set the black part on fire, and not burn down the white, not scorch it, not crack the boards, nor smoke the paint? You may say, "Thus far, but no farther:" will the fire heed you? I rather think not: I believe the experience of mankind tells another story. If you sustain the claim of South Carolina to beat black men at Charleston, you need not be surprised if she is logical enough to beat a white man at Washington, soon as she dares. And her daring will be just in proportion to your forbearance. It is a very courageous State, its chivalry bravely attacking defenceless persons.

A portion of the North—of New England, Massachusetts, Boston, those portions deemed best educated, and, in general, most "orthodox" and "Christian" in the church, most respectable in society—have all along made mouths at everybody who complained that slavery was wicked, was cruel, even that it was unprofitable. We were told, "It is none of your business; you have nothing to do with slavery: let it alone. Besides," they said, "it is not cruel nor un-profitable. It is true, we should not like it for ourselves;