530 



SIJDELL SLOAT. 



ring for the purpose instruments of elimination not 

 always of an attractive character. Tlio failure of 

 slavery iu America to assume form* consonant with 

 the principles of our civilization must be attributed 

 to its inherent character and not to the accidental 

 means of its elimination. 



The mere fact that a mass of human beings was to 

 be held in a condition of servitude in a community 

 permeated by the spirit of liberty rendered it neces- 

 sary that the slave should be isolated from the 

 sentiment of such community, and for that purpose 

 that his mind should be kept closed against its 

 literature and habits of thought and action, and 

 also that freedom of intercourse between the two 

 classes should be excluded. It was therefore a 

 >ity of the institution that the conditions of 

 il v, lopment for the slave should l>e suppressed, if 

 it was to be indefinitely perpetuated. 



Concluding then, as we must, that the institution 

 of slavery is irreconcilable with social conditions of 

 a i advanced type, the aggressions upon it are 

 accounted for "bv its nature. The necessities of 

 slavery entailed changes upon the political institu- 

 tions of that section of the country, not only by 

 weakening confidence in the principle of popular 

 government, but by encouraging the use of irregular 

 means of maintaining the domestic police, tending 

 to undermine respect for regular government, and 

 thus to open the door to unrestrained popular vi- 

 olence. It was impossible for the isolation of the 

 slave to be accomplished to the extent necessary to 

 maintain the institution by the regular means sup- 

 plied by government. It was not practicable to em- 

 body in laws all the requirements of such isolation, 

 and nothing less than a militia on constant duty, 

 and irregular bands of citizens daily and nightly on 

 watch and guard, with their humanity as the only 

 measure of their authority, could secure the con- 

 ditions under which the institution could be per- 

 petuated. 



The reasons that have been stated sufficiently 

 account for the observed fact that the influence of 

 slavery upon the political institutions of the country 

 was greater and more effective than that of these 

 iustitutions upon the conditions of slavery. 



Slavery has entailed npon the United States a 

 social problem of the greatest magnitude and difli- 

 cnlty. In all of the old slave States a very laix'" 

 portion of the population consists of the former 

 slaves and their descendants, and in several of tlieiu 

 that population exceeds the residue. For all pur- 

 poses of estimating the nature of this social problem 

 these |>opulatinns must be regarded as composed of 

 two distinct social masses, separated by their in- 

 to, by their habits of life, l>y the broadest race- 

 differences, and by the fact that one exhibits civil 

 organization of which the other is destitute. They 

 hive in common a language and necessary relations 

 of industry. The utmost conceivable departure 

 from homogeneity exists in the case. It is not 

 possible that within the same State two systems of 

 social organization can coexist ; one must give way 

 to the other, or they must blend to form something 

 distinct from each. The last condition named evi- 

 dently cannot take place, and the organ ized condition 

 cannot give way to that which is without organization. 

 If a community of interest could be brought about 

 the other points of difference would cease to lie of 

 importance. To unite these interests it is ne, 

 that the civil and political rights of the weaker 

 party should be fully respected, and in that event, 

 in certain States, the population consisting of the 

 former slaves and their descendants would have 

 the preponderating political influence. Until such 

 unity of interest occurs they would naturally use 

 their political power to advance, their own separate 

 interests. While discriminations are made against 



their political rights, their interests will remain 

 separate and distinct from those of the residue of 

 the social body. 



In all these States the political power is in the 

 , hands of one of these masses, even iu States where 

 | they are in the minority. The white people have 

 been trained by the institution of slavery to believe 

 that the principles on which social lib. it;, is bused 

 have no application to the negro. They have never 

 I grasped the truth, that is the hii/he-i commendation 

 i popular government, that although the unedu- 

 cated and undisciplined are the majority in such a 

 community, such is the influence of developed mental 

 power that it is able to cancel the advantage of su- 

 perior numbers in an elective system, and to exer- 

 cise the preponderating influence. To i. move the 

 causes that tend to separate the two : ions 



of the populations is the proper means of testing 

 the sufficiency of the principle just stated to secure 

 ! good government. Mutual fear is the cause of sep- 

 : aration, and mutual confidence will be the means 

 ! of inducing a higher social order. (A. j. w.) 



SLIDELL, JOHN (1793-1871), politician, was born 

 in New York in 1793. lie removed to New Orleans 

 and entered successfully into the practice of law, 

 serving as District Attorney of the United States 

 from 1829 to 1833. He was frequently elected to 

 the State Legislature, in 1843 was elected to Con- 

 press, and in 1845 was appointed by President Polk 

 Minister to Mexico. In 1853 ho became a member 

 of the United States Senate, to which he was re- 

 elected in 1859. He spoke rarely in the Senate, but 

 served on important committees and exerted great 

 influence. In politics ho was a strenuous .supporter 

 of the Southern State-rights ]>arty, and after the 

 secession of Louisiana, iu 1861, he withdrew from 

 the Senate. In the autumn of this year he was sent, 

 in conjunction with J. M. Mason, of Virginia, to 

 France as a commissioner from the Confederate 

 es. They embarked from Havana in the British 

 mail steamer Trent, which vessel was stopped by the 

 United States frigate San Jacinto, Captain 'Wilkes, 

 on November 8th, the commissioners being taken off 

 in defiance of the protest of the commander, and 

 confined in Fort Warren, Boston Harbor. This in- 

 defensible action was enthusiastically received in 

 the North, but Great Britain sternly demanded the 

 immediate release of the prisoners, \\ith threats of 

 war in case of refusal. The feeling of the people was 

 not shared by the President and Secretary of State, 

 who recognized that the demand of England was a just 

 one, and t lint the capture was in opposition to the rules 

 of international law, us interpreted by the Unite, 1 

 N':i - es itwelf in the events that led to the War of 

 1*1'.!. The commissioners were accordingly set I 

 and sailed from Boston for England, January 1, 1862. 

 Slidell did not return to America, but resided in 

 London till his death, July l!! 1 ,. 1871. 



SLOAT, JOHM DnAKB(1780-1867), naval officer, was 

 born in New York City in 1780: entered the navy as 

 a midshipman in 1800, and was honorably discharged, 

 1801. In 1H12 he re-entered the service as a sailing- 

 master, serving on the United Slates, in which ship 

 he was engaged in the act inn with the British frigate 

 Macedonian, Oct. 'Jo, ISU, when the latter was capt- 

 ured. For this he received a vo!e of thanks and 

 a silver medal, and was promoted lieutenant Iu 

 1824-25 he served in the ex|dition against tho 

 : '. diau pirut.es and participated in t ho capture 

 of the pirate brig Palmyra. In IS'JI, as commander 

 of the schooner (Inimpiis. he took part iu the de- 

 struction of the town of Foxhardo, Porto Rico, tho 

 pirates' head piarters. and tiflcnvard captured a bri'j 

 on which was their chief, Colfiecinas. who was after- 

 ward executed. For his services he was promoted 

 in rapid succession muster conimniidaiit and captain, 

 , and had charge of tho Norfolk navy-yard from 1K40 



