The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-07

: Il
Waite males over 20 years Of age was up
, wards Of enc hundred and sixty-four thou:
ard, showing that only "a per cent wer
SHAREHOLDERS, and 10 per cent nonslave
holders. Ii is evident that nearly three
Iourths OF those who ought to enjoy HI
elective franchise in Virginia are non-slave
holders. In Maryland the proportion o
shareholders is, by the same data, ibou
ore-ninth, and in Kentucky one-severth o
the white males over 20 years OF age
Now, when we reflect that the slaves are
| held in subsection by the strong arm Of the
law. and thst they could not be held sin
gle hour without the aid Of the non-slaye
holders. who may be said to stand as q
guard to enforce their obedience, we see al
once the heavy responsibility that devolves
on these. When we consider, moreover,
TINT the invariable effect Of slavery is to
degrade labor, paradise industry, obstruci
education. reduce the value Of real estate,
and retard commerce and manufactures; il
must be apparent to every one that the nom
SHAREHOLDERS in slave States are sustaining
an immense injury from this rllinous sys.
tern. In the strong language Of John Ran.
dolph, slavery was described as cancer on
the face Of the body polite, which destroy.
ed ito beauty and threatened IFS destruction.
Leaving out Of view the inhunlanity and
injustice Of slavery, is it reasonable or right
that three-fourths or seven-eighlhs Of the
white population should suffer the evils il
inilcts upon community in order that a
few may enjoy an exemption from labor,
that is alike injurious to themselves and
their country.
In my view the non-slaveholder who &C
quieaces in this state of things is less ex-
cusaole than the owner Of slaves, because
he can have no reasonable motive for his
apathy. II he loves his children or his
country. let him arouse himself from this
stste OF inaction, and make use of proper
and judieious means TO remove an incubus
that destroys the energies OF the people,
II is not my purpose in this treatise to sug.
gest any plan for the extension Of slavery,
but | am persuaded the difficulties will
vanish when We come to look them stead.
ly in the face.
What has been done in other State. and
nations NAV certainly be done here. ali
there was a will there would be way"
II mere neglect Of duty makes us re.
sponsible what shall we say Of those non.
shareholders who are continually making
apologies for slavery, and especially OF
fh,.aa ,rofaxool ,.i,:s,ar. of ~. Co.,>,J
who stoop from their high calling, and per-
vert the sacred scriptures TO uphold this
strlpendous evill Can any language Of
reI,robation be too strong for such con-
duct?
There is another class of non-slavehold.
or, Who do not in direct terms defend
slavery, but who. by habitually magnifying
ihs difficulties and dangers Of emancipa.
ton, are in reality lending all their infiu.
ence to arrest the progress Of liberal senii.
msnts. A favorite theme with these croak.
ers is the degradation Of the free colored
people, which has evidently resulted from
their fomaer condition Of bondage and
Irom the oppressive nature Of our laws.
How much more consistent with the
spirit Of christianity il would be to urge
the repeal of those laws that prohibi. their
education and to lend them helping hand
to improve their condition.
Whether they remain here or remove 10
another State, our duty towards them is
equally imperative, for having been sub
ject to oppressive laws enacted by our
fathers and continued by us, they have
strong claims upon our humanity and JUS
tice.
In presenting these views have no de-
sign 10 e1culpate tho STAKEHOLDER from
blame, nor can forget the pallia,ing cir
cumsiances by which he is surrounded.-
Biorn perhaps 10 the inheritance Of slaves,
accustomed from his infancy to consider
them as property, having the example OF
venerated parents to sanction their posses
sion, and being encouraged 10 hold them
by the sophistcal arguments OF his spiritual
guides; he finds obstacles TO emancipation
that can hardly be appreciated by others
II is true that these obstacles chiefly exist
10 his own mind, but there is constitu-
tional inertia engendered by dependence
ON slave labor, thatrenders the STAKEHOLDER
sverse to ell changes and Innovations
He is content TO tread the same beaten
track thar his fathers have trodden, although
ut times he is ready to suspect il will end
in his ruin.
1t is rare thing TO meet with an intel.
igent man Of this class VINO does not
freely acknowledge that slavery is an evil
and he is dissatisfied with it; many Of them
will also admit that il is Improbable.
Why, then, do they continue 10 hold
lhemi The answer may be found in the
circumstances already stated, and the loir
stIte IF public sentiment among US. In
stead Of slaveholding being reproach it is
locked upon by many as an honor, ard for
a man reared in this state of society volun-
Itarily to relinqush il, requires more moral
courage than is generally found among 0
class who have been nursed in the lap Of
luxury. Only LET this practice be viewed
lin its true light and it will be relinquished
BY many who are now scarcely conscious
OF the evil they are innicting on society.
Disguise il as we may, slavery is still q
bitter draoght. The love Of liberty is in
nate in the human breast, and 1t never car
be extinguished until the man is degraded
to the level OF the brute, till all his finl
feelings are crushed BY oppression, and all
his hopes sunk in the darkness Of despair.
There is no way in which we can in.
flict so great wrong on human being az