The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-18
For the Southern Press.
The Steamers to Africa.

FOR the SOUTHERN l'reSS.
The Steamers to Africa.
II appears that the proposition to establish lines
Of steamers TO ply between this country and At
RIGA, for the purpose OF carrying off the free Blacks
is being received with favor in various quarters.
For ourselves, we have not positively decided
against the project yet, but, under certain lmta-
tons and Restrictions should highly approve OF it,
But we should like to see it settled, in the first
place. who are the !" free blacks to be transported
to Africa lf all the negroes who have been stolen
from us at the South, or who have been assisted
to escape to the free States by the Northern Abo-
litonists are to be considered in this category we
think every slas choider will decidedly oppose the
scheme. 1t will only be an extension. and that
by Congress, and ut the expense of the Fed
eral Government, Of that system of robbery and
theft that is now being SO successfully carried on
by our Northern brethren. The first step will be
to steal our negroes from US, and the next one to
make us help pay for. their transportation to AZ
RIGA. 1t is hard enough on us to be robbed OF our
rightful property but it is adding insult to injury,
to ask assist in sending it out of the country.
1t should be decided first, then, who are the free
blacks in this country? In the slaveholding States
it would be easy enough to determine but in the
free States more difficult to say who "are Of right,
and ought to be free. Is the negro who has been
spirited away from his owner to free State to be
considered free! How long residence north of
Mason and Dixon 5 line, after running away or
being stolen from rightful owner, will be neces-
sary to make " free blnck!" We think, here,
that long ax the negro lives, his owner will be
entitled, under the Constitution, to claim him, and
that the Government will be "aiding and abettng"
the wrong done us, by assisting the negro to get
to Africa. In the next place, it would be well to
determine whether the children Of runaway, or
stolen slaves, born in free States, are to be con-
sidered as g free blacksl We are the owners of
the slaves, and should be Of their offspring and
should not thus be defrauded of our property by
the good, christian people Of the North.
II is, no doubt, true, that in many Of the free
States, the tender hearted synpathisers finding
their sooty friends very troublesome neighbors and
disagreeabe companions
+" IT'S distance lends enchantment to the view"
and they find when the odorous African is brought
in closer proximity to them, that he is neither a
saint nor angel Of light that he is no more dis
posed to change his nature, than he is able to
change his skin.
These kind hearted Abotionsts would will
ngy, We're it in their power, free all our negroes
tomorrow and leave them among us but would
by no means agree that they should be marched
en- masse and settled among themselves Were it
proposed to free all the negroes in Alabama, and
remove them TO Indiana or Ohio, there would be
more regiments raised to keep them out of those
States, than MIR. BrssELL proposed to send down
to dragoon the South into love Of the Union. If
the abolition Of slavery has to be consummated,
and there are no doubt, from the late successes Of
the ADOiltOn movements III congress-, tnOuSaHuH
of people at the North who confidently expect
such a denouement, we prefer above all other
means, if these honest Abolitionists are not will
ling to buy them from us and pay us for them,
that they should steal them and locate them among
themselves. Then, if we had lost our property,
we should be rid from the ntoerable nuisance Of
the free negroes. And further, if these philan-
thropists have their bowels of compassion so
moved by the wrongs Of the negro, and consider
all men "born equal, - and are determined to steal
them from US, we want them by all means to have
the full benefit OF their acquisition. Let the two
races mingle and amalgamate on terms of perfect
equality. If the white can't draw the negro up TO
to him, he can easily let himself down to the ne
gro. Should they find hereafter that they had
put on the shirt Of Nessus, should fare like the
countryman who warmed the viper, it will not be
our fault.
If the lines Of Steamers then are only TO assist
the AboI,tionists to send off stolen and runa
way negroes, we arc decidedly in favor of their
establishing them at their own expense.
Az ALBANIAN.
Jacksonville, Ala, Sept lst 1850.