Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1839-03-07

ga telEd impediment 10 imnediale abolition is to be
vested " slave property. The total number OF slaves
~ TIE United States according 10 the last enuIera
teen ol the population. Was lutte upwards Ut two
miinns Assuming their iRcEe"se at ratio Nsschit
probably q. IT live per ccm per nlnun their present
number would be three millions. The average value
Ut slaves at this time is by persons well inform
ed, to tc Qs high as live hundred dollars each To be
certainly within the mark, let suppose that t is
~ four hundred G,dHTs. The Islal value, then, by
that estimate, Of the slave property in the United
States. Is twelve hundred millions IL dollars: This
prperty is dtfused Throughout Rll classes aud cOllji
iiOns ct society, IL ID owned by wduwsand orphans,
by the aged and iMtirM, we'll as by the sound Nnd
vigorous. 1t is the suljcct Ut mortgages, deeds ii
trust, and family settlements. II has been made the
basis Of numerous debs contracted It's faith, aud
is the sole reliance in many instances Of cFeditis
within and without the slave States l,R the payncMt
Of the debts, due totem. And ,.OW il is Eashly prOpv-
sed, by single 6at Of legislation, annihaic this
immense amount Of property To anMihiIaie it With
out indemnity aud without compensation to its own
eEs! Docs any cOnsdeTate man believe 1t possible TO
effect such an object without cOnVulsion revolution
and blO0llShed '7'@s'tt ;t5ts- tnH 49, It'd t.,g
IknOwIhere is visionary dogma which holds that
negro slaves cannot be the subject Of properly.
shall not dwell long with this speculative abstraction.
That 70 property which the law declares 70 Be proper
~. Two hundred years Of legislation have sanction.
the forms governments which have existed upon this
continent during long space ot tncundesth the Br-
fish GoverilMent-undcr the Colonial Government
under oil the State Constitutions and Governments aud
under the Federal Government itself-they have been
deliberately and soeMnly recognised as the legitimate
subjects Of property TO The wild specnations Of the.
orsts and lnnovators stands opposed the fact that in
an uninterrupted period OF two hundred years dura.
ton, under every form ofhuman legislation and by oil
the departments Of human government African negro
slaves have been eld aud respected; have descend
ed aud been transferred, as lawful and ndisputabe
property. They were treated as property in thevery
British example which ie go iriumphantly appealed to
9. worthy Ct our imitation Although the West In
the British Isles an irresistible sense OF ustc extor
Ions ct pounds sterling 70 compensate the colonss for
It, therefore, these ultra -abolitionise are seriously
determined to pursue their scheme OF immediate alb.
oton they SHOULD a. once set about raising fund Of
Of slave property And the taxes to raise that
enormous amount can only be Justly assessed upon
themselves OF upon the free States, i they can per-
would be mockery OF oil justice and an outrage
against OF equity any portion Of ne tax upon tho
saye states topay TOR their own property
yerted are not sufficient 70 dssnade the aboltoniss
from further perseverance, IN their designs the interest
o. re vcry cause winch tney process 70 espoase ought
etprts tha, cause they have thrown back tor half
century, me prospects, OF any species o. emancipation
q tse Acan race, eradnaaor immediate int 70 any OF
creased the Igors q Legislation against slaves in most
~! an, o. INC say? o .a rosy YEAR ago ne
aradnsi emancinatoH Of the In yes within s %'i,s
By gradual emancipation, mean that slow but safe
and cautious liberation OF slaves which was first adop
ted 10 Penns Yo ct the instance q nF Franklin
rn,;nn x he;nr rsr r ~ rsS;S - a. H.
offspring born after specified day were 10 be Tree at
the age Of twentyeighi and. IN the meantime, were
70 receive preparatory instructed TO iSiy them Tor
wh;eS a. he enoeh ~ Which sndo
was discussed in Kentucky. No one was rash enough
to propose or think OF immediate abolition No one
was rash enough 70 think Of throwing bose upon the
~ ves " ..s anu s9e nnsosOrea
them, that as each Of The slave ssates had rieSt ex
c!usivey tojudge for ssin respect to he institution
q domestic slavery he proportion Of sayes comPar
o~ 49, w. so !pr.1s ~ as o. !nai
emanciDation miaht have been safSly adon,ad .;,S!
out any hazard 70 the security and interests Of lie
Commonwealth. And sl think chat the question
hss soln,;on ma, es ~ raas S'a.es one
lie Two racss in INV civen State. II nd Man
citizen Of The State Of Pennsylvania, when Fmnkiins
plan was adopted should have voted for il, because
no coga the oRck Iacs eyer acq3rc he
were now csen ~ any ~ ,he nI"nt;nn " sss Un
the Southern or Southwestern Sta.es~i Should have
opposed and would. continue 70 oppose any scheme
wnatever o. emancipation. gradual or Immediate be.
bisc snc .e - ~ cwi ~ ,ass we
IN the extinction Of one nee or tha other :"
The proposition in Kentucky for a gradu. |
al emancipation did not prevail, but Il was |
sustained by O large and respectable minori. |
ty. That minority had increased, and was |
Increasing, until the abolitionists commenced |
their operations. The effect has been ia dis. |
sipate all prospects whatever, for the present. |
Of any scheme of gradual or other enamel.
patton. The people of that State have be. |
come shocked and alarmed by these aboli. |
ton movements, and the number who would |
now,favor q system even of gradual enamel.
nafion Ia y,rohahlv loss thosS Il 7,,,o. 4, A.
years l796 o. Al the session of the legisla. /
ture held in 1887 q, tho question of calling |
q convention was submitted TO the considern. /
tiOn of the PeoDle nv n lavv nassed In ,c|r