The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-11-13
a COLONiZATIoNIsT.
ADDRESS.

To The people of West Virginia; hocin.
that Slavery is injurious to the publ
relfare, aud that IL may Be gradual,
abolished. without detriment 10 the riglt.
and interests Of shareholders; by HrNR,
RurrSER. ID. d.. Of Lexington, Va.
We avow the principle, Dat every State
and every great division ofsa State, ought,
in domestic matter OF such Importance, to
Judge and act for itself. We diclaim all
intention to interfere with slavery in East
Virginia. We leave it TO our brethren
there, to choose for themselves, whether they
will let the institution remain u it is, or
whether they will modify it or abolish il, in
one way or in another. Their ilave popu-
lation is relatively eight times rs large as
ours. The same remedy may not be ex-
pedient in such different stages Of disease.
All that we ask Of our Eastern brethren, in
regard to this matter, is, that if West vir-
ginia shall call for law to remove slavery
from her side of the Blue Ridge, East Vir-
GINA shall not refuse her consent, because
the measures may not be palatable to her.
self.
Heretofore no such scheme for West Viz.
ginia only has been proposed among us !;
and no State has abolished slavery in one
part Of her territory and retained it in anoth.
er. For this reason some persons my al
first thought consider such scheme q un-
feasible. A State composed partly of free,
and partially Of slaveholding territory may
seem to present political incongruity, and
to be incapable Of conducting its public az
fairs hamoniously. To relieve the minds
Of those who may feel apprehensbns Of
this sort, We offer the following suggestions.
/. Free States and slaveholding States
have. during So years, lived peaceasly and
prosperously under one Federal govern
ment. Sectional jealousies and occasional
jars have occurred, but without evil conse-
quence.
2. Nothing in the nature Of the case
need create difficulty, except the flaming Of
laws that may affect the rights and interests
of SHAREHOLDERS. But an amendnrnt of the
constitution could easily provide or the Sc
curly of shareholders in East Virginia
against all unjust legislation, arbing from
the power or the anti-slavery principles OF
the West.
3. After such an emancipation law as
we propose, should be passed for West Vir-
GINA, no immediate change would take
place in the institution Of slavery among us
except that masters would probably choose
to emancipate or remove from the State, a
larger number of slaves than herdofore.--
As only the next generation Of negroes
would be entitled to emancipation. the law
would not begin its practical operation foT
n years al least, and then it would operate
gradually for 80 or 40 years lorger, before
slavery would be extnguished il West Vir-
ginia. So that for many years the actual
slave interest among us would mt be great
ly diminished.
4. There is, and long has hnen, in diff,
ierent parts Of Virginia, every dgrse Of diff
ference, from the least TO the greatest, be.
tween the slaveholding and no,-slavehold
ing interests Of the people. lnsome parts,
the slaves are two or three times as numer.
GUS as the whites, and the slavholding in.
terest overrules and absorbs every thing
In other parts, not one man in a hundred
owns slave. and the slaveholdng interest
is virtually nothing. In West Virginia a
large, the slaves being only oneeishth o.
the population, and the slaveholdng popu
lation less than one-eighth Of the whites
the free interests predominates nearly a.
much as the slave interest predomnates il
East Virginia; so that we have in pactica
operation, if not in perfection, that Politica
incongruity Of slave interest and free inter
est, which is feared as a consequence OF tn
measure that We propose.
5. BY allowing West Virginia her jus
share Of representation, and, if she call 70
, it, law for the removal Of slavery, Eas
Virginia will do more to harmonic tn
; feelings Of the State, than she ever has done
: or can do by continued refusal. Yves
Virginia being then secured in her essentia
rights and interests, will not desire sepa
ration, nor be disposed to disturb the hal
mony OF the Commonwealth. So far fror
aiding the designs Of the abolitionists etf
er in Congress or in our Legislature, bot
her feelings and her interests will max
her more than ever hostile 10 that pernicior
sect.
/, 6. If East Virginia apprehend, that tn
delegates from the free counties would ofte
: speak more freely about slavery matter
than she would like to hear in her centr,
: city Of Richmond; let her agree to reno,
= the seat Of government to Stanton, net
q the centre Of our territory and Of our viii
population, and she will be free from a
annoyance OF this sort. West Virgin
would then appear no more like reno
J. province Of East Virginia, and be no lon
er subject to the disadvantage Of having q
s measures affecting her interest, acted uPc
: by Legislature celebrating in the heart
East Virginia, and exposed to the poweri
Z. influence Of a city and a people, who
d bland manners and engaging hospitalitit
y are enough to turn both the hearts and d
3 heads OF us rough mountaineers, whether ,
N he Legislators or not.
re Having thus removed some grounds
nlisapprehension and prejudice respecti
our views, we shall now proceed, lello
citizens, to lay before you some facts a
arguments, which prove the expediency
st abolishing slavery in West Virginia, by
p gradual process, that shall not cause any
or convenience either to society in general,
ng to shareholders in particular.
IN We use no theoretical or abstract or
We ments. We ground our conclusions up
he facts and experience. Though the hist
his Of other ages and countries would furnish
nd with useful illustrations, we have not 70