In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

The right of independence that was won at such a high cost as we have discussed above has been preserved and passed down from one generation to the next. Everyone guards their rights jealously and refrains from encroaching on others’ rights. Protection of others’ rights is considered one’s own duty. History records many instances of endeavors that were made in the interest of other peoples’ or other governments’ right of self-rule. We shall present an outline of the more illustrious of these endeavors. From the beginning, the United States was blessed with a wealth of material things, but it suffered from a shortage of people. Since the right of self-rule was so highly valued, even those in humble circumstances were not willing to bow their heads to another person and become slaves. Everyone considered it their duty to learn skills, acquire knowledge, and work to earn their own living and to help others. Consequently, even a man of means with abundant wealth had difficulty in finding people who would do his chores. At this juncture, traders who were engaged in commerce across the Atlantic went to and dropped anchor off the coast of Africa and either paid money to procure or captured by the force of arms black-skinned people. Children and women among them who were of appropriate age and who appeared docile were taken aboard in groups of several hundreds and transported across the ocean. On the southeastern shores of North America, they were unloaded and sold individually for hefty prices, thus yielding a large profit for the traders. Many people bought and used [these slaves] who, despite their inability to communicate and their ugly appearance, had strong limbs and were capable of performing difficult 104 19. History of the American Civil War physical tasks. It was very inexpensive and simple to feed and clothe them; it is no wonder that this cheap and convenient labor was in such great demand. The number of [slave] traders increased every year. Thirty-three years ago [sic; forty-three years ago?], or in 1861, there were in the south of the United States four million black slaves. They had to leave behind their families and homelands to cross the ocean as captives of strangers; a countless number of them perished on board during the months-long voyage, and the unfamiliar climate and surroundings resulted in many sicknesses. Their masters, furthermore, tended to treat them inhumanly because they had been purchased for the sole purpose of putting them to work like beasts of burden. Their circumstances were indeed pitiable. The people in the northern part of the United States came out, therefore , in opposition to this practice and argued that all people in the world are equal and the black people are our brothers and sisters who, despite their different appearance and insufficient intelligence, are all entitled to the same God-given rights as anyone else. It is not fair to disregard others ’ rights while we value our own, they argued. To sell and buy humans is tantamount to treating one’s own brothers like chattels or beasts, and no civilized person could tolerate that. Black slaves must be freed forthwith and the practice of working them hard like beasts or of buying and selling them must cease. Written appeals for equality and freedom for all were circulated widely, attracting an ever-growing number of supporters. [On the other side,] the Southerners argued, in opposition to the Northerners’ call for freeing the slaves, that they had the right to buy and use [the slaves] and that no one should interfere with their right. Confrontation of the two opposing views led ultimately to war. Large-scale hostilities lasted a few years. The South lost and the North won. In 1863, the emancipation of the slaves was decreed and the poor blacks shed their yokes and regained freedom; their rejoicing was boundless and the blessings were far reaching. A law was enacted to ban slavery permanently , and even the word slave does not exist anymore in the United States. This idea [against slavery] has become popular and other nations in the world have emulated the antislavery law. At present, every nation, with the exception of Korea and China, has abolished slavery; everyone has equal rights, they are not dependent on anyone nor do they live for someone else, they depend on their own body, and, as they work for their country, there is no class distinction. In...

Share