Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-07

- H. or.ater fitness Of the soil and Climate ~.
,.odnc;rn ,hem but the poor generaily ouy
,hess articles by retail, and pound oil nou. 20
.n,d n.,rIv as cheap in New England as 10 we
rvland: but even supposlns u 10 tho
rho nount} dearer, this VIII a"o very nv. ..h
sx r..n.e Of maintaining family, anu - 49,
,,,nre than counterbalanced oy 'he graz.
IF almost every other article OF ,,d
II is. indeed, remarkable TACT, 'na' eo.o" NJ
wool raised in Virginia are transpor.su W
Eno,and. manufactured there into yarn OF .'o'',
- hroupbt back again TO Virginia, ana sofa
a 1n.r ,h,n the same fabrics can be mace
here although large quantities OF the nreao'
s,na. need nv the manufacturers are also taken
from, Virginia. II seems, then, that Jree 'aoo"
is so much cheaDer than siave a6our, that they oa'
afford TO nav profit here 10 the purchaser o'
tine DION or wool, freight on them to Ne"
ENGLAND. a commission to the merchant VINO
buys Them there, a profit to the manuisctuter'
freight back again 10 Virginia, and prom 10 .
The merc han, who seels them here, ana sun SUI,
them cheaper than they can be manufacture"
hv a nerson here. who buys the materials a! us
own door. and sells the fabric i'll his own neisn-
borhood
Ifapy further evidence were wanting 10 prove
the greater advantages Of free labour, IL VIII oe
abundan,ly furnished by the greater aiiiuehce
of those parts Of the upper counties OF virginia
where slaves are least numerous, and by tne
general independence Of those industrious Ia
miles and religious societies, who have Tor
length of time depended upon voluntary laoour
An inhabi,an, Of Virginia, on visiting the
Northern and Eastern states, is forcibiy struck
with the contrast they exhibit to his own. ne
can travel but few miles in New England WIN,
out passing hourshing town or oeau'i'u'
village. where the mansions Of the rich are sur
rounded by tht neat and comfortable dwe'n"ss
of the moor: and where every house seems TO be
the abode Of conten,ment, and every coun!e
rance wears the smile Of cheeriuness. FROM
almost every eminence that he ascends, he ca"
see the village spires shooting up in all dlrfc-
lions around him, and almost every stream mat
he crosses, contributes its strength to some
flourisbing mandatory. 80,
In the western part OF New York, he will be
still more astonished 10 behold the works that
have been accomplished, within few wears, ny
the industry and enterprise of free population
Their we'll cultivated fields, their popuIous
towns. and their prosperous villages, nave
sprung up with rapidity that seems IKE the
work OF enchantment, and they are SUI pro-
crossing with pace accelerated by the assn
rance Of success
After witnessing these scenes let him return
to his own Stale-a State that is peculiarly
dear to all her sons. from the remembrance OF
her former greatness-and what VIII DC the ma
ture OF his reflections!
In those parts Of the State where slaves are
mos, numerous, he aeholds her towns generally
stationary, and some even in state OF decay.
He sees large tracts OF land ruined by bad cultl-
walton, and thrown into common. The man
e .Lo IN
Of former grandeur, while the novels OF the
poor, and the cabins Of the slaves, exhibit the
extreme of wretchedness!
In contemplating this scene he is forced re-
luc,antly 10 withdraw his gaze from the last
rays of her departing glory, and fix despond-
ing eye upon the dark cloud that hangs over her
future destiny.
But les, this picture should seem to be color
ed too darkly, and he attributed by some to the
gloomy imagination of an abolitionist, we will
present one drawn by Shareholder in this
neighborhood, who stands dservediy high in
public confidence, and is no less distinguished
for the excellence of his judgment than the be-
nevoence Of his feelings. The expressions
which follow, will be found in the controversy
between Caius Gracious and Opinions, on the
American Colonization Society
| Speaking Of the " moral principle in society
favorable to emancipation" which the Colo
nization Society had been charged by Caius
Gracious with "a,temp,ng to create" Opini-
ons replies: "But the little, the very little dam
ger to be apprehended from The mo'al prin-
ciple which the Society is charged with al
tempting 10 inc ulcaie, cannot be better attic St
"ed, than by the simple fact, that during the
eight years Of its existence the Country which
"a single spark, il is said would be suffioien,
to throw into fame has remained undls-
turbed, even in It's most delicate relations
And what, let me ask, is the object 10 be ef-
feote by this moral principle?' The reno.
oval Of a population cruelty forced on the pre-
sent generation by those u no have preceded
eta population equally injurious to our mo-
rails, our wealth, our political purity, and our
physical strength-a population which Csius
Gracious has not more eloqurnrly than Just
ely described as degraded and debased from
" the very knowledge OF their condition
as slaves, dissoIute and abandoned in their
moral character, and with passions and feel.
ings Of the mosi'lawless and brutal kind"
And rs il possible that any rational man, any
member OF christian community, any citi-
zen Of a republican country, can seriously OBJ
jec, 10 the operation of an influence whose
object is the removal Of such d population?
Ii feeling Of justice does not prompt US to