Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-11-20
From c. NJ. Clay's True American.
Plan Of Emancipation.

The plan of emancipation which We have pro-
posed is the most gradual possible.
To free all the slaves now living at once, the
West India experiment has proven to be both
safe aud economical. TO free all born hereafter
male and female, would seem to be gradual e.
nough. But that shareholders might have no
excuse, we have proposed to cmancipate only the
females born after a certain time, to be agreed
upon by a convention.
By this plan there would be no sudden break
ing in upon the habits of the present generation.
AT thirty years time after the young began to be
free, by providing a fund in the manner we pro-
posed IN the 18th No, Of this journal, to buy in
all that were offered voluntarily by masters to
the State for purchase, slavery could be cxtin-
guished in that period. For all those who did
not want to sell their slaves into perpetual slave
ny in the cotton or sugar regions, and who yet
did not feel able to Iiberate them here, would be
gratlhed in seeing them free in their native land,
and yet not be ruined by the sacrifice. Those
shareholders who did not want to sell to the
South, nor to liberate here, nor to take fair
equivalent from the State, but who would want
TO hold on to their slaves Just for the luxury of
aaving their fellow men in bondage, would soon
be compelled by public sentiment to yield them
up; for the difficulties Of keeping them, from a
combination Of causes, would far outweigh any
supposed advantage to be derived from their re-
tention.
Suppose now after the 4th day of July, in the
year lS47, all female slaves were to be free at
81 years Of age, what would be the effect!
Rather than be at the expense Of rearing and
educating them, the great mass Of masters would
move off, or sell their slaves into a climate more
congenial to the African than this, and thus re.
lieve our people from their imaginary difficulties
of a large free population, And philanthropy
would not be the loser. But all those who
were allowed to remain would be learned to read,
write and CIPHER, and taught some trade; and
Of course, be better citizens and safer far than
slaves. Thus far then would philanthropy be a
net gamer Of all the remaining 10000 blacks
at length changed from slaves to lreomen, or the
fractional part of the same, more c. less.
In thirty years more every one by the state
coming in as purchaser, would regard this as
virtually a free State, and make accounts accor-
dinghy. All men of the age of forty years, who
are too old easily to change their habits of life,
would have passed off the stage of life all men
under forty would be able to effect in thirty
years a revolution in their previous habits, and
the household and plantation economy, so as to
adopt them all agrceably, and without pecuniary
loss, to a state Of freedom. Immediately all dis
cussion Of the slave question would cease and
the councils of our state become moulded IN
unison with the interests and feelings cf the
great mass Of American reemcn.
All the slaves sold out Of the state would be
capital, ready TO be invested in manufactures,
which would invite as many laborers from the
North INTO this genial cline as we would re-
guire. Also in addition to this, there would be
poured into our state a great many men of cap
tltal who would come among us to enjoy our
pleasant climate, and get clear of the cold. and
long winters which now Cypress so much all tie
cultivators of the soil north of Mason's and Dix
on's line. Thus would the towns begging to grow
once more mercantile and all city employments
"look up y home markets be secured for the
productions of the soil and land rise in value,
till it would make many who are now living
"dogs" lives-the slaves Of slaves-independent
and easy in their circumstances The i~nvigora-
ted culture of land would call for more labor,
and all our %laboring whites find homes and en-
ployment-becoming in turn consumers Of the
produce ofthe towns. Education would become
practicable and universal; labour be scientific,
productive, and honorable, because fire.. Then
you'd there be 30 more fears of insurrection-
civil war and unknown disaster-each one could
SIT under his own vine and fig tree and there
you'd be none 70 make bin afraid