Or, Tell the Truth to Slaves and Whites
English view of Reign of Terror: Parallel to 1860 South?
From The New-York Times December 31, 1860:
A VALUABLE SUGGESTION.
The Panola Star, of Mississippi, has the following paragraph:
“We wish to suggest the propriety of all slave owners taking some pains to correct a very false impression now prevailing among the negroes about the election of LINCOLN. It is generally believed by our slaves that they were to be free if Lincoln was elected, or at least they think somehow or other they are to be benefited by his election.
We do not recommend it, but suggest for the consideration of the better judgment of our fellow-citizens whether it would not be best to tell them that the election of LINCOLN had nothing in the world to do with them or their freedom, but has reference to the question of making new Slave States; that nothing has been done or will be done to change their condition, by Mr. Lincoln or anybody else, and that all the talk they hear about the Slavery question cannot, in any way, free them.”
This hits the heart of the peril that now overhangs the Union and the Southern States. The great mass of the Southern people, — free men as well as slaves, — have been led to believe that Mr. LINCOLN’s election involves the abolition of Slavery. It is that belief which has raised them to their present pitch of excitement, — which has driven the whole Southern population to the verge of disunion and which threatens now, under the lead of remorseless political leaders, to plunge them into certain and remediless ruin. The Panola Star sees the real nature of the difficulty and suggests the plain and palpable remedy.
If the journals of the South would act boldly and promptly on this suggestion, they would do more to avert the dangers of disunion, and restore peace and prosperity to the country than can be done in Congress or throughout the North. But there is no reason to hope that they will do so. It has been the policy of the conspirators against the Union to muzzle the Southern Press by the terrors of mob-law; — and no journal anywhere in the Southern States could enter upon the task which the Star suggests, without falling under the suspicion of being treacherous to the South. During the French revolution any person who dared to breathe a word against the dominant faction, was hung for the new crime of incivisme. This portion of the French Code of Terror — as well as some others — has been imported into several of the Southern States and adopted as the supreme law, instead of the Constitution of the United States.
The Times sees the fire-eating opinionators of the South exaggerating (if not outright ignoring) the Republican platform – and suppressing opposing opinion.
