The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-31
From the New York Observer

| we invite the attention oil our readers 10
the letter OF the Hon. Henry Clay on eman-
cipation in kentucky, which will be found
on our last page. The people Of kentucky
are about to hold convention to amend
their present constitution, and the question
OF greatest interest out Of the State, if not
within it, is. What will be done with sla-
very! Ii is understood that there are TWO
great parties. one in favor of perperlating
the institution, and the other the advocates
of gradual emancipation. Each Of these
parties, we believe, claim to be a majority
Of the people. 1t is hoped that the name
Of Henry Clay, thrownin at this crisis, will
turn the scale in favor Of Emancipation.
MIR. Clay, it will be perceived, proposes
that the slaves born after the year 1856, or
1860, shall be free when they arrive al the
age Of %. Under this arrangement, the
first slaves will not be emancipated until
the year 1880, or 1885, and there may be
some slaves in the State even a hundred
years hence. Such emancipation appears
10 US very slow, and very distant; not slower,
however, nor more distant. we believe, than
under the emancipation laws Of some OF the
Northern States, when those laws were first
proposed. But the great matter is, to begin.
IL it is only once settled by fundamental
and irrevocable law, in Kentucky, that sla-
very is to be abolished, although at a very
distant day, We should not be surprised il
voluntary emancipation, aided by colonisa-
ton, should have nearly completed the work
before the period fixed by law for its CON-
mencement.
The number OF slaves in Kentucky is
about 100000 and il they follow the gen.
eral rule in this country. the number of
births in this population is about 10, 00O
and the number Of deaths 1000 annually,
leaving the natural increase 5000, or three
per cent. per annum. It seems 10 be gen.
orally supposed that population thus stu
ated can never be wholly removed. unless
by the migration Of more than 5000 annu-
ally. But this is mistake. Some years
since, we had occasion TO ascertain the num-
Der and proportions Of our population Of
different ages, as given in the census; and
we found that less than twenty per cent.
were between IS and 20 years Of age. In
a population Of 200, 900, there are then less
than 10000 between those ages. or, on an
average, less than 1000 are TO be assigned
to each year Of this period Of ten years.
Suppose now that there We're to be a migra-
ton this year of 1000 negroes from Ken.
lucky to Liberia, to consist Of all the fe.
males of between 16 and II years Of age
and of as many males above 25 as would
be necessary to raise the number to 4 900
And suppose that there should be an equa
and similar emigration next year, and The
year after, and so on, for thirty years. lti'
clear that the whole number Of actual emf
grants, at the end Of thirty years, would b
only 120, 900; and il is equally clear tina
there would not then be in kentucky ne
gro woman OF the age at which females usu
ally become mothers and, Of course, that
without further migration, the negro popu
lafion Of Kentucky would soon be who'll,
extinct.
! We are aware that in this calculation W,
have omitted several Considerations wfiUl
would vary the working Of the plan in it
details but they would not materially effec
the general result. II, for example, it wer
deemed essential that the number Of male
and the number Of females in each migra
ton should be equal, or nearly equal, and
! If the proper allowance were made for tn
1 increasing number that would arrive at tn
age OF sixteen years, in each successive year
for the first period Of sixteen years, and tn
constantly diminishing number after tina
period, the result would be that the numbe
OF emigrants must be increased gradual
during the first sixteen years from A, 900 Q
about 5000, and then it would diminis
rapidly, at the rate Of nearly 500 yeaI
for the remaining IA years, the migration
the last year Of the thirty years being les
than 500. The general result however
would be the same. The whole number
emigrants would still be about 10000
spread over period Of 80 years.
In favor Of colonsati upon this primo
pie; we could urge that il is following IN
course Of nature and the dictates Of human
Iiw. The emigration from our older State
to the new lands Of the West, and fror
Al Europe to America, consists to an unusua
d extent Of young mel, and women Just con
> mencine married lie. The ties OF kindre
! are more easily and naturally sundered |
]. this time than at any other. We may adj
= too, that II the migration proceeds upon III
!. principle. as the current Of young neg
o population sets outwards from kentncky