The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-08
From he Natio<a Era.
KeBtueky-Enzan

kesiuesy-knzanciPaiio
The Louisville J1uTRaI expresses the ooiuion
that Emancipation will never Be agitat.d in
Kentucky again, so decided has been The defeat
Of the scheme In the recent sleetiOns Tn.
wish Is doubtless father 10 the thought. Tn.
editor lets out the secret Of his opposition Ia
the agitation liz the remark: ats ihhu-nce h..
been i3juriOusly felt even in the Congressional
elections. One or two Wing candidates wsr,
defeated and one neatly beaten BY The imputa-
ton Of their being friendly to the Emaneipatioa
movement" Now, had the leaders Of the hig
party in body unanimously espOu--d m.
cause, and taken IS mnch pains TO point ont Ia
The masses their true Interests, as they have
done TO clear their skirts Of the charge Of Aba
lilionism, this result might have been diHsrsat.
At any rate, the Wings of that State are o-s-
tined 10 still greater mOrtihcziiOas, unless thsv
| rally upon taz plato N Of freedom. The fset
IS undeniab!e, and We honor them for a. that
the Wings of Kentucky are far more literal 70
the EmancipalioRsls than the so-eslled Demo-
Gratis; and dOublless the great BODY Of the Emsn-
/ cipationIsts ale " higs. But IL Is q great mir
| take 10 suppose that these good aud true men
1 will continue TO Cooperate with party which
ceases 10 extend 10 them free IOler1uoE-
There is such thing as the formation Of a
third party, which may serve TO bring both the
old parties to reason.
4 fOlitcfduS are me l4-A men IN Inc world
form a luSt estimate Of The hold which truth has
upon the human mind. In every age, he ad
vOcates OF reform in Religion and Government
have been treated with contempt and deri.ion
by those who affect worldly wisdom; Yet Ina
cause of reformation has never rvcsdsc. The
progress Of truth may be slow, but il is certain
THE advocates Of error, of wrong or Of n.-.
expedeney, can only hold cut faithful TO their
cause while IL is their interest 20 90 so; but the
champions Of Truth and justice are impe..sl by
a sense Of duty which IS paramount to al So
fish considerations, though frequently seconded
10y them. The advocates Of slavery are Of tao
kinds. First, the body Of Shareholders, who
are actuated BY self-intsrest and the Prsjudiess
of education. Or course, these men Cannot
feel II a moral duty 10 hold their fsiOw-men IN
bondage, any more than they feel bound 10 Own
so many horses and cattle Interest and prslu-
dice, sustained BY public opinion, may begsl
quiet state Of conscience as 10 slavery, even in
a mind otherwise rightly constituted, but that
is all; and il "a apparent that the right 10 nod
slaves will at once be surrendered, when they
are found TO be unprOh table, or whea il is az
certained that more would be gained than lost
by an abandonment Of the SYSTEM. Another
class Of the advocates Of slavery $ composed Of
the demagogues, " no Use 1t merely ss an sngins
of political agitation in order 10 fOist themselves
into office. They will Is matter Of course,
abandon the cause when IL becomes unpopular
and will be the loudest in its denuneiaGiOR.
On the other hand, The enemies Of slavery
heve a cause TO maintain, founded in eternal
principles Of right and justice-a cause which
has ths sympathies Of all Christendom on its
side. Ii Is a cause which 10 destined to grow
stronger in the hearts Of meR, and 10 appeal
more strongly to human symPaihiss, Whils Re-
iigiOn and CivilisstiOn cOnenue 20 make pro
gress in subduiBg baTsarism. IL l. surprising
that intelligent men, Who have ATTENDED 70 ths
progress of liberal opinions, can advance the
) idea, at this stage OF shs discussion, that the
agitation Of the slavery question will cease bs-
lore the extinction Of slavery. IL may Be that
the excitement on the subject Of slavery among
: the Northern people may have caused tempo
rsry silence upon II smong Southern men, bat
the cause will be amply compensated for the
mOmentary check, BY the deeper and nOolsT
feeling Of right and duty which Is nov brOUghi
TO bear upon the question. The moral Amos
] phere Of the Northern States and Of EaTops
! has been purified and extsnced 10 every corner
Of The ciyilised world. IL has began to Deryacs
J the slsvehOiGing States, ana vl eoAtiHUe 70
invigorsie the friends OF freedom aad 10 ava
| ken new friends 10 the cause in hearts now cold
or Indifferent.
We presume that very few anticipated sue
cess 10 the EmaheipatiOnists In the late sise-
I tons. No greatPrinciPle was ever triumphant
? al the moment of It's PRONUNCIATION. Years Of
discussion and agitatiOn are required 10 briuy
; people 10 adopt radical measures Of reform.
} Much has been achieved In The organ satioa Of
: an Emancipation party which has eBl,sted in
. its ranks the best aud bravsst spirits IN Ken
Iucky-the wisest heads snd the most generous
hearts. The friends OF the cause have no rsa-
son for responding, bat every reason for graJH-
|. lation. Some four years ago, Il was regarded
, as a piece Of daring in Cassias W. Cay 70 e.
= tablish an Emancipation paper in lexington,
and three years ago Kentucky waS disgrsc-d oy
! q mob when tore down hIs press. Whata
: change has been wrought IN the minds OF Ken
tuckians in three short years Not only one,
. but scores Of papers advocate Emancipation N
, every part OF the Stale. Henry Clay himself .
its champion, supported by bis brother Senator.
, Underwood, and judges, lawyers, GiVinss, and
/ politicians, by The dcRen.
Weentertain not a remote apprehension that
; the Cause of Emancipation viii be abandoned IA
Kentucky Its friends will be constantly in
cited to action by a holy Principls u duty, b
; patriotism, and BY the sympathies Of freemen
IN eveIy part of the land-in NJ issouri, in Mary
! land, in Virginia, in North CarOliHa, and in
Tennessee, no less than in the free States. In
each Of the States enumerated, an Emancpa-
ton party Is sPringing up. The smOthered fres
Of freedom have begun 20 glow and irrsdiate the
D generations have hung over them Already the
press has begun TO speak out IN each Of these
States, except, perhaps, North Carolina, a1dI
Is well known that large body o. men IN the
western aud middle counties Of that STATE are
friends Of emancipation. Five years ago, the
silence Of the grave reignsd over the whole
South upon the subject Of slavery, bat such .
far from being the eass at the present day.
|, now engrosses more OF the thoughts and con
versaiiOn Of the people than all other sublecuoi
I public nature, and Is In fact the pivot Of Po-
, litcal parties. The Rank, the Tariff, the SAB
: Treasury, have become either obsolete IDEAS. or
! Questions Of secondary importance The VIZ
, mot ProvisO, the Missouri Compromise, ne
. Nicholson Letter, are now the waich-vorcs o.
! parties. Truth has nothing to fear from iss
controversy. II is error and wrong which IN
! stinctiyely shrink from seruttay, aRs would
gladly hide themselves from the gaze Of isa-
|, son.
Untoward events occasionally happen, wnch
throw a damper upon the hopes and aspirations
OF the friends Of freeoom; but the temporary
check In the current is always followed BY Ie-
doubled volume and strength when the barrier
, Is removed. The cause Of freedom IS onward
, and ever onward-its progress, like that Of tas
heavenly bodies, may be imPercePtiole, oat US
no less certain. In the lssf five years, q nss
rarely happened that the cause has seemed V
60 forward so rapidly as TO show prOgrsssin me
space OF a few months, often Il has seemed -
recede; and yet the changes in public oPiniSh
on that question are not less s;rik 6g than tne
similar revolutions which have taken place III
Europe. We have no doubt the next hve ysaH
will be even more evsntful as regards slavery
The census will change the aspect Of The CUES
tion-the North viii be greatly s-rsng'hens.'