The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-20

they had purified their souls and washed from
| amongst them the black stain Of slavery; whilst,
IN fact and ia truth, they simply transferred them
10 more genial cllme, but took good care to
transfer themselves, by the operation, TO that class
which they call the upper ten thousand, whilst
their children to this day are basking IN the
atfluence thus commenced and secured. And il does
seem To unfortunate that gentlemen, at this
day, who profess to believe the Bible and claim
so much purity in themselves, should forget that
part of the Decalogue which tells us that God is
jealous God, visiting the impurities Of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth gem
eratpn, and that they should not reflect how
danniDg sin they are procIaimlng against their
ancestors, and content themselves with prayer for
It's forgiveness, and let us alone. We feel at least
capable 10 pursue the path Of duty TO ourselves,
our country, and our God, as they do. Ii il be a
sin, which | earnestly deny, it Is now our sin.
We are content To answer for il, and ii is AFRO
gance, rank and insulting, to presume to dictate
TO as, under an lnsidious, hypocritical. or fanat
cal sentiment, against the Bible, from the earliest
history of the world 10 the present moment, and
against peace and UNREASONABLE rights in
this Confederacy, which, trust in God, every
true hearted southerner VIII defend against further
aggression, as they would their hearthstones and
their lives. But to return from my DEPRESSION: I
have said that the northern States never have, TO
any considerable extent, diminished the number
Of slaves in this Confederacy, and will refer TO
one two instances of the mod,ts operaad of their
emancipation 10 show that fact.
In 1870, according TO the census, there were in
New York, 81 ,324 slaves and 1854 free colored
persons; between 1890 and 1900, presume it will
not he contended there was any emancipation in
that State and il is fair to suppose the number Of
free colored could not have increased by the
mission of slaves to any extent Of consequence.
la those ten years the free colored increased to
10 374, making about 900 over double, whilst by
nGl ftara tucr acttI in aa m
20 slaves and had they increased by procreation
in the same ratioSvh the free colored, there should
have been about as 900. And should il be said
that the manumission Of slaves increased the num-
Der of free colorcd, still $4,000 must iraye been
sold to the South; the parents OF those who would
have raised that number, supposing the free colored
not to have increased at all; but | presume few il
any were at that day free, and il is fair to
tnue the calculation upon the basis Of the increase
of free colored during that period. BY the census
OF 1910 there were % 1873 free coored, making an
increase of about the ratio aud the number Of
slaves was I5,0lT--showing u diminution OF only
few over 5000 in those ten years, whilst again
their increase would have sweIed the number to
about 43,U00, of whom about % ,00U must have
found southern market. Nor can it be said that
during this interval, any were set free by legisla-
tive enactment, because an act which had been
passed in 1901 only declared that children born
after July 1899 should be free, but that they should
continue in the service OF their owners until they
arrived at the age of twenty-eight years; and they
could not until July, 1927, have been cassed in the
census as free. But by the same act of 1891, a
door was left open by which the operation am
describing might he carried on by law; as owners
were allowed, under certain regulations, to carry
their slaves beyond the limits Of the State, and
no law was passed until 1927 abolIshing slavery
within that State. In 1920 the free colored were
% ,219, showing an increase IN ten years OF only
tCh he mi pf n laypS WI ha-
ing reduced within the ten years 4 ,929. Now sup
posing the free c0lored had not increased at all ,
nor the slaves either, and that every one Of the
3946 increase Of free colored had been caused
by the liberation of slaves, still there were about
one thousand slaves disposed ofin some other way.
But taking my original data, there should have
been at this time about 6fty thousand free colored
and 10000 slaves, AMI about 25 900 Of the latter
must again have found more southern cline.
Daring that period too, there an unaccountable
falling off of the increase Of free coored, which
may lie accounted for, perhaps, by the supposton
that in those transition times many of them might
have travelled off with those who, under the law,
had right to carry their slaves out of the State;
and this may, to this day, furnish reason why
gentlemen of the North are so very cautious in
providing laws against kidnapping; for | have
never been aware that free negroes were ever car
red south by southern ships or southern traders.
By following the calculation through the census Of
have not time to trace this process through the
New England States, but believe the same sys.
tern of boosted emancipation took place in every
one of them. l shall but refer to the State Of
Rhode Island, one ofthe earliest cradles of African
slavery in this Confederacy In 1870, she had by
the census 3,469 free colored, and 952 saves--she
was then deep in her transition state. In 1890 she
had 1904 free colored, and 38l slaves: supposing
her free colored had not increased all, yet there
are los unaccounted for, who may have fallen into
the hands Of kidnappers; but there are also unac-
counted for 57l of the slaves, who could not have
been liberated and added to the list of free coIored
for that had diminished; and leave it to the holy
philanthropists and aboiitonists of the North TO
trace the destlnies OF that unfortunate band Of
brothers, together with the increase Of both classes
for the 10 years. Their postery may, perhaps, see
where they found market from the fact, that at
ter The slave trade limited to lS05 the ports of
Charleston, South Carolina, being opened for the
importation Of Africans in the year 1904, and re-
manned four yelrs. BY the census of Charleston,
during that time there were t,co hundred and hco
vessel entered the port Of Charleston with African
slaves and from the custom-house books, and from
under the hand Of the collector at that time of
Charleston, he gives authentic information, that of
these two hundred and two vessels which were en-
gagged in that trade and entered the port of Charles
ton, 100 ofthelr cARGoEs were owned by foreign
countries, (many OF them in Great Brittany Ia in
The truth is, the free States, as have said, never
did liberate their slaves; they sold them to the
South, and hullt much of their manufacturing and
commercial interest upon the money; and by a
system OF aggression unwarranted as The pres
ent, they have taxed their labor and plundered
their owners ever since, through the instrument
atty of this Government, to add to their own ag-
grandizement.
venture the assertion, that no such instances Of
emancipation have ever been known in the North
as have taken place in the South. IL is well know
to all gentlemen in the South, that one man in
Louisiana liberated twelve hundred slaves, whilst
the whole State Of Rhode Island in 1900 had not
a great many more than twice that number.
also deny that those who have been turned loose
on the charities of the North are, ever viii be,
in as comfortable condition as those who are
slaves with us. They are in cold and ruthless
climate, amongst a white race distinguished for
cupidi,y and sharpness as any that ever inhabited
spot Of this Globe. Inferior in intellect and
genius to the whtes-destitu,e Of friends who
are in ailluence and power to employ and assist
them--owning little or no land-unable to COM
pete with Yankee observation-disclosures at best
to labor honestly incapable Of social equality
without food and clothing, or even fuel 10 warm