Charles Sumner; his complete works; Volume 2 (of 20)

urally led to touch upon the origin of slavery, and the principles which lie at its foundation, befo

and this term, passing from a race to a class, was afterwards applied, in the languages of modern Europe, to all in his unhappy lot, without distinction of country or color.[8] It would be difficult to mention any word which has played such opposite parts in history,-beneath the garb of servitude concealing its early robe of pride. And yet, startling as it seems, this word may be received in its primitive character, by those among us who consider slavery essential to democratic instit

IN ANT

. It is true that they recognized it, and gave it a shape of peculiar hardship. But slavery is older than Sparta. It existed in the tents of Abraham; for the three hundred and eighteen servants born to him were slaves. We behold it in t

t certain tha

e takes half his

ery. But notwithstanding these high names, we learn from Aristotle himself that there were persons in his day-pestilent Abolitionists of ancient Athens-who did not hesitate to maintain that liberty was the great law of Nature, and to deny any difference between master and slave,-declaring at the same time that slavery was founded upon violence, and not upon right, and that the authority of the master was unnatural and unjust

he might bind them in perpetual servitude. This principle, which has been the foundation of slavery in all ages, is adapted only to the rudest conditions of society, and is wholly inconsistent with a period of refinement, humanity, and jus

eks, the Romans admitted in theory that all men are originally free by the Law of Nature; and they ascribed the power of masters over slaves, not to any alleged diversities in the races of men, but to the will of society.[16] The constant triumphs of their arms were signalized by red

history, show the hardening influence of a system which treats human beings as cattle. "Let the husbandman," says Cato, "sell his old oxen, his sickly cattle, his sickly sheep, his wool,

said to have owned as many as ten thousand, while extravagant prices were often paid for them, according to fancy or caprice. Martial mentions handsome boys sold for as much as two hundred thousand sesterces each, or more than ei

t have existed in Africa. Here, indeed, it found a peculiar home. If we trace the prog

ain t

thiopia's blame

l in Africa,-the eating of captives, and their sacrifice to idols. Thus, in the march of civilization, even the ba

IN MODER

l, the inhabitants of which frequently sent into Ireland to sell those people whom they had bought up throughout England. They exposed to sale girls in a state of pregnancy, with whom they made a sort of mock marriage. There you might see with grief, fastened together by ropes, whole rows of wretched beings of both sexes, of elegant forms, and in the very bloom of youth,-a sight sufficient to excite pity even in barbarians,-daily offered for sale to the first purchaser. Accursed deed! infamous disgrace! that men, acting in a manner which brute instinct alone would have forbidden, should sell into slavery their relations, nay, even their own offspring!"[21] From still another chronicler we learn, that, in 1172, when Ireland was afflicted with

treating all captives in war as slaves. Here poetry, as well as history, bears its test

cord to every

glish that they

tual slavery

they on the field

ng his perils, exposes t

aken by the

very; of my red

. Louis, in 1296 presented his brother Charles, Count of Valois, with a Jew, and paid three hundred livres for another Jew,-as if Jews were at the time chattels, to be given away or bought.[25] The statutes of Florence, boastful of freedom, as late as 1415 allowed republican citizens to hold slaves not of the Catholic Christian faith,-Qui non sunt Catholic? fidei et Christi

t womb of slavery, professing Mahometanism, which not only recognizes slavery, but expressly ordains "chains and collars" to infidels[27]-should maintain the traffic in slaves, particularly in Christians,

t for the origin of this cruel custo