The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-11-26

be inevitable, and, after shocking scenes OF
raplne aud carnage, the extinction or ex-
pnlsion oi The blacks would certainly take
place. Ia the State OF Kentucky, near fE.
y years ago. thought the proportion OF
slaves, In comnarson with the whites, was
so lnconslderable that We might safely adopt
system Of gradual emancipation thar
would ultimately eradicate this evil in our.
State. That system was totally diferenp
from the immediate abolition ofslayery for
which the party of the Aboliiionists Of the.
present day contend Whether thew lave
intended il or moi, il is my calm and deli
berate belief, that they have done incalcuI-
able mischief even to the very cause Ghica
they have espouscd, to say nothing of the
discord which-has been produced between
different parts OF the Union. According to
the system, we attempted, near the close Of
the last century. all slaves in being were to
remain such, but. all who might be born
subsequent to specified day, were to be.
come free at The age Of twenty-cight, and
during their service, we're to be taught TO
read, write and cypher. Thus, instead Of
being thrown upon the community, igno-
rant and unprepared, as would be the case
by immediate emancipation, they would
nave entered upon the possession of their
freedom, capable, in some degree, Of en-
Joylng 1t. After a hard struggle, the sys-
tenn was defeated, and ! regret it extreme
ly, as, if it had been then adopted, our State
would be now nereay rid OF that reproach.
Since that epoch, scheme OF nnmixed
benevolence has sprung up, which, lift had
existed at that time, would have obviated
one Of the greatest objections, which was
made TO gradual emancipation, which was
the continuance Of the emancipated slaves
to abide among us. That scheme is the
American Colonization Society. About
twenty-eight years ago, few individuals,
myself among them, met together in the city
OF Washington, and laid the foundations OF
that society. II has gone on. amidst extra.
ordinary difficulties and trials, sustaining
ltselfalmost entirely, by spontaneous and
voluntary contributions, from individual
beneyoence, WITHOUT scarcely any aid from
Government. The Colonies, planted undor
Its auspices, are now well established com.
munilies, with churches, schools and other
institutions appertaining to the civilized
state. They have made successful war in
repelling attacks and invasions by their
barbarous and savage neighbors. They
have made treaties, annexed territories 10
their dominion, aud are blessed with free
representative Government. recently
read message, from one oftheir Governors
to their Legislature, which, in point Of com.
position, aud in careful attentlonto the pub
lie affairs Of that Republic, would compare
advantageously with the messages of the
Governors Of our own States. am not yery
snPersii;ious, but do solmuly believe that
those Colonies are blest with the smiles of
Providence, and, If we may dare attempt
penetrating the veil, by which He eonccals
his allwise dispensatitions from mortul eyes,
that he designs that Africa shall be the re-
fuge and the home of the descendants ofits
sons and daughters. torn and dragged from
their native land, by lawless violence.
lisa philanlhropictconsoing reflection
that the moral and physical condition os the
African race in the United States, even in
State Of slavery, is far better than il would
have been iftheir ancestors had never been
brought from their native land. And il il
should be the decree ofth Great Ruler of
the Universe that their descendants shall bs
made instruments in His hands in the es.
tablshmenl ofCivilzaiion and the Christian
Religion throughout Africa, our regrets, ON
account ofthc original wrong, will be great-
ly mitigated.
IL may be argued that, in admitting the
injustice of slavery, admit the necessity
OF an instantaneous reparatOn of that iu-
justice. Unfortunately, however, it is not
always safe, practicable or possible, in the
great movements of States and public af.
lairs Of nations, to remedy or repair the in
Fiction Of previous injustice. In the in
ception Of It, we may oppose and denounce
II, by our most strenuous exertions, but, az
ter it's contamination, there is often no other
alternative left us but to deplore it's perpo-
trallon, and to acquesce as the only alter
native, in its existance, as less evil than
the lrIghtful consequences which might en-
sue from the vain endeavor to repair it,
Slavery is one Of those unfortunate instan.
ces The evil oft was inflicted upon US,
by the parent country of Great Britsin, a.
gainst all tho entrcaties and remonstrances
ofthe Colonies. And here it is amongst
and amidst us, and we must dispose Of Il,
as best we can under all the circumstances
which surround us. 1t continued, by the
importation of slaves from Africa, in spite
of Colonial resistance, for period Of more
than century and half, and it may re-
qnre an equal or longer lapse oftime be-
fore our country is entirely rid ofthe evil.
And, in the meantime, moderation, pru-
dence and discretion among ourselves, and
the blessings of Providence may be all
necessary TO accomplish our ultimate deliv-
erance from it. Examples Of similar infic.
lions oil lrreparaOle national evil and injus-
tlce might be multiplied to an indefinite ex-
tent. The case of the annexation of Tex
as TO the Uni,ed States is recent and an
obvious one whore, if il were wrong, 1t can
not now be repaired. Texasis now an in
tegral part oil our Union, with its own vol
untary consent Many of us opposed tho
annexation with honest zeal and most earn
est exeriions. But who would now think
of perpctrating the folly Of casting Texas
out uf the c0nfederacy and throwing her
back upon her own independence, or into
the arms Of Mexico! Who would now seek
to divorce her from the Unonf The Creeks
aud the Cherokee Indians werc, by the
most exceptionabe means, driven from their
country, and transported beyond the Mis-
sissippi river, Their lands have been fair
y purchased and occupied by inhabit-
ants Of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and
Tennessee, Who would now conceive the
aagrant injustice of expelling those inhabi-
lants and restoring the Indian country to
he Cherokees and the Creeks, under color
ofrepairing original injustice. During the