The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-03-23


Attempts to recover the fugitives lead to
the most painful and irritating collisions.
Hitherto, cOunienance and assistance 10
the iugitives have been chiefly offered by
persons in the State Of Ohio; bat il is 10
be aPprehended, from the progressive op.
position to slavery. that,in process oftimo,
similar facilities to the escape Of slaves
will be found in the States of Indiana
and Illinois. By means of railroads.
Canada can be reached from Cincinnati
in little more than tweniy-four hours.
In the event Of civil war breaking out,
or in the more dreadful event of disso.
luton ofthe Union. in consequence vfsla.
very, Kentucky would become the thea
treand bear the brunt of the war. She
would no doubt defend herself with her
known volor ant gallantry;bnt the superi.
orlty OF The numbers by which she would
be opposed would lay waste her fair fields.
Her sister slave States would fly to her
succor; but eyenif they should be sue.
cessfn| in the unequal conflict. she never
could obtain any indemnity for the iuevi-
tduIe IdNdSeS OI lle war. ........ . ..
IL may be urged that we ought not, by
The gradual abolition of slavery, to sepa
rate ourselves from the other slave States.
but continue to share with them in all
their future fortunes. The power of e aeh
slave State within its limits, over the in
Stitutlon ofslavery, Is absolute, supreme
and exclusive-exclusive ofthat of Con.
gress or that of any other State. The
government Of each slave State is bound
by the highest and most solemn obliga.
tions. to dispose ofthe question of slavery
so as best TO promote the peace, happl-
ness and prosperity of the people of The
Staie.-Kentucky being especially far
ming Stale, slave labor is less profitable.
IT, in most of the other slave States, they
hnd that labor more profitable in the cul
ture of the staples of cotton and sugar,
they may perceive reason in that feel.
ing, for continuing slavery, which can.
not be expected should control the iudg.
ment of Kentucky as to what may be fit.
ting and proper for her interests. If she
should abolish slavery, it would be her
duty, and trust that she would be as
ready as she now is, 10. defend the slave
States in the enjoyment of all their law
lnl and constitutional rights. Her DOW
er, political and physical, would be great
ly increased; for the one hundred and
ninety odd thousand slaves and their de.
scendan's would be gradually superce-
ded by an equal number of white inhabi
tanls, who would be estimated per capi
ia, and not by the federal rule .of thee
fitths prescribed for the colored race in
the Constitution of the U. States.
have thus. without reserve, freely ex.
pressed my opinions and presented my
views. The Interesting subject Of which
have treated would have admitted of
much enlargement. but have desired to
consult brevity. The plan which have
prepared, will hardly be accused ofbeing
too ealIyin lis commencement or too rapid
in its operation. 1t will be more likely to
meet with contrary reproaches. lfadop-
ted, itis TO begin thirty.fonr or thirty
nine years from the time of its adoption,
as the one period Or the other shall be Sc.
Iected for its commencement. How long
a time it will take to remove all the col.
ored race from the State, by the annual
transportation Of each years natural in.
crease, cannot be exactly asccrtained
After the system has been in operation
some years, | think it probable from the
manifest blessings that would flow from
it, from the diminished value of The slave
labor and from the humanity and benevo-
lence of private individuals prompting
a liberation oftheir slaves and theirtran
portation, a general disposition would
exist to accelerate and complete the
work of colonization. ... 0..
That the system will he attended with
some sacrifices on the part of the slave
holders, which are to be regretted, need
not to be denied. What great and benc-
fetal enterprise was ever accomplished
without risk aud sacrificed But these
sacrifices are distant, contingent and in
considerable, Assuming the year 1850.
for the commencement ofthe system, all
slaves born prior to that time would re-
main such during their lives, and the per-
sona loss of the STAKEHOLDER would be on.
ly the difference in value of a female
whose offspring if she had any born after
the lst day of January, 1860, should be
free at the age of twenty five, or should
be slaves for life. In the meantime, if
the right to remove or sell the slave out of
the State, should be exercised, that iri.
fling loss would not be incurred The
stakeholder, after the commencement of
the system, would lose the difference in
value between slaves for life and slaves
until the age Of twenty five. He might
also incur some inconsiderable expense
in rearing, from their birth, the issue of
those who were to be free at twenty. FIVE
until they were old enough to he appren-
ticed; butas tits probable that they would
be most generally bound to him. he would
receive some indemnity from their servi.
ces. until they attained their majority.
Most of the evils, losses and misfor-
tunes of human life have some compensa.
tion or alleviat,on. The stakeholder is
generally a landholder, and | am persua-
ded that he would find, in the augmented
value of his land. some, if not full indem.
nifty for losses arising to him from eman-
clpatloD and colonization He would al
so literally share in the general benefits,