Chancellor Harper On Slavery
Proslavery forces were motivated to fight for slavery in Kansas Territory because they believed that slavery was vital to the socioeconomic and cultural stability of the United States. F.B. Sanborn quoted Chancellor
Harper, a proslavery advocate in The Life and Letters of John Brown, published in 1891, who stated of slavery in the 1850’s, “The institution of slavery is a principal cause civilization. It is as much the order of nature that men should enslave each other as that other animals should prey upon each other. The African slave-trade has given the boon of existence to millions and millions in our country who would never have enjoyed it. It is true that the slave is driven to his labor by stripes.
Such punishment would be degrading to a free man, who had the thoughts and aspirations of a free man. In general it is not degrading to a slave, nor is it felt to be so. “
Slave codes forbade slaves to learn how to read and write, and Harper defended withholding education from slaves due to the racist belief that African-American’s were inferior to European American’s and stated, “Odium has been cast upon our legislation, on account of its forbidding the elements of education to be communicated to the slaves. But, in truth, what injury is done them by this? He who works during the day with his hands does not read in intervals of leisure for his amusement or the improvement of his mind. A knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic is convenient and important to the free laborer, but of what use would they be to the slave? Would you do a benefit to the horse or the ox by giving him a cultivated understanding or fine feelings? “
Slave codes also did not recognized slave marriages as legal, and slave holders broke up couples and families at will. Harper stated “The law has not provided for making the marriages of slaves indissoluble , no could it do so.”
Harper made a final statement in defense of slavery, and wrote, “I am asked, How can hat institution be tolerable, by which a large class of society is cut off from improvement and knowledge, to whom blows are not degrading, theft no more than a fault, falsehood and the want of chastity, almost venial; and in which a husband or parent looks with comparativeindifference on that to which a freeman would be the dishonor of a wife or child? But why not, if it produce the greatest aggregate of good? Sin and ignorance are only evil because they lead to misery.”
Chancellor Harper’s views were held by millions of Americans in the 1850’s when proslavery forces rode into Kansas to fight Free State forces that were fighting to make Kansas a Free State. Proslavery advocates sincerely believed that their cause was just, and were willing to fight and die for their beliefs just as Free State advocates were willing to die for Thiers.
Short URL: http://osawatominews.com/?p=1461
Posted by admin
on Sep 21 2011. Filed under News and Updates.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry