Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-05-10

any contripance ef 6ts] nine: and I
ceriainly ns 6eld for
iiI 4 = Ec1d d a. 81 /
ason,sasatso,t. MOI, then, being d
candidate, and seeing no near prospect .efl
being made one, ! ought, peshaps, to de-
cline troubling you or others With my hum
Bile opinions on great principles of State
rights and federal administration; but as
cannot plead ignorance Of the partiality Of
a Few friends, in several parts of the Union,
who may, by possibility, in certain event.
succeed in bringing me within the field
from which a Whig candidate is to be se-
lected, lprefer to err on the side Of frank.
ness and candor, rather than by silence, to
allow any stranger unwi!ting!y to commit
himself TO my support.
Your enquiries open the whole question
of domestic slavery, which has, in different
forms. for number of years, agilated Con-
gress and the country.
Promising that you are the first person
who has interrogated me on the subject, II
give-you the basis of what scould be my
reply,sin greater detail, if time allowed and
the contingency alluded TO above were less
remote.
In boyhood, at William and Mary Col
lege, and in common with most, if not all,
my companions, became deeply impress.
ed with the views given by Mr.. Jefferson
in his sNotes on Virginia." and by Judge
Tucker in the Appendix to his edition of
Blackstone's Commentaries, in favor of q
gradual emancipation Of slaves. The ap-
pendix have not seen in thirty odd wears,
and, in the same period, have read scarce
ly anything on the subject; but my early
impressions are fresh and unchanged.
Hence, if had had the honor OF a seat in
I the Virginia Legislature in the winter Of
1872, when bill was brought forward
to carry out those views, should certainly
have given it my hearty support.
/ suppose that scarcely need say that,
in my opinion, Congress has no color of
authority, under the Constitution, for touch.
ing the relation Of master and slave within
State.
| hold The opposite opinion in respect TO
the District of Columbia. Here, with the
consent Of the owners, or on the payment
of 'just compensation, Congress may leg.
islate at its discretion. But my conviction
is equally strong, thai, unless it be step by
step with the Legislatures of Virginia and
Maryland, it would be dangerous to both
races in those States to touch the relation
between master and slave in this District.
have from the first been of opinion that
Congress was bound,by the Constitution to
receive, TO refer, and to report upon peti.
tons relating to domestic slavery as in the
case of all other petitions; butt have not
failed to see and to regret the unavoidable
irritation which the former have produced
/ in the Southern States, with the consequent
peril to the two colors, whereby the adop.
ton of any plan Of emancipation has every
/ where among US been greatly retarded ~
own, myself, no slave; but never have
attached blame to masters for not liberating
their slaves-well knowing that Liberation,
without the means Of sending them in COM
fort to some position favorable to the spur.
SUIT of happiness would in most cases be
highly injurious to all around, as well as to
4 the mannmitted families thenselves-un-
less the operation were general and under
the auspices Of prudent legislation. But |
am persuaded that it is a high moral obi.
CATION of masters and slaveholding States
to employ all means, not incompatible with
II 81
!. cry even to extermination. :.
1t is gratifying to know that general me-
Iteration has been great, and is still pro-
Egressing, Notwithstanding The disturbing
causes alluded to above. The more direct
process OF emancipation may, no doubt, be
earlier commenced and quickened in some
communities than in others. Each, | do
not question, has the rightto Judge for it.
self, both as to time and means, and con-
slider interference or aid without, except on
invitation from authority within, TO be as
hurtful to the sure progress Of melioration,
as it MAY be fatal to the lives Of vast null.
titudes Of, all ages, sexes and colors. The
work Elaboration cannot be- forced without
such horrid results. Christian Philanthro.
py is ever mild and considefate. Hence
all violence ought to be deprecated by the
friends Of religion and humanity. Their
1persuasions cannot fail at the right time TO
free the master from the slave, and the
slave from the master perhaps be-
fore the latter shall have found out and ac.
knowledged that the relation between the
parties had long been mutually breiudicial
to their worldly interests.
4 There is no evil without, in the order Of
Providence, some compensating benefits
The bleeding African was torn from his
savage home by his ferocious neighbors,
sold into slavery and cast upon this cont.
nenf. Here in the mild South, the race
has wonderfully multiplied; Compared with
anything ever known. in barbarous life.
/ The descendants ofa few thousands have
become many millions; and all, from the
first made acquainted with the arts of civ
lilization, and above oil; brought ufider the
light ofthe Gospel.
From the promise made to Abraham
sometwo thousand years had elapsed be-
fore the advent of our Savior, and the Is
iraelites, the chosen people Of God, were for
wise purposes, suffered to remain in bond.