Samuel Nott, of Massachusetts, on European Experiments with Serfdom [pp. 29-36]

Debow's review, Agricultural, commercial, industrial progress and resources. / Volume 27, Issue 1

OF THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. statesmanship of President Tyler became subverted by and through the vain, thoughtless, and short-sighted policy that followed after. "PYTHON." ART. II.l-SAMUEL NOTT, OF MASSACHUSETTS, ON "EUIOPEAN IEX PEIRIMENTS WITH SERFDOM," JUST ten years since, we wrote a pamphlet, in which we took the ground, that "the liberation of the white slaves of Europe was an experiment that had failed, by remitting the emancipated slaves to the evils of free competition and the dominion of skill and capital, which was a more cruel form of servitude than domestic slavery." /The article, " Slavery Justified," to be found in the appendix to " Sociology for the South," is the pamphlet to which we allude. Our theory has become the doctrine of all Southern pro-slavery men; has met with some approval at the North, and with no attempt at refutation in either Europe or the North/ Two English travellers, and two leading English reviewers, have noticed, not unfavorably, our work. But they have said little about it, and have dismissed it with as muchexpedition as if they were handling a hot potato, hoping, no doubt, that since the South had hitherto borrowed all its thought from free society, it would never dare to break from its bondage, and think for itself. The silent contempt affected by the press and the rostrum would have stifled our doctrine in the bud, had not the seed sown by us sprung up and borne fruit in their midst. Part of that seed, planted on the thorny soil of Massachusetts, has borne the splendid fruit which forms the subject of our essay. We welcome Mr. Nt)tt as our disciple. As a writer, he is suggestive, bold, original, and candid. He will not, it is tirue, " call a spade a spade," not from fear, but because it is the fashion in Boston to employ language to conceal one's thoughts. This is an admirable fashion for those who have no thoughts to conceal, and who thereby succeed in palming off eccentricity or affectation for genius and originality. Mr. Everett is an exception to the mystical school. He has been stuffing himself with books from infancy, and has not had a spare moment to digest and assimilate what he has swallowed. He is an ornament to his country, for he is her best scholar. Nay, more, he is her best orator, and fully comes up to Demosthenes' definition, that in oratory, "manner is everything." As a writer, Mir. Everett belongs to the Euphonius school, of which N. P. Willis is the illustrious head. Now, Mr. Nott is really a strong man, and need not affect 29


OF THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. statesmanship of President Tyler became subverted by and through the vain, thoughtless, and short-sighted policy that followed after. "PYTHON." ART. II.l-SAMUEL NOTT, OF MASSACHUSETTS, ON "EUIOPEAN IEX PEIRIMENTS WITH SERFDOM," JUST ten years since, we wrote a pamphlet, in which we took the ground, that "the liberation of the white slaves of Europe was an experiment that had failed, by remitting the emancipated slaves to the evils of free competition and the dominion of skill and capital, which was a more cruel form of servitude than domestic slavery." /The article, " Slavery Justified," to be found in the appendix to " Sociology for the South," is the pamphlet to which we allude. Our theory has become the doctrine of all Southern pro-slavery men; has met with some approval at the North, and with no attempt at refutation in either Europe or the North/ Two English travellers, and two leading English reviewers, have noticed, not unfavorably, our work. But they have said little about it, and have dismissed it with as muchexpedition as if they were handling a hot potato, hoping, no doubt, that since the South had hitherto borrowed all its thought from free society, it would never dare to break from its bondage, and think for itself. The silent contempt affected by the press and the rostrum would have stifled our doctrine in the bud, had not the seed sown by us sprung up and borne fruit in their midst. Part of that seed, planted on the thorny soil of Massachusetts, has borne the splendid fruit which forms the subject of our essay. We welcome Mr. Nt)tt as our disciple. As a writer, he is suggestive, bold, original, and candid. He will not, it is tirue, " call a spade a spade," not from fear, but because it is the fashion in Boston to employ language to conceal one's thoughts. This is an admirable fashion for those who have no thoughts to conceal, and who thereby succeed in palming off eccentricity or affectation for genius and originality. Mr. Everett is an exception to the mystical school. He has been stuffing himself with books from infancy, and has not had a spare moment to digest and assimilate what he has swallowed. He is an ornament to his country, for he is her best scholar. Nay, more, he is her best orator, and fully comes up to Demosthenes' definition, that in oratory, "manner is everything." As a writer, Mir. Everett belongs to the Euphonius school, of which N. P. Willis is the illustrious head. Now, Mr. Nott is really a strong man, and need not affect 29

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Samuel Nott, of Massachusetts, on European Experiments with Serfdom [pp. 29-36]
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Fitzhugh, George
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Debow's review, Agricultural, commercial, industrial progress and resources. / Volume 27, Issue 1

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