The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-07-28
From the Louisville Courier.l
To the Citizens Of Jefferson County.

becanyass for the convention IS been progres
sing with spirit for several weeks. AID although
here have been frequent speskings, yet, because
M the busy season, few are familiar with the top
lie which are discussed. Fearing that some
friends may be called on 10 vote, without having
heard Whsl may be said II deemed advisable, in
fbis u-sv 10 inform them f the savings for and
against the proposed REFORMS
There seems 10 be no florence OF opinion as TO
he tenure OF Office. AL az zee that il should be
for A limited period. There Is some difference OF
opinion as 10 the mode Of appointing TO Office; my
reference is that the Secretary OF State, Auditor,
Treasurer. Commissioner CT Lsnd Office, judges OF
~ Circuit snd Appellate Courts, should be cho-
sen by Joint ballot Of the General Assembly; but !
would prefer the election oil these officers by the
people, 10 the PressIt plan OF executive nomina-
ion. All county Off csn should be elected by the
people. The absorbing question, however, is the
emancipation OF the slaves. Upon this there is a
direct issue. Before giving my views upon this
suheci The opinions OF my OppOnenls-lhese gem
flenen who are opposed 10 ell schemes OF eman-
cpa:iOn, and BY consequence desire the PerPetua-
lion OF slavery-will be stated and responded 10.
4 Uey saw emancipation is unconstitutional
This proposition and Us discussion seem 10 be
limited 10 Jefferson county. II is evident General
Washington thought il constitutional, when he eX-
pressed the hope Il would be done in Virginia by
.aw Doubtless, Mr. Jefferson thought so. We
al knOW Mr.. Clay Is Of that opinion.
United States Constitution, adopted a system Of
gradual emancipation, 10 take effect on the 4th
esy Of July OF that year.
What is remarkable, not 4 citizen in the county,
except the pr0-slavery candidates for the eOnyen-
ton and Legislature, has been heard 10 express a
doubt as 10 lis cOnsttuIionaiiiy.
. IL connection with the shove, they assert
hat neither the free negro nor those 10 be emsnci-
pa,ed can be forced b. law 10 leave the State.
In answer, permit me 10 ask oy what authority
Tree negro Is now sod into bondage IN tbis STATE;
ell know this Is done, and The law is sustained.
!, is because al persons who are excluded BY The
constitution from possibly becoming citizens sre
personally subject 10 legislative ensctments. Ne
goes, maiaJlOes ard Indians cannot be citizens
under the constitution, lnOr should il be changed
IA that PARTICULAR consequently Jaw could De
passed requiring all such 70 leave the State under
such penaiJes as would insure is enforcement.
Besides, tie maDumissiOu o. our slaves can be
on condition, 10 take effect upon their removal.
.. That laeEe is less crime in slave than IN
free STATE.
This i attempted % be proved by comparing The
number Of e0uyicts in different penteutiaries. IL
Is believed thst ali observation proves the position,
that crime follows in the channel OF commerce.
More satisfactory proof OF this could not be found
any where than al hOma. Louisville is the only
important commercial point in The Stale; she has
less than sixteenth part Of the population, auc
she sends ss many cOngicts 10 the penitentiary as
the whole balance OF The State. Besides, by our
law slaves are excluded from the penientiaTy, aad
who can est.mste the amouat Of crime committed
By Them, which is only punished by their mssteIs,
aud never publicly known.
L That slavery, by relieving The whites from
the dTRogeTy aud hardship Of hard work, adds %
the length OF life Of the whites.
The suggestor Of this new principle in phiIOsO-
ply, m his eagerness 10 sustain his new theory,
destroys il uncOnsciously by adding, even our
negroes live longer than the whites in the free
States" This position has never been allGded 10
in private conversation bat 10 be laughed al. The
dscOyerer says that he finds BY examining the
census, that there are more persons Of extreme cid
age IL me slave States, Than IN the free States,
and concludes, therefore, that slavery must add 10
our longevity. The effect Of climate seems 10 be
overlooked. But the theory can be best establish
e by Eisins list OF the names Of those who have
lived 50 long, with their modes Of life, and if this
can be done the belief is, that IL will appear not
one can be found 10 have reached three score and
ten who did not al some time OF his life perform
active and continuous labor.
5. That slavery tends TO make our men more
ehlEalre and brave than those OF the free States.
IL lie admitted that il makes them more naughty
and arrogant, and LEAFS 10 the use of the pistol aud
bowie knife, often upon bosom friends 10 the ruin
oil families; any other superiority is more magma
y than real
6. That slave labor is more profitable than free
lsbOt
This assumption appears 80 ridiculous that but
lue attention has been paid 10 il.
Ohio and Kentucky raise the same kind of
crops, viz: wheat, barley, oats, rye, buckvheEt,
com, potatoes, hay, hemp, tobacco. cotton, silk,
and sugar, and the corn aud wheat alone in Ohio
are Of more value than all the foregoing products
Of Kentucky. Disinteresied writers, upon nation
q wealth, say slave labor rs tax instead of gain.
Observation leads us 10 the same conclusion, for
i Is q generally admitted fact that If the owner
had The value Of his slaves in money, he could do
much better, even al farming, BY hiring white Ia.
Dor, than he does with his slaves. They are most
Profitable 10 their owners when hired out, but in
majority Of cases the hirer pays heavy tax 10 sus-
IAN foolish pride. We know that slaves are
careless, incident, slOvsn and wssteful. Such
labor cannot be compared 10 free labor, expecting
10 ENJOY lis fall reward.
Z. That there is no country TO which the negro
can b removed where he can live and prosper.
Il is believed the collection Of evidence on this
slHeei, gwen in q pamphlet some days since,
vii satisfy the enquirer after truth Besides, there
ga letter before me from Rev. w. McLsin, agent
d NE Colonization Society, in which he says:
'fOr the last ten years we have not lost five per
cert IN The process Of scclimation. There has
never been colony planted with as little sacrifice
Of lie ss LIBERIA"
=. That the expense OF removing the negro
wi mpoEerish The State.
his objection is entitled TO serious considera-
uon Bear in mind that there is a sufficiency Of |
isnd IN Liberia, bought and paid for, TO give every
negro u Kentucky five acres, and that the govern
nent Of Liberia has stipulated that they may settle
On NE lands and be entitled 10 citizenship. The |
ehlgfant then, should have enough 10 take him 10
AIS land and 70 sustain him twelve month";. Only /
- much money as will pay his passage VIII
Se iegqred-all The balance can be furnished 1
non our workshops and abundant agricultural l
roouets. Now when We reflect that ell this is !
proposed 10 be accomplished by the hire of the |
mOle-hiil
More Europeans come TO the United States an
aIl.Iy thsn here are negroes in our State, and
s IeY are brought for about $40 per head. When
Ie commerce of Liberia shall increase so as 10
s,e ieturn loads TO vessels, The negroes can be
osned 70 Africa nearly as cheap as the European
al oe brought heTe-the difference in distance
WI make but little difference in prices.
d. maj SoO,OJO,UO OF the wealth or the State,
~s Hied value of the slaves, will be destroyed.
Le' Us look into this; We tar near twenty mil.
s Of eetes Of land. Put il at that for the calcu-
S.IS Three dollars per acre will give you the
s,o u your slaves. The land is now rated for
=, -, 90 average at SO 81 per acre, tie addi-
lon, - would make il 50 81; whilst the lands OF
S JIG a. cage gil 81, and those Of New York over
80 PEI &C. =. What is the cause Of this disparity
q value. Are we willing TO admit that Ohio has
,Seler soil than The garden spot Of the world"
she has, il s becs use negro slavery has deterio-
s, our soil-it was mi SO when first settled
We have proof that in Sc -ersl neighboThoods 10
stlns and Maryland, where the lands have pass
S - rom slave 10 free labor, thcy have raised in
us' more ihan fifty per cent Ano The heF. "A.
a'eaahoer In his history of African colonization,
~ NO eVento of modem times, was, in It's IA.
p, more momentous than the act of The British
sn..anleni, BY which provision was made for the
palion OF all the slaves in the British colo
MILL. aFery short time, and by which twenty
aseholders for their loss. II u pleasing 10
H. ano record that now, after a full emancipa-
nss Ken place for some time, ne public dis
fAar-aee has occurred among the slaves, and, al
tkh 70 some places difficulties have arisen BE-