The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-03

70 GO an scrs. 1. was sold. frs ssra
ago, for s6 or 81 The people ase }noi
blind to these things. Nobody denies }thsi
slavery is OF the bottom Of the mischief bu'
all seem paIalized at the msgni,uds 9i7 the
evil. They hope that, under tie Operation
Of the causes have mentioned, tiss>Spntln
ual drain of the slave population t0Sihs
South, may, in the course Of forty OF h1ty
years, relieve them Of the incubus. But,
what process OF abolition! Cruel TO the
slaves, impoverishing to the State. While
this process shall continue, the soil will
grow loaner, the price Of land will dimin-
ish, emigration of the white population
will increase, 80 that this ancient and ven
cradle commonwealth, in many parts, will
be depopulated. |, is a most painful sub
ject
Could these cstimaiable people only over
come their prejudices, look ut the Princi-
PIE Of emancipation upon the soil in its
true light, and as illustrated by the working
Of the Free Labor system in the West In
dies, they would see, at once, the clew to
lead them out of all their difficulties. The
great mistake they now make is, in Judg-
ing of the effects Of emancipation, as the
settled policy Of the State, by It's effects in a
tew exceptional cases. A small number oil
slaves, from time to time. has been liberia
ted, the great mass still remaining IN bon,
dage. They are degraded, because nearly
all their brethren are still slaves; outcasts
because nobody cares for their welfare; idle
and thriftless because they can obtain nc
regular employment, there being almost al
ways an excess of slave labor; and because
while slave labor shall predominant, they
cannot expect greatly To better their condi
ton By any anaoum OF industry. They
are regarded with dislike and suspicion
because their presence aIe free association
with the slaves tend TO render the latter dis
contenied. In fact, the two classes inlurs
each other.
Now, il seems to us, tina: every rejecting
mind, if Invested of prejudice, must see tina
these evils prove nothing, except that TIVE
modes of labor, so directly and completely
antagonistic as free and STARE loboT, cd1s
not co-eria. Where free lobor is the gen
eral system, slave labor cannot prevail
may exist for time, but it must soon be-
come extinct. Where slave labor is III,
system, free white labor is expelled or nc
PEELED, and free black labor debased 10 TN
point OF utter worthlcssncss. There is III
alternative. all the slares must be free, OF
all shares.
Suppose, then. the public sentiment o
Virginia 10 be 50 changed that, by an act o
the requisite power, all the slaves OF TN
State Were to be made free at once. Set
the operation OF the new order of things
Labor would be elevated 10 rank o.
comparative responsibility, and 50 cease Il
BE- repulsive As all would be free, al
would have one interest; there would be NJ
slave population 10 be rendered disconten
ted by the presence Of a small class OF de
graded ireemen; they would all have equa
chances for employment. there being nj
longer any competition between free anl
slave labor rs all would I've free, ever
one would be thrown upon his own resour
ces, be compelled by his necessities TO la
Dor, and at the same time have an ADDITION
al motive to industry, in the fact, that i
held out certain prospect OF greatly be,
tering his condition. Nor, it is the inter
est OF the State that the whole black popu
lalion should be kept in ignorance. Then
il would be- no less its interest that al
should he educated, for, while no harm
would result from their enlightenment, i
is easy 10 see how their efficiency as produ
GERS, and good habits generally. would b,
increased by their intelligence. The maI
who now mas half dozen families o
slaves, furnishing fifteen or twenty hands tc
do the work of limited plantation, anc
fifteen or twenty more nOn-workers, 10 con
sumo large potion of the fruits of thei
slovenly hus5andry, would then be relieved
OF wasting burden, and by the hired la
Dor OF eight oI ten of the freedmen secure ;
large portion of the ftuils OF his land 10
himself while the rest of his old force would
either find employment with the emigrant
whom the great change would attract to III,
State, or become themselves the principa
cultivators Of the land that slavery ha.
| thrown out To waste.
But why speculate on this subject wher
the experiment Of West India emancipation
has thrown flood Of hsh, upon it! !,
commission of enlightened men of Virgin
ia who should proceed to the British Yves
Indies, make full examination OF tn,
operation and results Of emancipation there
and then lay the facts before people of thi
State, would rank among the greatest o
public bcneiactors. G.. b.
| Glesnings.
STONY CREEK, SrssEx Co., Va.
| June :. 1917.
H. D. W -. i -