The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-13

ed j.. With these admissions and these facts
staring ns in The face. Why Is this moyemen,
made Sir, there are three classes uf nersons
concerned in IT,
First. The mere Politician. WIN is ac,na,ei by
the hope that. by panderag Ia The pr,judces of a
portion ct the people Of the non. slav choiJinv
States, he can reap an immediate party advan
tage.
Second. Those who look little further ahead
and seek To retard, If they cann0t prevent, the
admission of new slave States, and 10 stimulate
The formation of new non -slaveho!ding States
with view OF throwing the control of the gov.
eminent entirely into their hands.
Third. The abolition fanatic.
The first Of these have seen the power which
the aboltionists WELD in the elections and to con
ciliate their support for mere party advantage.
they are willing TO trample upon the constitution
and disturb our peace
The second avow that their object is political
power. Their calculation is that if they prohibi,
slavery IN all the territories. the growth of such
as are fitted 10 slave labor will he retarded, and
tina, OF such as are not fitted to slave labor would
he propor,ionally stimulated. The result of which
would be. non siavehudng States. would came
into the Union. so much faster than slave States.
that In short time the government would
be In the undispnted possession of nun slavehold
ing States. The gentleman from New York.
MIR. Ra,hbnn. had the candot to declare that
sympathy for the negro had nothing 10 do with
his conduct aud that if we wond consent so to
amend the constitution as to abolish slave repre-
senaton, he would not care how many slave ter
rltories we might erect, or how much slavery was
extended. His object was. as he avowed, to
throw the power of the government into the M nds
of the non slaveholding States. And why did he
desire TO do this Because he though, il would
be in hands that would guide our destiny more
sneces>fnIIy2 Oh! no. But tina, the north
might dispense and enjoy the offices--,he patron
age of the government
The third class is the abolition fanatics who are
bent upon the abolition of slavery at every hazard
and by any means, even by deluging the south
with blood. But, as these people deny The right
OF Congress tn emancpate the slaves in The States
1t may be asked. what have they to gain by the
agitation of the subject Of slavery here? Their
own reports answer this question | quote from
the annual report of the New York abolition so
ciety for 1888. Similar sentiments pervade all
OF their publications. The report goes on To argue
that the value of the slave to his master is the
great obstacle 10 abolition. Destroy their value,
they say. and you dispose the south to abolition
They propose many modes Of diminishing the
value Of slaves. But dismiss minor prints. and
come at once to the main one. The discussion of
the SUBJECT Of abolition at the north, and in Con
gress, they say. will decrease the value of slaves,
by
1.-The interest which they themselves - in take
in the discussion. In spite of all precautions. the
slaves will become acquainted with what so deep
ly interests them and far as they do, self res
pect will be regenerated An excellent and prof
table sentiment for free tdborer. but ruinous 10
| the slare. 1t was the testimony of the planters
before The British Parliament that their slaves he
came acquainted with all that passed in respect
| to them In The mother country, and were thereby
| tnn oil Cd In III
slavish obedience"
The knowledge Of The slave, that portion of
the whites are exertine themselves for his eman-
cipaion, upon the ground that he is illegally held
IN bondage, will make him, they say, impatient
in his servitude. Ii will make him sullen and
moody. Ii will incite him to indulge dreams of
freedom in another land which he can never en-
| joy in his own. He will be reduced 10 condi.
ton in which his master cannot rely upon his Ia
Dor. He will be disposed to run away; and at a
time when his services can be least spared The
master will be subjected 10 constant and heavy
expense to reca pture him. He will thus become
to the owner a source Of vexaion rather than
profit To establish these facts there is copied in
the report the following extract Of letter from
| a man at the south 10 whose sister gentleman
OF New York had sent two abolition pamphlets ::
F" DO you remember the two books you sent out
to my sister by me? My two black boys, VIII
liam and Jim, who lived better and easier Than
did. read them. and in consequence ran off, and
after eleven days riding. and S267 cost. | 90,
them, and now their place is wretched by their
own conduct, as | sold them at loss Of 5000 10
a trader" The report then goes on to urge that
to increase the desire and disposition of the sla ve
to ron away To the greatest possible pitch, it is
necessary that the northern States should adop,
such a course Of policy TO render his recapiure
impossible after he had escaped there. The effect
which such course of policy would produce. in
decreasing the value Of slaves, is then infinitely
eXemphed The report then urges upon the
northern States to pass laws, providing such a
mode Of trial in the OF fugitives from labor as
will enable them TO raise the question Of the le-
gality Of The bondage in which he is held
! These are the objects which the abolitionisis
| have in view in their ordinary movements here
hat this proviso is advocated by them in the hope
that they may be able to form a GORDON of free
States entirely around us. In which, in the Ian
guage Of the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Della
no.. The fires of liberty are 10 be lit up, and, by
them. the south consumed.
| These the objects Of the prime movers in
this matter; and now | put it TO the country. are
they proper-are they humane-are the,
hropic-are they palrioiic2
| know the first and last Of these ella
tend to be governed by motives of hum;
philanthropy. desire to expuse the he
Of this pretence. Now the first test [ ha ..
| ply is this--it is test which every ma
country can apply for himself, and will
Iu:-Can you, sir. or any man in this |
elsewhere, point to single individual, Prominent
IN these proceedings, and who has common under
standing, whose conduct on other occasions is re
markable for humanity and philanthropy | ask
for but One-cannut ore be named No, sill; il
| IS impossible. No man who has The heart of the
Phllanlhropist, and the intelligence TO understand
The consequences Of his conduct, could engage in
them. II we have intelligence, he must want
humanity. For no one who has ordinary inteIli