State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-05-10
MIR. BIRNEY'S LETTER,
Read at a late Meeting rthc Vermont Anti
tSldrerU SOcieiu:

Mr.. E. ID. Bdrber-Sir Your letter of
January II, was received few days since,
whilst was at New Richmond the place
to which it was directed. ! lament that
the almost constant employment of my
time, in defending myself and the cause in
which am engaged, against the attacks
| ofpro-savery assallants here, must neces-
sarly make my answers to your several
injuries shorter than under other circum-
stances they would be. If the Philanttro-
past is permitted 10 reach you, it will show
what fierce resistance tilearoused spirit of
slavery in this city is already making against
the assaults Of its adversary.
Your first interrogatory is, "would the
immediate emancipation of the slaves at the
south he attended with danger to the white
population, either in their persons or prop
eriyw Answer-At present, the property
of the shareholders is very much deprecated
upon by their slaves-and in the planting
south, the proprietors now live, and doubt
not, Independently of the anli-slavery
orerations,) from the rapidly increasing
numbers and growing intelligence of the
slaves, will continue to live us long rs slave
ry subsiss, in great apprehension for the
SAT ty of themselves, and their own fam-
lies. know of nothing that would so
etfectualiy arrest private and nocturnal
depredations on property 10y slaves, or
remove all apprehension of personal secu-
ri;y, us Immediate emancipation. Emanci
patton of any kind, however gradual, would
be preferable to continued slavery, in refer
ence to the two objects embraced in the
inquiry; but the nearer it would he made
to approach TO immediate, the more fully
would they be attained. | would not be
understood, by any means, as saying that
no Inconvenience would be felt, if the
slaves should all he manumitted to-mor-
row. But they would not be thu legitimate
consequences of emancipation. They would
arise from the spirit of domination remain
ing in the masters. announcement conse-
quences are now showing themselves in
such of the British West India Islands as
embraced the apprenticeship system. This
remark would not apply, of course, TO I'M
medidte emancipation, brought about from
principles cf duty on the part of the slave
holders for then the same spirit which led
to- the act of justice would follow the man
united with acts of kindness and auxiliary
efforts to improve their condition in every
respect. ] feel well assured, that no other
mode of emancipation can ever he effectual
but that which is immediate. None other
has ever been So in reference to the colored
cIass-where they have constituted the
great mass of the ldbOrerS in any country.
The gradual schemes in some of the Md
die and eastern states do not Affect the
position --inasmuch as the SLAVES in them
made but very small part Of the laborlng
classes. In the south, gradual emancpa-
ton would leave the parties inimicdt--
because it would have the appearance OF
being acrong from the stakeholder; imme-
didte would leave the parties friends, be-
cause it would he voluntary. ] should ap-
prehend no danger to the personal security
of the whites from immediate emancipa-
ton except what might arise from the
naughty and domineering temper OF the
latter, after they had parted with the power
of coercion. Nor would ! suppose that
property would be by any means so inse
cure as it is now.
g "Would the blacks, wh.n emancipated
be likely to become an indolent, disorderly
and vagabond population" | have no
idea that they would provided the con.
duct of the whites should he just and kind
to them aherward. Ifthe laws should be
partial and unust--made to crush and to
keep them crushed, your interrogatory
might well be answered in the affirmative.
have 10 doubt they would in this case
become as a body, iudolent, disorderly and
vagabond. But, hesitate not to believe,
that the stimulation of wages honestly paid
and, if not, cullectable by law, would
quicken the enancipated blacks, AS it does
every other people. There is, believe,
no instance of an indolent laboring class,
where the laws assure to them the rewards
of their industry. Some of our most intel
ligent friends suppose IA peculiar system or
code of laws would be required for the
slaves should they be emancip ated. must
differ with them. 1t would not Only keep
alive the ride of the white man, hut con
tinue sense of degradation on the part of
the black. Let the laws be made for the
offence, whether committed by white or
black, and not for the color. Should just
and impartial system of legis ation prevail,
vast numbers of the blacks and colored
people would start in the rnce of improve
mGnt. Their success would attach them 10
the friends of law and good order among
the whites, by a line much stronger than
their color would be to the idle, the ignorant
and the vicious. They would thus add to
the security ofthe whites, against the infiu
ence of such Oftheir own color as could not
be stimulated TO industry and good con-
duct. They would, as class in the COM
munity, be what other classes are, under a
wise or unwise system Of treatment and
legislation.
g. "Would the emancipation Of the
slaves mpoverish the whites who now
hold them MS property" The shareholders
are generally the andhoders. There are
few--but they constitute but n small por-
lion Of the COMMUNICATIVE own slaves
without real estate. They hire them out,
in most cases, in towns, as mental servants;
sometimes they send them out TO labor by
the day or job, trusting 10 the honesty of
the slave TO render what lie has earned
through the day; and not unfrequently