Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-06-28

raj tendency 10 introduce DuinOer OIL
vices, that are very perDlcious TO the in
terest OF a commonwealth; and slavery
much conduces to destroy chastity, as 1t
puts SO great number of females into
The power of the other sex; against whom
they dare not complain, on peril of the
lash; and many OF whom they dare not
resist. This vice, this bane of society,
has already become so common, that it
is scarcely esteemed disgrace, in the
one sex, and that the one that is the most
criminal. Let it become as little dis
graceful in the other, and there is an end
10 domestic tranquility, an end to the
public prosperity.
1t is necessary to our national pros
peFity, that the estates of the inhabitants
of the country be greatly productive.
Buy perhaps no estates, possessed in any
part of the world are less productive
than those which consist in great num-
bers of slaves. In such estates there
will be old and decripped men and women,
and little children: all must be main
tanned. They labor only from servile
principles, and therefore not to equal
advantage with free men. They will
labor as little, they will take as liitle
care as they possibly can. When then
maintenance is deducted from the fruit
of their labor, only small pittance re-
mains Tor the owner. Hence many, who
! are proud of their estates, and envied Tor
their wealth, arc living III poverty ala
immersed in debt. Here are large estates
to be taXed but small incomes 10 pay
the taxes. This, while it gives us weight
in the scale Of the Union, will make us
groan under the burden of our own i'm
portance.
Put all the above considerations to-
gelher, and il evidently appears, that
slavery is neither consistent with Justice
nor good policy. These are considera-
tons, one would think, sufficient to ST.
lence every objection; but | foresee,
notwi,hstandi' &, that a number will be
made, some OF which have formidable
appearance.
1t will be said negroes were made
slaves by law, they were converted into
property by an act Of the legislature ; and
under the sanction ofthe law purchased
them; they therefore become my prop
erty, have legal claim TO them. To
repeal this law, TO annihilate slavery,
world be violently to destroy wha, / le-
gally purchased with my money, or m
herit from my father. l. would BE-
equally unjust with dlspossessing me Of
my horses, cattle, or any other species
of property. To dispossess me Of their
offspring would be injustice equal 20
dispossessing rae OF the annual profits Of
my estate. This is an important ooIec-
tion, and 1t calls for serious answ >r.
The matter seems to stand thus: many
years ago, men, being deprived of their
natural right 10 freedom, and made
slaves, were by law converted into pro-
perry. This law, Il is true, was wrong, it
established iniquity; it was against the
law of humanity, common sense, reason,
and conscience. |, was, however, a law
and under the sanction OF ii a number of
men, regardless OF JUS iniquhy, purchas
ed these slaves, and made their fellow
men their property.
The question is concerning the liberty
Of mat. The man himself claims il as
bis own property. He pleads, that II
was originally his own; that he has ne
er forfeited, nor aliena,ed it, and there
lore, by the common laws of justice and
humanity, 1t is still his own. The pur-
chaser of the slave claims the same
property. He pleads, that he purchas-
ed it under the sanction of law, enact
| ed by the legislature; and therefore it
became his. Now, The question is, who
mas the best claim; Did the proper in
Question belong 10 the legislature Was
i vested in them? If legislatures are
possessed OF such properly as this, may
another never exist No individual o.
! their constituents could claim il as his
own Inherent right; it was not in them
collectively and therefore they could
not convey it to their representatives,
Was it ever known, that a people chose
representatives TO create and transfer this
kird of property? The legislatures
were not, they could moi be possessed of
1t, and therefore could not transfer it to
another; they could not give what they
themselves had not. Now, does the
property belong TO him, who received
it from legislature that had it not to
give, and by law they have no right to
enact; or the original owner, who has
never forfeited nor alienated his right
If law should pass for selling an inno-
cent mans head and should purchase
it, have |, in consequence of this law
and this nnrchase a better e Lain To this