Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-03

curity Is gone; 10 announce that the slave
that the principles OF natural justice eDtitls
him to freedom; that the reasons Of expedi
ency demand it, and he shall be free; but.
yet IN the face Of these fatal admissions, not
solitary slave is to be liberated from bon
cage, or sent out or the commonwealth for
nearly thirty years. Sir, the ingenuity Of
man, If exerted for the purpose, could not
devise more efficient mode OF producing
discontent among our slaves, and thus en-
dangerlng the peace of the community
There Is another feature of this plan which
tends to similar consequences. There are
born, annually, Of this population, about
twenty thousand children. Those which
may be born before the year lss0 are to be
slaves; those which may he born after that
period are TO be free at certain age. These
two classes viii be reared together; they
will labor together and commune together
1t cannot escape the observation of him who
IS doomed to servitude, that although Of the
same color and Of the same parents. far
different destiny awaits his more fortunate
brother. In rejecting on the causes Of this
distinction, be will find no satisfactory rea
son for 1t, in the circumstance of one having
come into being few months before the
other. As his thoughts again and again re
vert to the subject, he will begin to regard
himself as the victim of injustice. His fan
cy will exaggerate the blessings Of liberty
and the miseries Of his own lot. Cheerful
ness and contentment will flee from his DO.
som, and the most harmless and happy crea.
ture that lives on earth, will be transformed
into dark, designing and desperate rebel.
In ancient history, there is an apt illustra-
ton of this fearful tendency of the human
ma Lar al tha chi If
our first parents, built their affairs side by
side, and worshipped their Creator toge
Their Abels offering burnt freely and bright
ly, and the fumes Of hi. incense rose high to
wards heaven Not so with Gains. No flame
or fragrance issued from his sacrifice in to
ken of its acceptance. The demon at once
took possession Of his soul Envy, hatred
and despair, urged him to madness, and
then was shed by brothers hand the first
blood that ever stained the earth Let US not
expose his "chldren in misfortune" who
bear, like him. on their pc rsons, the mark OF
divine displeasure, to the same trial which
overwhelmed with ruin, the guilty ancestor.
Such are some Of the objections that
would apply to the scheme Of the gentleman
from Aibemarle, even il the owners Of
slaves were disposed to submit TO the loss re-
sultins from it, and to CO operate in its exc.
cution But we have been told by gentlemen,
whose opinions are worthy Of entire conf
dence, that the slave holder will insist on his
legal rights, and call upon the laws Of the
country, to protect him in the enjoyment Of
his property. By what authority shall il
be taken from him, without compensation?
Strange doctrines have been advanced on
this subject. We have been, gravely told
that although the slaves now in existence he
long to their owners, and cannot he taken
from, yet the unborn children of those
slaves are not property, and may be eman-
cipated and conhscated to the State, with
out injustice, because they are not now in
being, and therefore cannot belong to any
one. Is it necessary, sir. to enter into an ar
gument before this intelligent body to show
the utter .allacy of this opinion, and that an
individual may acquire in any future, incor-
porated interest. to issue from property, al
ready belonging TO him, as valid right, as
he has to the property itself? 1t would be
Just as useless as 10 attempt to prove that
man has present and perfect right to the
interest which is TO accrue from his money
during the ensuing year. These gentlemen
contend that the right 10 the future children
Of slaves, cannot vest, until they shall have
been born, and that in the meantime, the act
for their emancipation intercepts the right,
and prevents II from ever vesting | presume
! it will be admitted. that the act Of emancipa
ton cannot take effect until there is some
: thing for it to act opon. IL you cannot own
child until born, you cannot emancipate
child unborn. At the instant Of birth, the
right of property vests. The act divcsting
it, cannot be antecedent in its application. II
must be contemporaneous or subsequent,
and in either case, is conflicting and illegal
in its operation. Let us extend this doc
! trne little farther, and see to what absurd
consequences it leads. The wages of your
lands, during the coming year. arc not yet
! in your possession, and therefore, you have
not valid right to them The Legislature
passes a law directing that they shall be
| paid into the public Treasury, as soon as
| they accrue. What cause have you to com
! plain? According to the principles assumed
here. these wages, and the fruits Of your
| soil. are not yours They cannot be yours,
until they shall have actually come into your
possession But in the meantime, the Law
interposes, and places them TO the credit OF
the Commonwealth You are not agsrieved,
because no vested right is infringed! Sir,
these subtle and refined distinctions, are be
meath the dignity Of the subject under consi-
deration. should not have noticed them
but for an absorbing desire to leave nothing
untouched, that might obscure the truth
and cannot dismiss them, with more ap
propriate argument than "reductio ad alb
! surdum "
And why should gentlemen waste their in
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