Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-05-25


proportion of population as in the Connec
ticut State Prison, am much mistaken.
Now, | will take the Penitentiary o
Louisiana, which State contains the larg
est slave population, in proportion to The
whites, of any in the Union. During &
period OF five years the white convicts il
this prison, have averaged from 1870 &c
200; while the black convcts during the
same time, nc, er exceeded IN any one
year fifteen. In this State, the coloreo
population exceeds that oil the whites.
So OF the other Southern State Prisons.
Mr.. Calhoun's letter 10 Sir Richard
Packenham, has been greatly misunder.
stood, and III many cases willuIly misrep.
resented. That letter was provoked by
the plausible, dlsingenuous despatch oil
Lord Aberdeen, which he directed Sir
Richard to read to the American Secre-
tary of State, as kind Of creed, or homily
OF the British Government on the institu.
ton Of slavery, which was full of sounding
PhiIan hroPy, and empty professions Of
indifference towards Mexico and Texas
and yet, in tue same letter, he acknow.
lodges that England had tempered with
Mexico, in an attempt to prevail upon her
to recognize the independence of Texas,
provided the latter would agree to abolish
And, says Lord Brougham, if
we Con- abolish slavery in Texas, we shall
strike a fatal bog to the prosperity Of
one half of the Union. And he might
have added, by thus demoishlng the COM
petition of slave labor in America, our
East aud West India colonial labor will be
able to supply the markets now supplied
by slave States, with cotton, sugar, and
rice.
Lord Aberdeen, therefore, faithful 10
this dlsinteresled and purely phlIanthropic
object, in this famous letter tells Sir Rich
ard to say to the American Government,
that "Englaud does not intend to Gesist
from her efforts TO abolish slavery through
out the world" | use the precise words
Of his Loriship. The United States,
believe, are in the world His Lordship
mas therefore, in effect, declared il to be
The settled purpose of England to use her
"etfor!e" to abolish slavery in the United
States.
Efforts" mean more than a wish or a
leslre to see slavery abolist ed "throughout
he world" efforts" denote and com.
orehend active physical exertion. They
nay be vessels OF war fleets, and armies,
Win all the other means and munitions OF
lcuVe and desolaling warfare. 1t was
'uch a bold. threatening, and dIctatorial
that it induced Mr.. Cal.
loun to hurl it back with the contempt it
nerited. lie showed by short Statement,
If facts that the condition of slavery in
he United States, was not one of such
extreme misery, when compared with her
'wn white factory slaves, as 10 Is,ify En-
gland, Oh the sole ground Of philanthropy
n declaring her determination to use her
efforts" Ia abolish it. That, while we
lad no desire 10 propagate slavery in Bri-
ish domlnions, or intermeddle with Eng
ish affairs anywhere within her leg tim,ie
iomlnions, ana were opposed to the fur,h.
or Introduction of African slaves from
Africa, yet we found ourselves in posses.
sion Of slavery, which was en,ailed upon
Is BY England herself, and that as we have
been acknowledged by her TO be free,
sovereign, and independent States, we
claim and shall exercise the right to man.
lge this business exclusively within our.
selves. The institution has descended TO
our custody without our seeking, and even
against the remonSlrances of our colonial
oretIthers, and we shall now manage it |
Is may best comport with our experience |
md views OF the Case, as We think may |
pest promote the peace and happiness of
both blacks and whites. One thing is Ger.
am, he the institution good or bad, under
10 preteXt Whatever, will we permit for
ign State to use her "edorts" directly or
to overthrow It.
When the character of Lord Aberdeen's
etter is maIureiy considered, Mr.. Cal
oun's letter will appear perfectly justifi-
bic. lie only attempts in short argu.
lent to show his Lordship, that were phi.
towards the blacks the sole foun.
alton OF his declared will to intermeddle,
nd were his announced ''efforts TO be
rowned with success, the result 10 the
egroes themselves, in thus suddenly
hanging their ancient condition in such
reat numbers, would prove in the highest
egree disastrous, and convert even we'll
attended philanthropy for the negroes, in.
} their heaviest and most exterminating
lrse.
As respects the Texas treaty, | will
enture to say better, or more advanta-
eous treaty can never be made. Its
royisions are all liberal, clear, brie!, and
recise. If we were to wait century, a
otter treaty could never be formed.
Yours very respectfully,
A. u.