Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-10-16
r.. For the Gazeae.) :
EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES.

they aret sought TO be affected by the
movements of the abolitionists, | shall not
attempt 10 argue the question Of our right
TO hold slaves. TO dispute Oh such q point,
would be as ridiculous as to adduce proof
that the sun shines at MONDAY. We have
slaves-we have acquired them in the same
manner and by the sameaneans by which
we hold any thing else that we style ours.
Property being the creature Of the law, a
slave like every other thing, is regulated
and governed by special rules, adapted to
its nature and the purposes for which it Is
held. My present object is 10 draw the
attention Of the law-maklng power to Our
Black Code," and particularly to the
existing provisions to be found in our sta
tute book, on the subject of the en1a ncipa-
ton OF slaves. There seems to exist an
apathy in the community on all matters
relative to the police of our slaves, truly
astonishing. The writer would respect,
fully ask his fellow citizens, is it wise or
prudent legislation, to enable the owners Of
slaves, TO ~emancipate them, al libuum,
when they arrive to the age of thirty years
and turn them loose On society under an
obligation, which in practice, must in many
instances be vain and nugatory, that OF
nourishing andlnaintaing them, when they
shall be In want, from certain specified
causes? Are the laws Of our State on this
subject such as from a proper regard for
the welfare of the slave and his owner,
ought to exist Has it not become noto-
rious that in c ses where the slave is not
thirty gears Of age, the police jury almost
invariably yields to the wishes of the mas
ter, and enables him by their consent, to
grant the emancipation Where is this
partial abolition OF slavery to stop, and
what are the consequences likely to fol-
low if the law is not speedily repealed =
1t Is by comparison the slave becomes dis
satisfied with his condition, and the nearer
this is brought hone to him, the more will
the mischief be increased. However
peflccabie our free colored population may
be, they are always a subject of COMPARE
son for the slave, present before his eyes
at all times and although the condition
Of the last, in point Of comfort, is far pre-
ferable, yet the fact that the former is the
master Of his own actions, is sufficient OF
itself to breed discomfort in. the breast Of
the latter. We find the same comparison
going on amongst the free, giving rise to
the feelings of jealousy and hatred between
the rlch and the poor, and where the laws
impose restraints on the latter, frequently
occasioning bloodshed and revolution. Do
We suppose that in our slaves the order of
nature is reyerSad--that they cannot COM
pare their condition with the enancipated,
whoy but the other day, like themselves,
were forced to obey the bchests Of a do
mest;c sovereign? The condition of this
class makes il impossible for them to draw
the proper line of distinction between them
selves and their emancipated fellows-they
believe that their condition is worse now
than it was before, by the comparison
which they are enabled to make.
The evil is one that cries aloud for
amendment. A master may at present
turn loose on his n~eighbors, by testament
or donation, a host Of itliterate and de-
fenceIess beings, TO pray upon the COM
munity. As al evidence that this is rot
a fancy sketch, we have only to recur to
the testament CT cur late highly venerated
and respectable fellow citizen, Julien Poy-
dras, and the Interpretation which our Su-
premc Court has given TO the provision
made by him for the freedom of his nu-
merous slaves. Where is the citizen Of
Louisiana that would consent to place his
slave In the immediate neighborhood of
n Of those plantations on which the
blacks after Il certain age q refuse to
perform labor, and yet can demand sup
port ard assistance from the owner Of the
plantation 10 which they are attached. Ii
is useless to disguise the question-we
must either change Our legislation, or
sooner or later reap the bitter fruits of a
weak and miserable police that has neither
justice or reason for its support.
Emancipation as it now exists, has not
even the pIs,a Of good feeling or humani-
ty on its SIDE, for, from the very nature
Of things ami the constitution of society,
YOU caanot make the enfranchised partake
of the liberty which you pretend togive.
You do the slave a serious injury in de-
him OF a master, who, when age
and sickness oyertake him, is bound to
provide for his necessities, and in his stead
you substitute the vain phantom Of a liber-
ty which by 70 possible contingency he
can ever enjoy. Let US then ADOPT the law
Georgia mi this sub ect--tgranting
emancipation only by d solemn act Of The
legislature; and let us at the same time
provide for the removal OF the enfrarchised
to Africa, and let it never be granted ex-
cept for important services to the State, or
in the preservation Of the life Of the master.
BY this means, you will cut off all induce
ment on the part Of the slave to make Use
Of undue and Improper means to obtain
act of emancipation from his master,
and prevent the wicked and designing
enemies of the latter from depriving him
IF bis property. You will teach the aboli-
that in proportion as they urge
heir mad and silly plans against the pro-
oerty and institutions OF the South, will
hey be met by a legislation forever blast
ng all their vain hopes and expectations.
These remarks, Mr. Editor, ale not
brown out from Il disposition on the part
# the author to carp and find fault, but,
f possible, to direct the attention Of the
public to what he humhly conceives to
u a great evil, and one that only re-
to be examined in order TO be
corrected.
A SUBSCRIBER.
The New York American, says of the
Commercial Bank Of New York; recently
nloined by the Bank Commissioners Of
be s;ate:-"'Ihis Institution, like many
iLors.-i 2. knla.al $3.50 49,. a..nulal L.