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

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slavery o' education and prosperity. Here 1t is.
i s fromths pen of man Of wisdoup, and is
firth oaght to sink deep In the hearts of all
who would have Kentucky prosperous and her /
soiss and daughters renowned for LIGHT and
knowledge.
Messrs. Editors:--I read an article I'm the
Wing Of Monday, proposing a new system Of |
Eeucasion In Virginia, by Mr.. s. A. Jswett, |
teacher in Richmond. The plan is certainly |
very beautiful In theory, containing some spill |
osophical and most valuable conceptions" but |
Il seeIns 10 me, that neither IL nor any other
plsn ever can succeed in Virginia, until we shall !,
first have gone to the root Of the evil under
which We safer, and there applied the proper
remedy. WHAT'S TIM cause Of the evil we COM
plain Of, and how can II be effectually removed
arr questions whiche every true lover of Virgin
ia, who values her prosperity and happiness
more than his own dollars and cents, ought now
seriously aud calmly TO investigate. Why Is Il
80 difhcuit TO obtain well qualified and efficient
teachers throughout the coanuyf Because the
population is too sparse 10 afford such teachers
an adequate compensation for their services
This 10 the case in almost every county Of the
State. The existence Of that scourge Of gull
~ world, Slavery, is the true, the real, the I'M.
deniable source, whence springs all the igno-
rance and much Of the vice and immortality
which now unhappy afiiet the State.
You may sketch out the most admirable plan
Cor educating the poor children, ever devised by
| the wit Of man, but you can never reduce Il TO
practice with the least prospect Of success, AZ
long as we cultivate our lands with slaves, and
| briag them up to trades, which ought TO be
sonhned exclusively TO white citizens THUS COM
PelHng our people to leave the State, and seek
i employment elsewhere, or remain here and en-
dure the alternative, no mortifying and repug-
naIt 10 the feelings Of freemen, Of being COM
PEELED to labor side by side, with the slave, and
to have their services estimated by those of the
slave. Thousands Of our young mechanics,
Carpenters, Blacksmiths, Bricklayers, &C., ''the
bone and sinew" Of the land, from this cause
alone. annually leave Virginia and 90 TO some Of
the free States Of the West Go to any county
in The State, particularly in Eastern virginia,
anc you will find nearly all the land, worth cul-
tiytIting in possession Of the "save holding aris-
| toc'acy," and almost every man has his own
Carpenter, blacksmith, &C.. from among his
own negroes. The poor boys, II they are
brought up to some hard working and respecta-
bic calling, mustleave the State to find employ
ment; they cannot afford to stay here and work
as cheap as the slave, who fares in the coarsest
manner and is compelled to toll in the most ar
dueus aud incessant manner, under penalty OF
the lash, TO be inflicted at the discretion Of his
master. Thousands Of poor families leave Vir-
gina every year, principally from the causes
which have mentioned, and those who stay be-
hind, are so scattered and separated, that 1t Is
next to an imPossibility, to reach them by any
system Of Education, that can be adopted, how
ever wise and liberal In ih features. We have
! seen accounts Of great many public meetings
held in the different connties Of the State last
| summer, on the subject Of Education. Many
dourishing and high sounding Resolutions were
| adopted at these meetings, and an Education
Convention has either already assembled or is to
assemble in day OF two, TO take into copsidera-
ton the disgraceful amount Of ignorance dis
| closed by the census of 40, and the best means
Of diminishing II. Numberless plans for do.
I ing this, have been suggested. The Wing, thu
Times & Compiler, the Enc airsr, and the New,
s. Star, have made strong and eloquent appesll
to the peopie--calling upon them TO instruct
their Representatives 10 act vigorously anC
promptly on this subject, at the present session
Of the Legislature. But mark, Messrs Editors
the prediction! All these meetings and Resolu.
tons, and Essays, will end in smoke. Moth
ing will be done TO promote the cause Of Edu
E cation, because nothing can be available done
| until our people see a disposition manifested q
get rid Of the slaves which have the effect, lik,
deadly pestilence, Of driving the people as IA
off as they can possibly get.
The excitement which now prevails, will, In
| little while, entirely sabside, and you will sc,
things move on Just as they have done, unit
the next census, when we shall sgsin begin 4
stir, and futter for awhile.
Bat only awaken feeling on the subject o
slavery which existed in 1882, and which woul,
have been productive Of so much good, but fo
the impairment interference Of Northern Abo
ltiouists, and you will give the lsboring classe
some ground TO hope that this deadly poison ans
drawback 10 their prosperity, will some of thes,
times be removed, and they will gladly consen
TO stay in their native State and endure 70
awhile the evils incident to their situation, II
, the hope that the day Of deliverance will soor
be at hand. Those whose hearts are now sick.
ened when they look into the carpenters shops
; the blacksmiths' shops, and the shops OF almos
all the different trades in Richmond, and se,
them crowded with negro apprentices and ne
gro workmen, and are ready TO quit in disgust
} State which thus Expresses and degrades them
will be induced 10 stay awhile longer, and unit,
with others who are trying 10 elevate the char.
acter Of Virginia. and to give her that high ranl
which she formerly occupied among the Other
States OF the Confederacy. Let us, then
Messns. Editors, turn our attention to thin i'm.
portsnt polnt-the Abolition Of Slavery in Yir.
GINA: Let the speeches Of Mcdowell, Sum-
mers, and others, delivered in 80, which expose
in such mastery style the evils and the horrors
Of Slavery, showing q, demonstration, the
blighting and whitening influence IL haa had
morally and politically, on the whole State
be republished and placed in the hands OF
every man in the State. Let our edtorB and
our public men approach the question in bold
and fearless manner, determined to advocate the
cause Of truth, no matter at what expense &c
their purses or their popularity. Let our
preachers, who are commissioned to "cry aloud
and spare not" exert their talents and their In
iuence to bring about the destruction OF an
evil, which has had, and must always continus
20 have, most pernicioun influence upon Reli-
| gion and Morality. In nhort, let men Of all
| cslf1ngs and all professions unite their efforts
and raise the standard Of Domestic Abolition
determined TO fight with energy, resolution, anc
hope, until this great evil, than pestilencs
or famine, is rooted out and destroyed forever
A CITIZEN.
| Mr.. John II. Peasants, one Of Virginia . most
gifted sons, was at the. tnie Of the appearance
Of this communication, In. editor of the Rich
mond Wing. Inpublishing the Communication,
he made some editorial remarks in which he de.
clarss his entire approval CT the doctrines pro-
claimed by his correspondent, and then AIDES his
own testimony, from which we make the sub
Joined extracts:
"We have, rarely If ever, published an article
In 20 years, the sentiments Of which 30 exactly
coincide with our own, as the reflections Of "A
Citizen In this days Whig.
"They were anterior to The rise Of the South
i Carolina School, perniciouu In all It's econom-
cal philosophy, the sentiments of all Virginia,
from Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Wythe,
Il H.