Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-03-15

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draw iron labour is savedto his enjoy.
| mens; and consumes as much as posi-
] ole, because What be consumes belongs
to his master. whils the free white man
is inseDsioly bat irresistibly led, to re-
gard ,abour the occupation of slaves as
degradation, and to avoid it as much
as he can. The eject of these combined
aud powerful causes, steadily aud con
stantly operating in thc same direction,
may es,ily he conceived. 1t is seen in
the striking difference which exists, be-
tween the slaveholding sections of our
country, and those where slavery is not
permitted.
It's therefore obvious that vast ben :
eiit would be conferred on the country,
and especially on the slave holding dis
tricts, IL all the slave labourers could be
gradually ard imperceptbly Withdrawn
from cultivation, and their place suppl
ed by free white labourers. say era.
dcaiiy and imperceptlblys because ii it
were possible 10 Withdraw suddenly aud
at once, sogreat portion of the ehec-
j
supplied by slaves. it would be proddc-
tive of the most disastroas consequent
| ces. ltwould create an Immense void
which could not be filled. itwould i'm
poserlsh great part Of the community,
unhinge the whole frame Of society in a
large portion of tbs country, and proba-
| bly, end in the most destructive convul-
sions. But il is clearly impossible; aud
therefore we need not enlarge on the
svls which il would produce.
Butto accomplish this great and be
| netleial change, gradually and imper.
lceptibIy; to substitute free white class
Of eultlyators for the slaves, with thu
consent of the owners, by slow but
steady aud CERTAIN operation; | hold to
be as practicable "a it would be beneh
cial: ard regard this schsme Of coloni.
cation as The tIrst step, in that greaten-
! terprize.
The considerations stated c the first
part Of TINS letter, have long since pro
! duceda thorough conviction in ny mind,
that the existence OF class OF free pao-
! pie 81 colour in this county is highly
injurious, 10 the whitas the slaves and
the free people Of colour themselves:
Consequently that oil emancipation, to
however small an extent, which pssr-
NIT, the persons emancipated TO remain
ia this country, is an evil, which must
increase with the increase OF tie opera
ton, and would become altogether in.
tolerab'e, if extended to the whole. or
even to very large part, of the black
| population. | am therefore strongly
opposed to emancips tion, in every shape
and degree, unless accompanied by CO.
lonization,
| | may perhaps ON some future occa-
sion develope plan, on which nave
long meditated, for colonizing gradually
and 9th the consent of their owners, and
of themselves where free, the wnols
coloured population, slaves ard all, but
this is not the proper place for such an
explanation, for which indeed ! have
not time. But il is an essential part Of
the plan, aud of every such plan, to
prepare the way for its adoption and
execution, by commencing colony OF
blacks, 10 suitable situation and under
proper management. This is what your
society propose 10 accomplish. Their
project therefore, if rightly formed and
wen conducted, will open the way Tor
more extensive and beneficial plan, Of
removing gradually and impercsptibiy,
but certainly, the whole coloured popu-
laton from the country, and leaving its
place to be imperceptbly supplied. as
it would necessarily be, by class Of
free white cutiyatcrs. In every part of
the country this operation must neces-
sari.y be slow. In the southern and
south western states it will be very long
before it can be accomplished, and
very considerable time must probably
elapse. before it can even commence.
1t will begin first, aud be first completed,
in the middle states; where the evils Of
slavery are most sensibly felt, the de-
sire of getting rid of the slaves is area-
dy strong and a greater facility exists of
supplying theirplace, by white culliya-
tors From whence il will gradually
extend tc the south and south west; til
by its steady constant and inperceptible
| operation. the evils Of slavery shall be
rooted out from every part Of the Uni
ted States, aud the slaves themselves and
their posterity shall be converted into a
free civilized and great nation, in the
country from whlch their nroreuitors