Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-02-22
contest which might terminate in the ex. !

contest Whlch might terminate IN Inc ex.
tincton Of one race or the olher.
The proposition in Kentucky for grad
ual emancipation did not prevail; but i,
was sustained by largo and respectable
minority. That minority had Increased.
aud was increasing, Until the aboli,ionis,s
commenced their operations. The effect
has been to disspa,e oil prospects wha,ev
er, for the present, OF ANY scheme Of grad
ual or other emancipation. The People of
that State have become shocked aud
alarmed by these abolition mo vcmcn;s, and
the number who would now favor q system
even of gradual emancipation, is probably
less than it was 10 the years 1899. AT
the session oftae Legislature held in 1897
aud '38 the Question of calling convention
was submitted 10 the consideration Of the
People ~ law passed in conformity with
the Constitution Of the State. Many mo.
tives existed for The passage of the law,
apd among them that of emancipation bad
its Influence. When the question was
passed upon by the People at their last an.
nua election, only about one fourth of the
whole voters of the State supported call
of convention. The apprehension oil
the danger of abolition was tie leading con.
slderatlon amongst the People for opposing
he call. But for that, but for the ngta.
ton Of the question Of abolition in State:
whose population bad no right, in the opin.
ion ofthe People of Ken'ucky,,o interfere II
the matter, the vote for convention woult
have been much larger, if it had not beer
carried. | felt myself constrained TO take
immediate, bold, and decided grount
against il.
Prior to the agitation of this subject o
abolition. there was progressive me'iora'
ion in the condition of slaves throughout
all the slave States. in soma OF them
schools o. instruction were opened by hn
name and religious persons. These are al
now checked and spirit Characterization
having shown itself in some localities
,raceablc, it is believed, to abolition move
menfs and exer,ions, the egisalive author
'y has found it cXpedient to muse tresf
vigor into he police, and laws which reg
ula'e the conduct Of the slaves.
And now, Mr.. President. if it were pos
siblc to overcome the insurmoun'ab'e OBJ
slaces which lie in the way Of immediate
abolition, let us briefly contemplate some
OF the consequences which would inevIta
bly, ensue. One of these has been occa.
slonally alluded to in The progress Of these
remarks. 1t is the struggle which would
simultaneously arise between the two
races IN most of the Southern and South
western States. And what dreadful
struggle would it not be? Emblt,ered by
all the recolleclions Of the pusl, by the
nnconquerable preJudices which would
prevail between the two races, and stimu-
lated by all the hopes and fears of the iu.
ture, 1t would be contest in which the eX.
termination of the blacks, or their ascen.
dancy over the whites, would be the sole
alternative. Prior to the conclusion, or
during the progress of such contest, vast
numbers. probably, Of the black race would
migrate into the free States; and what
effect would such migration have upon
the laboring classes in those States!
Now the distribution Of labor in the Uni
ted States is geographical; the free labor.
ers occupying one side oftbe line, and the
slave lsborers the other; each class pursu.
ing its own avocations almost altogether
unmxeG with the other. But, on the
superstition OF immediate abolition. the black
class, migrating into The free States, would
enter into competition with the white class.
diminishing the wages of their labor. and
augmenting the bardships of their cond
ton.
This is not all. The abolitionis's sfrenu
ously oppose al! separation oflhe two races
confess to you, sir, that have seen with
regret, grief, and ns'onisbmeut, their reso>
lutte opposition to the PROJECT Of colonlza-
lion. No scheme was ever presented to
the acceptance of man, which, whether it
be entirely practicable or not is character
lied by more unmlxed humanity and benev-
olence than that Of transporting, with their
own consent, the free people Of color in the
United States to the lond of their ancestors
II has the powerful recommendation that
whatever it does is good; and lit effects
nothing, it inf1cts no one evil or mischief
upon any portion of our society. There is
no necessary hostility between the objects
OF colonization and abolition. Colonization
deals only with the free man of color, and
that with his own free voluntary consent
1t has nothing to do with slavery. 1t dis.
tnrbs no mans property, seeks to impair no
poWNi w VIZ eluSc C'ulcs, VOT W ullTlUnIe
any to the General Government. All its
action and all its ways and means are vol.
nn'ary, depending upon the blessing of
Providence, which hitherto has graclousv
smiled upon it. And yet. beneficen, and
harmless as colonization is, no portion o.
the People of the United States denounccs
it with so much persevering zeal and such
unmlXed bitterness as do the abolltjonIsts
They put themselves IN direct opposition
to any separation whatever between the
two races. They would keep them forever
ben, up together within tho same lim's,
perpe,ua'ng their animo-itcsa and constant
~ endangerlng the peace Of the community.
They proclaim, indeed, that color is no,h-
ing; that the organic and characteristic
differences between the two races ought to
be entirely overlooked and disregared.--
And, elrVatinr Themselves IN n suhlime hut