True American. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1835-18??, 1839-03-08
VoI.-VI.No 1899

SO tfllmphantly appealed to as WofLny OF
our imitation. Although the West India
planters had no voice in the United parlia-
ment of the British Isles, an irresistible
sense of Justice extorted from that Legis1a-
ture the grant of twenty millions Of pounds
sterling to compensate the col,nsts for their
loss of property.
If, therefore, these Observation-Disclosures are
seriously determined to pursue their scheme
OF immediate abolition, they should at once
set about raising fund of twelve hundred
millions of dollars, to indemnify the owners
OF slave property. And the taxes to raise
| that enormous amount can only be assessed
upon themselves or upon the free States if
they can persuade them to assent to such an
assessment for it would be mockery Of
all Justice and an outrage against all equity
to levy any portion of the tax upon tho
slave States to pay for their own unquestion-
ed property.
reIf the considerations to which | have al
thady adverted, are not sufficient to dissuade
. abolitionists from further perseverance
III their designs. the interest of the very
Cause which they profess to espouse ought
10 check their career. Instead of advanc-
lng by their efforts that cause, they have
THROWN back for ha'f a century the prospect
Of any species of emancipation Of the Atri-
can race, gradual or immediate, in any of
the States. They have done more; they
have increased the rigOrs If leg islation
against slaves in most, if not ALL of the slave
States. Forty years ago the question was
agitated in the State of X entucky ola grad
'.al emancipation Of the slaves within its
| limits. = =
I'v or dur ON ncipu'inn, mem that slow, hut
safe and cautious liberation Of slaves which wos
first adope in Pennsylvania a, the nsta nce Of Dr.
franklin, in the year 1889. and, according 10
which, the generation in being were to remain in
slavery, hut all their oiTsprinp Dor, after spcci.
fed day. were to be free at the &c of twenty eight
and, in the mean time were 10 receive preparatory
instruction TO qualify them for the enioymest Of
freedom. That WIS the SPECIES of emancipation.
which, ntthe epoch to which a!Iudc, was discus
sed in Kentucky. No one was rash e,,ony 10 pro-
pose or think of immediate abolition No one wa,
rash enough to think of throwing loose upo tho
commun ~, ignorant and unprrpared, The urtutor.
ed slaves Of the State Many thought, md among
them that as each of tho slave states had right OK
clusivcv Judge for itself in respect 10 the inst
tuition Of domestic slavery the proportion of slaves
compared with tho white population in that State. &.
4, tia, time was so inconsiderablc tina, system Of
gradual cman nation might have been safely adj
opted without any hazard to the security and inter-
rsts of the Common wealth. And I stil think tho
question of such cmanc pation in the farming states
is one whose solution depends upon the relative
numbers of the two rnces in any given State, If
had been cit zen Of the State Of Pennsylvania.
when Franklin's plan was adopted should have
voted for it because by no DO sibility could tho
black race ever acquire the asccndancy in that
State. But if I had been them or were now n cit
izcn of any of the planting States, tho Southern or
Southwestern States-I should have opposed and
wand continue tn .onnoec ,nv scIsn,o uL,to...
Of cm ,ncuation rraduL or immediate hecause IF
the danger of an ut innate ascendencv. of the black
rae, or of n civil contest which light terminate
in the extinction of one ra c or the other,
The p.oposi,ion in kentucky for a gradual cman.
cipation did not prevail but it was sustained nv n
large and respectable minority. That mino-i,v had
r crcnscd and was Increasing until the abolitionists
commenced their operations. The effect has been
to dssip7c all prospec;s whatever for the present.
of uny scheme Of gradual or Other eman cipation.-
T @ neop,e of tina, State have brcome shocked and
ala rmcd by these abol ton movements, and The
numb.r who would now favor a system even of
of gradual cmanci alton is probably less than II
was in Tho wears 1882 At the session of the
Legislature, held IN 1918 tho question OF calling
n convention was subm tied 10 tho consideration
of the neonlc by a Ia pissed in conformity with
the Consli ution of the State, Many motives OK.
sted for the passage of the law and a,nong them
That of emancipa,icn had its influence When the
question VA. passed spon bv the poplc at their
last animal election, only about one fourth of III.
wbo,c vo,crs or Tho State suppnr,cd a call nj n
convention. The opprer ension of the d,nger of
nh. l,;on was the leading consideration omono.t
The rcople for opposing the call But for that.
hu, for The agitation Of the Question of abolition in
III. States whose popua,ion had no r;ght. in tho
op;n;on ofthe p,op1e Of K.niucky. to into, fore IN
Tho matter the vote for n Conyention would hive.
heor nncb Iorgcr If il had not bccn c,rr;cd 7
fcl, myself constrained TO take Immediate h,d
md der;dcd ground ogoiust.i,
Prior IN The ,c;,n,ion Of this subject of oboj;,;or
,hcrc was nroprrssiv, Moderation in II cond;
t;cn oc slaves throughout all the slave statc. +,
some of them. schonls of instruction werc onanod
Inv humane and rel;o;ous ,crsons TLos. ~. III
nav cbochcd =. & = xnr;t If inxnborir, i,n h,,;n,.
shawn ;,sclf in some locn,;e. ,raccnhlo !, T. -,
Il; I'd g. hi;,;n ,,ovon,on,s 40 n,;. -
lor;.,,,;v, ou,Lor;tv h,s lonnd il cx,ed;on, ~ =,
80 cI ;or III, tho n,;,o ,nd law. ~,
roonl,,c Tho conduct IF The si,ves
And now NJ Prcs;1ont if il wcr. ,o.s;h,. =.
ovcrcomo the ;,surnountobc obs,ncl,s which lin
in tho w,v Of immediate obo,;on Ic, nc Lr;.av
cnn,emrn,c some of tho cams, ourrccs wh;c, x.nnJ
;nnv i,nhrv cn,uc. One Of ,,csc l,as brcn ,cc,s;o
,llv ,,nJ,, in i, ,,c nroorr.s of ,Leso ,.,,nsts
II ;s Tho s,ru,g]e which wouII ;rs,out,nao,.,v
arise b,,wrcn lilo two ruccs in m,s, oc ina .om,,
crn and southwestern states. And wha, n dead,
FIJI STRUGGLE won d it not bn. Embi,tcrcd Inv I'll
+ rccnlicctons Of The pas, by tho unconouor,,l.
n, o;ud;ccs which wound nrrvn;, lc,woon H., ,,..
r ,ccs and s,imun,cd hv nj the homes md G,,r. oe
IN. Cn,nre Il wouid he , comics, III witch, ,I'.
crm;nn,on or ,hc blacks or their oscend,,ow o,o.
ibr Wits won,d Jr Tho soc ,ltcrn,,,o D.; 30.