The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-12-23

II bined with other circumstances. has had
: tendency to check its advance 10 Kenlnck
5 and 10 keep it stationary lor, the last ts
S years, is admitted by the enemies OF the la,
e and proven by the statistics OF lhe conntr,
8 That the repeal of that law would give
/ stupendous impulse to its increase, is equa
) ly admitted and desired, by those who see
its repeal, and is too obvious for argumen
Between these opposite viewsof policy Ii
county must decide, There, are person
who say, they desire. a modification of III
law, so as to permit citizens Of he State /
introduce slaves for their own use, but SIT
to prohibit their importation jas merchai
disc. This appears tome TO be trifing wi,
the subject. If it be the policy OF Kenlulk
topleyent, so far as she may, by Legislation
the increase of slaves within her bofders
without violating the constitutional rights 0
masters and emigrants, then The la&, as j
stands. is adapted to the policy 1fthat D.
not her policy, why then repeiu laliogeth
Ter. Where is The sdifferessce larween per
hitting everybody that wants slaves to in
troduce them for their own use, and per
hitting traders to bring them in for sale!-
The traders would bring them in for the ust
Of the citizens, and would bring in no more
than would be permitted for such USE
Prohibit the trader from selling, but allow
the citizen who desires it TO import, and he
will appoint the trader his agent to import
for him, and pay him commission, instead
Of buying from him. We will be thrown
back upon the law Of 1915, which had no
effect at all. IL the law Of 1893 had been
passed in 1900, and enforced, Kentucky,
without violating the vested rights OF any
body. would have so reduced the evil, thai
ii would have terminated Of itself, or couh
have been easily done by the act Of the mas
tiers. or the purchase by the Commonwealth.
But Mr.. Wickliffe styles me an abolition
ist. He calls slavery blessing. Will the
shareholders in Kentucky answer his appea /.
and fall in with his reasoning? Will they
repeal this statute-call convention of tie
slave States-break down all restrictions on
the free importation Of slaves from every
point Of the compass, where slavery lies
Mississippi has Overtraded herselfi in slaves;
shall she throw back her excess upon u.s.
And will the shareholders do this-not to
advance their wealth-not 10 improve the
lace OF their country-not to introduce new
branches Of industry-not to invite ,kill,
intelligence, and capital, and improvement,
social, moral, or physical-but TO keep out
manufacturers. and mechanics, and artisans!
Will they bring in the vicious, degraded.
brutal, unproduclive, and unimprovable AZ
rican slave, from Virginia and CaroLna2-a
race which has brought down upon those
States the double curses of weakness and
danger-a race from which Virginia would
have extricated herself while it was yet
possible, if she had been permitted race
which was inflicted and riveted upon her
by foreign tyrant ere she was yet free?-
VIII they bring them here as an ally and
an instrument, by which TO lower Ihe,wa-
ges Of labor, when those very wages are the
highest indication Of an advancing society,
and an improving condition. and the surest
means in the power Of the State of retain.
ing her citizens within her bosom, OF STOP
ping the tide of emigration, and allurng
back its current? Will they enlist the AZ
mean race TO keep out and to drive GU, Their
own? To render themselves and lheirprop,
eny more secure against the attacks Of the
aboiitionstsl Is South Carolina more Sc
cure with her $4,000 slaves to POS, 200
citizensl II, as Mr.. Wickliffe charges, the
British Government is leagued with tie Alb
olitionists to destroy the tenure of slavery
by force, is il wise measure Of defence to
increase the number Of that domestic foe,
ill it exceeds your own The idea and the
Argument appear to me TO border or mad
ness. AbolitiOnist | am none, and MIR.
Wickliffe knows it, On the only OCCASION
when that subiec, was ever fairly before the
Government of Kentucky, was in the
Legislature, and MIR. Wickliffe knows we'll
the part played then. The trial o Ma
hon disclosed the fact that there was reg
ular plan Of operations, and band of agents
in Ohio, for the abduction Of our slave:
from the river counties. When that fact
was laid before the kentucky Legislature
no man there pressed more earnestly for the
sending Of a special commission 10 Ohio
with demand that she should legislste il
such manner as to protect our property, anC
punish her citizens for its violation. Tn,
commission was sent, and she did legislat'
TO our entire satisfaction. No power oil
earth, with my consent, should interfere witt
the internal regulations or policy Of my ma
tive State.
The session Of 1888 was the first OF m.
service in the councils Of the State. hac
occasion that winter to observe with SOM
attention the principles and the policy Of tn
Senator from Fayette. How he came L
vote for the law prohibiting the importation
Of slaves, am at a loss to conjecture.
oerraIniy was mo. nr r:-~- --:.L sl-- ---~s y
his policy then, or with his course and HI
objects since. The situation Of the dom
nant party in the Legislature, the party {
which belonged, was very peculiar. Gen
Jackson had been Just elected, for Ms see
ond term, to the Presidency of the Unite
States. The majority in kentucky was de
cidedly against him. The quarrel oil Sout
Carolina with the General Government ha
reached its crisis. The convention oil th'
1 State, at Columbia, mad passed its ordll
ance. The Executive had transmitted
copy to our Government, with an address
the States, which was laid before our Leg
lature. The principles set forth in that Q
dinance and that address, are familiar to ii
, world. The doctrine that the Constitute
+ of the United States was not form oil go