280 TIMEHRI. 
To what other origin can the oldest nobility be traced ? 
SLAVERY. 
What a fertile thesis has this been to men in every 
age, whose imaginations have disdained the guidance of 
their judgments, and whose enthusiasm has set at nought 
the immemorial ordinance of their Creator. In every 
clime, in every age, in every nation since the creation of 
the world, has God ordained that a class of human beings 
should exist, as ‘‘ servants of the servants” of the rest of 
the human race. And surely, if any thing could ex- 
emplify the wisdom of divine Providence, in the distri- 
bution of power and command in the proportion to the 
powers of intelleét requisite to exercise it, it is this very 
fa&t, that slavery, from the beginning of time, has been 
the portion of the lowest order of humanity. It is to no 
purpose that casual instances of superior intellect are 
brought forward to contradiét our ideas of the mental 
imbecility of those whom Providence has allotted to a 
state of slavery. Mind and genius, where they exist in 
a mass, are sure to rise and emancipate their possessors 
from the very lowest physical state of bondage. To en- 
deavour to destroy the grades of society, by a levelling 
system that would merely reverse the duties of cifferent 
classes, is an attempt that defeats its own object, and that 
revolutionizes without reformation. Las Casas on this 
very scene of South America, with the warmest feel- 
ings of beneficence, and with a perseverance of soul 
devoted to his obje&, succeeded in part in the arduous 
work of alleviating the miseries of slavery to which the 
poor aborigines were reduced by the avaricious Spa- 
niards. But how did he accomplish this ? To the disgrace 
of Las Casas, and all his succeeding disciples be it 
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