Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-05-24
VOL. IX....NO. IS.


hore?
"Ah! but we will buy them" This
looks like there was something serious
intended. Let US consider it. The whole
of the year, increase is $4,000. Take
the estimate Of Shareholder in Congress,
as to their market value, and it is $500
each, for every man, woman and child
that is, thirty millions Of dollars, to buy
the yearly increase of slaves among US.
What an expense
Then there is the expense of their re-
mova to be provided for Mr. Tazewell,
in Congress, declared this could not be
less than 500 each; but we will reduce
ii to $50. Here is demand for four
millions more. Can they make sup
port there, BY their labor? No, sir it is
now conceded on all hands, that they must
receive their sustenance at least year,
either in provisions sent from this country,
or money to purchase them at high
rate on the coast Of Africa. This can
not cost less than four millions more
Shall they be set on that shore with
nothing but their hands? No, sir, they
must be furnished with utensils, and ma
terials for industry. These and other
incidental expenses will make the yearly
cost of the removal Of only the yearly
increase, not less than 40 millions Of dol
lars But when the government of the
United States comes into the market, as a
purchaser of slaves, with 80 millions of
dollars to lay out year by year, any man
who is in the least acquainted with eco
nomical calculations, must see that it will
raise the price inde6nitel y. Now ask
any man here to say, whether project
involving such an expenditure as this, is
practicable? Can this nation, acting
through the government Of the United
States, be induced to surrender all its
plans of advantage, its tortltcatlons, It's
harbors, its rivers, and all other projects
ofimprovement, and absorb all it's reven-
ues in the single object of removing A
mercans from its soil2
But we have another form of gradual
ism to consider. | am frequently asked,
by those who, Of course, hate slavery as
bad as do, why the abolitionists win in
sist on what is impracticable? Why will
they not take up those plans which have
been already tried and proved successful,
in removing slavery from Pennsylvania,
and other states at the north, the system
Of gradual emancipation
10 this 1t is sufficient answer, in the
first instance, to say that, if it is wrong to
hold men in slavery, it is wrong to hold
any in slavery If it is wrong to hold
them in slavery forever, it is wrong to
hold them at all. If a MAN, because he
IS man, is entitled to his liberty twelve
months or two years hence, he is entitled
to it now. But | go farther. 1t requires
but bare consideration of the difference
between the north and the south, to see
that a mode which was effectual here
would be wholly impracticabIe in our
present sIavehoiding states. In Penn
sylvania, there never was one slave to 100
free persons. There never were 1000
: slaves in the state. Now it is principle,
fully established that where the mass of
labor is performed by slaves, there is no
body of people, into which you can alb
sorb a portion who may be emancipated
Pennsylvania emancipated one tenth of
her slaves in year, say 400 slaves, and
the labor which they would have perform
ed was taken up by her free population
Or if it had been distracted entirely, it
would never have been missed. But let
this be done, for instance, in Louisiana,
where the number of slaves is 100000
Let one tenth be emancipa ted this year.
Where is the amount Of labor to be sup
piled? Will you say, let them be re-em
pIoyed by the planters, for wages? The
planters have settled it as an economical
truth, in every slave state that eInanci-
pated blacks never can be employed with
their slaves. What substitute then, have
YOU for this amount of lator distracted
Will YOU send white laborers there, to
supply the deficiency Will they, ought
they freemen, to 60 and labor by the side
, ofthe slaves No, sir, it never has been,
and trust never will be done
| But, at the end Of the second year, you
I have another tenth Of the people emanci-
pated, and another tenth of the labor with
drawn. And so on from year to year, so
that this scheme Of philanthropy, by the
time of its accomplishment, will have left
the whole country desoIate waste, grown
} up with thorns and briars. Sir, this self
2 destructive scheme never has been tried,
5 and it never will be in any community,
f where the slaves bear any considerable
/ proportion to the free. The onI y appa-
t rent exception to tnis assertion is in the
! case of Mexico. In the year 1924, pro-
vision was made for allowing slaves to
f purchase their freedom, at certain rate.
! But after an experiment of five years, the
2 experiment of graduaIism was abandoned,
,, and immediate and universal emancipa-
= ton declared throughout the republic.
= canno: forbear adverting. for mo-
} ment, to the substitute for all these
2 Observation-Disclosures EMANCIPATION.-