The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-03
LOUISVILLE, KY: SATURDAY MARCH 3I1s49.

! men often change their opinions-thoug
; the simple and ignorant seldom dol car
not despair Of standing at your side, or TO
loving in your track in the struggle that
} coming--led on by the blaze Of light thc
} shall issue from your press.
Il | am very free TO say that one great con
sideration with me in all this matter res
poets the welfare OF the negroes; and
should regard the man who would put tina
out Of view as little better than a brute
But am Just as free to say that CREATE
consideration is the welfare Of the whit
people of Kentucky; Of whom, if ther,
were nothing else to be said, there are 81
many more than of the blacks. The high
est honor; the truest glory; the surest ant
most enduring prosperity Of this Common
wealth; these are the things at which
mainly look. Here has been the home o.
my parents from the early settlement Of the
State; here the field flny fathers best la,
bors for his country; here is his grave
Here | was born; here | hope to die; here
love to think that my children shall abide
for many a generation. For Kentucky
then go, and for Kentucky as land Of
white men the squire white man without q
Cross
am sure it will not offend you, gentle
men, if quote as expressing my views and
feelings on this subject, the words Of man,
who, though political opponent, you will
acknowledge to be among the first Of living
statesmen. and OF whom you will not deny,
that through long and eventful life he
has always stood among the 6rmest and the
boldest friends Of human liberty. "God."
he says, "who knows my heart knows that
love liberty, and ardently desire the freed.
ON Of the human race; but | desire the
freedom Of my own country above all other
countries--that ofmy own race before all
other races"
This is the basis OF the plan ! advocate.
In the spirit of these views, | support a
system of very gradual emancipation, look
ing to the removal Of the liberated slaves
But it does not follow that sound policy re-
quires, or that humanity will allow the abb
solute expulsion Of every colored person
from the State. would, therefore, settle
the general principle Of removal, but |
would grant TO the Legislature or to the
Courts the power to relax the rigor of its
application in particular cases.
Again. would not restrain the volun.
tary emancipation of slaves-before the
system provided in the new constitution
should begin to operate-but leave every
master free to hberate under no greater re-
strictions than the present constitution i'm.
poses, and every freed man at liberty to go
at his pleasure beyond the limits Of State,
wherever he might find place.
And then would provide
1. That after the adoption Of the new
constitution no slave should be introduced
into the State on any pretence whatever
not interfering with transient persons-but
absolutely and forever prohibiting the i'm
portation Of slaves.
2. That all slaves born after given
time (say the adoption Of the constitution,
or such later day os may be approved,)
shall be free at a certain age, (say twenty
five years. provided they are in the State
at that time. This will leave with the
master the unrestricted control of the slave,
up to the day on which he would 90 free,
il the master so pleased. This interferes
as little as possible with the masters wishes
or convenience, and throws wide open the
door for his removal OF his slave. And,
for the main object in view, il is gained
when the slave is gone. As to slaves now
in being, or to be born before the given
time, there is no interference whatever
Under such system, it cannot be doubted
that large part OF the colored population
would be removed from the State.
3. That all slaves Liberated under the
preceding provision, as they respectively
reach the age of freedom, should come
under the control Of the State, through the
other officers appointed TO this duty, and be
removed to Liberia or elsewhere as they
may elect; the means for their removal and
subsistence for a reasonable time being first
obtained by their own labor or hire, when
provided by the master or other benevolent
persons or societies, as beyond all question
would be done in many cases.
Such, gentlemen. is plan Of emanci-
patton, which my mind approves as wise,
humane and practicable. Il seems to me
to promise the highest good to the Com
monwealth at large, in all future time,
with the least inconvenience and injury to
the master in this generation, and the ut
most advantage to the slave, in the condi-
ton which Divine Providence has decreed
him. 1t was not proper for me to urge il
before a meeting Of citizens, who, at my
own suggestion, had already referred all
the details Of this great movement to con-
vention which it invited. But it may very
properly be presented here for public con-
sheraton. You may be able to offer in
superable objections TO it; if 80, | will
cheerfully give it up.
/ will go into no argument at this time,
in favor OF this plan as compared with
others that have been proposed, or in an
ticipation Of objections against it. This
communication is already longer than was
intended. The pressure Of other indispen
sable engagements has left me no time to
make it shorter.
| am, very respectfully,
VIM. L. BRECKENRIDGE.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 16, 1849.
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The discovery OF the contents Of Cali.