The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-20

'housdfu ioui hunutcu LUG SiXty; cOnSe-
quently, an increase Of the amount Of cap
ital of one hundred and forty thousand dol
lars. The increase has kent up in rea.
sonable ratio with the increase Of the white
population. And think that those who
believe that slavery will exist always, and
do desire to have il exist hem, ought to be
content with this increase. p ..aas-'
Ii is said, why prevent the POOR man from
owning this description Of property, why
prevent him from buying shses where he
can procure them cheapest! / do not think
that the price Of slaves will he increased by
prohibiting bringing them into the State -
The price is regulated very much by the
price Of our commodities in The South.
Well, sir, as to the wealth Of the coun-
try; under the statute Of 1888, though it has
not been very much enforced, LIT US see how
the wealth Of the country has run up. The
taxable property in the Stale in 1881 was
one hundred and twelve millions two hun
dred and eighty-fve thousand seven hun.
dred and eighty dollars. In 1913. it
amounted to two hundred and sventy.two
millions eight hundred and brty-seven
thousand six hundred and ninetysix, an in
crease in seventeen years Of about one hun.
dred and fifty per cent. Ii IS true, there
have been some few subjects added 10 the
taxable property in that Heriod. The
money capital has been made taxable pro-
perry, and they have made soae portions Of
the stock of the country tax ple But in
1881, the cash capital was exceedingly
scarce, exchanges were agains US; the mer-
chants who went to the North had to paw
something like five per cent. for funds that
they could use in Philadelphia and New
York. That was heavy TAX upon the
country. Well what has been the influ.
ence Of this wholesome Law! Instead of
bringing in slaves from Virginia and else
where, money has been brought into the
country, and the effect is, hat Kentucky.
though very young State, has become one
of the moneyed States. Exchanges are
now in our favor, instead of being against
us. We are not obliged every time we 20
out OF the State for the purpose Of pur-
chasing an article that may be needed in
our families, to purchase exchanges at a
premium Of five per cent. And this is so
much added TO the properly Of the State.
And it is in this way that we rave made this
property more valuable than slave proper
~, which brings but three per cent, and il
is by getting clear Of this difference in ex-
changes that Kentucky has become wealthy
and powerful.
Well, what kind Of slaves do we get?
You see almost every slave State, except
probably Texas and Arkansas, are making
negro raising a business to obtain living
by. Ii may be said that wheat is the staple
production of Virginia; but | say that ne.
groes are the staple production in reality.
As to Tennessee, am told hat there was
not man elected to the Legislature who
was not pledged to support a measure
against bringing in any more slaves into
the State. Now what kind Of slaves shall
we get here! Shall We get those fine, hon.
est servants. that we want to entrllst with
our property, or shall we get these scape
gallowses, rogues, and rsscals forced upon
US. not only ready to steal and burn our
property, but to contaminatethose We have
already.
For myself, what few slaves | have, and
those that are owned smopg my friends
and relatives, why, sir, they are endeared
to me, and it ought to be so with every
man. feel that they are human beings,
and that their morals should be attended
to, and that they should not be made to as
sociate with rogues and rascsls. 1t appears
to me to be in The nature Of punishment
to the slaves TO sell them. do not want
my slaves, who have grown up with my
children, and that have become attached to
my family, to be associated with these scape,
gallowses. and to be corrupted by them,
any more than want the laboring white
population to be mingled with the offscour-
ings Of Europe that are brought in here
Suppose we bring into this Commonwealth
twenty thousand Of this kind Of slaves,
with their morals destroyed, and distribute
them among our slaves, the whole amount
you have, and those you bring in, would
not sell to any man who appreciates morals
as he ought, for the amount which those
would bring which we have already.
The whole civilized world has turned its
back upon the African slave trade; even
Portugal is now coming into civilization
and Christianity upon this subject. if may
be allowed the expression; she is placing
herself by the side Of England, and Of
France, and of all the enlig htened nations
OF the earth. And what is there in the AT.
rican slave trade that is worse than to go
:-." ~-n'hA- State end to bring slaves from
thence, tearing mothers from Their children,
separating husbands from their wives, with
out any offense charged against them; driv-
ing them along in chains as if they were
beasts of preyi Is it not scene that no
man, unless he is determined to engage in
this traffic, can look upon without feelings
deep and powerful But what is there in
the African slave trade. which makes it
more excusable? There, by the laws Of
war, ss practised among those barbarians,
prisoners are brought in and sold as slaves.
Well, the captor has a right to the life Of
his prisoner, according to their laws Of war
fare. He may kill him Il he pleases. |
am no apologist for this: but it is in6icting
upon him weaker punishment. There is
suffering, to be sure, upon the passage; and
there is suffering experienced BY those whom
we send out to Africa, but when they arrive
here they get the benefit Of civilisation;
they are placed in more elevated scale
than thew occupied before. But nearly all