But what is the despotism whose horrid features our smooth professor tries to hide beneath an array of cunningly-selected words and nicely-adjusted sentences?  It is the despotism of American slavery—­which crushes the very life of humanity out of its victims, and transforms them to cattle!  At its touch, they sink from men to things!  “Slaves,” with Prof.  Stuart, “were property in Greece and Rome.  That decides all questions about their relation.”  Yes, truly.  And slaves in republican America are property; and as that easily, clearly, and definitely settles “all questions about their relation,” why should the Princeton professor have put himself to the trouble of weaving a definition equally ingenious and inadequate—­at once subtle and deceitful?  Ah, why?  Was he willing thus to conceal the wrongs of his mother’s children even from himself?  If among the figments of his brain, he could fashion slaves, and make them something else than property, he knew full well that a very different pattern was in use among the southern patriarchs.  Why did he not, in plain words, and sober earnest, and good faith, describe the thing as it was, instead of employing honied words and courtly phrases, to set forth with all becoming vagueness and ambiguity what might possibly be supposed to exist in the regions of fancy.

“FOR RULERS ARE NOT A TERROR TO GOOD WORKS, BUT TO THE EVIL.”

But are we, in maintaining the principle of self-government, to overlook the unripe, or neglected, or broken powers of any of our fellow-men with whom we may be connected?—­or the strong passions, vicious propensities, or criminal pursuit of others?  Certainly not.  But in providing for their welfare, we are to exert influences and impose restraints suited to their character.  In wielding those prerogatives which the social of our nature authorizes us to employ for their benefit, we are to regard them as they are in truth, not things, not cattle, not articles of merchandize, but men, our fellow-men—­reflecting, from however battered and broken a surface, reflecting with us the image of a common Father.  And the great principle of self-government is to be the basis, to which the whole structure of discipline under which they may be placed, should be adapted.  From the nursery and village school on to the work-house and state-prison, this principle is over and in all things to be before the eyes, present in the thoughts, warm on the heart.  Otherwise, God is insulted, while his image is despised and abused.  Yes, indeed, we remember that in carrying out the principle of self-government, multiplied embarrassments and obstructions grow out of wickedness on the one hand and passion on the other.  Such difficulties and obstacles we are far enough from overlooking.  But where are they to be found?  Are imbecility and wickedness, bad hearts and bad heads, confined to the bottom of society?  Alas, the weakest of the weak, and the desperately wicked,