The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-09
SPEECH OF v. ,, SHEPARD IN TIE NORTH
CAROLINA LEGISLATURE.

~ 81, - -e~ = a. i n,,Sf e w. - -
We continue our notice Of this speech.
Like other pro-slavery men, Mr.. Shepard sp-
pears to entertain contradictory opinions of the
system Of slavery-at one time considering it a
blessing at another curse. For example, he
holds that providence has permitted the bar
barous African to be brought here for wise and
benefcent purposes n-and what are they7 They
are all summed up in this: The negro race has
been permitted by q kind Providence to be brought
here, for the purpose Of cutivating malarious
country Were this SO, the negro might well
be tempted to question that wisdom which could
find no better employment for him. Mr.. Shepard
proceeds uided by the science and energy of
the white man, the power and endurance Of the
negro race has been the sole and only means Of
reducing vast regions Of malarious country into
cultivation, which would otherwise forever have
remained wilderness and, sir, unless mistaken
legislation interfere, when the mission of the race
is fulfilled here, the same inscrutable wisdom may
carry it to other regions similarly situated to sub
due the earth and repenish it." Well-we agree
with Mr. Shepard to this extent: that wisdom
which employs itself in driving whole race in
chains from one country to another twithou. allow
ing it to obtain home anywhere,) for the purpose
of cultivating maarious regions for the benefit of
others, is very "inscrutable,n especially as this
race seems to have another mission, which is, +" to
impoverish and exhaust a country For, Mr..
Shepard has scarcely done showing how slavery
| is blessing, before he frames an elaborate argu-
ment resting on the assumption that it is curse
This argument is so mportant-showing,' as it
does conclusively, the soundness of the policy of
Free Soil-thst we cannot forbear quoting the
whole of it.
"There is one view of the slave question to
which wish to call the attention of this Senate
and if possible through them, of the people Of
North Carolina. | will suppose, what few per-
sons believe, that the North is satisfied with the
! late adjustment or compromise Of the slave ques-
tan that having excluded the STAKEHOLDER from
all the benefits Of California and New Mexico,
and arrested the slave trade in the District of Co
lumbia, she is contented with her triumph, and
will cease all further aggressions on the South.
1t is now q settled principle that slavery must be
| restricted within its present limits I; the whole
power of the Federal Government is hereafter to
be brought to bear against any expansion Of this
institution
Let US examine to what condition this princi-
pie will bring the South and particularly North
| Carolina, the Union-loving North Carolina We
are told by the first census taken in the United
States after the adoption of the Constitution (vz:
| 1907 that there was then in the whole Union
697,S97 slaves by the census of 1910, this num-
her had increased to 2,4s7, 355-sbowing that the
law of increase for the black population of fifty
years was more than three times and half; in
the same proportion in $780, before the close Of
the present century, which is now half gone, the
slave population within the Union will amount to
within fraction of nine millions. Now sir |
would ask those dear lovers of the Union, who
are rejoicing upon the passage Of the Compromise
bill, II they believe this Union can exist ruth nine
millions Of human brings peand up III slavery IN The
rery centre of The Republic? And, even supposing
this vast population should continue to be quiet
and orderly, II is well worth an inquiry what
| in all human probability will be the pecuniary
condition of the owners Of these savesl We
know that the slape cultivation is an exhausting and
| imporerishng one 10 The SOIL This must always
necessarily be more or less the case; the slave Is
an admirable pioneer to clear and ditch new
lands but even now, with few exceptions, unless
upon the best cotton rice, and sugar plantations,
| his labor is not remunerative. What then must
| it be, when the number is enormously increased,
and that increase restricted to worn and impover-
| ished soils2 The time is rapidly approaching,
|
fore the fact will be apparent that slave proper.
ty win have no transferable or commercial value;
the owners Of it will see before them hopeless and
| inextricable poverty and their only safety will
be in abandoning it to its fate.
"Thus will be realized one Of the anticipations
Of the Abolitouists, in railmg-m slavery within
its present boundaries. The slave will be practi-
cally free-his owner, for fear Of starvation, will
| abandon him but, sir the end will not be yet.
Ia or,h ty q ina finn If poria nj nd
infdeity, may ruin the South, but, in doing so,
she will rear into terrible Importance, in the very
heart of the Republic millions of degraded and
ignorant human beings, wild with unexpected
and unvalued freedom, and prepared for anything
that revenge or ambition may propose.
"ln this appalling state Of the country, North
Carolina will be the severest sufferer. BY the
census Of 1910, she had within her border
245,sl7 slaves By the law Of increase already
mentioned, this number will amount In 1890 to
more than 500 600 This estimate is doubtless
below what il will be--for the census tables show
that between 1900 and 1920, before the great en-
gration took place from North Carolina to the
Southwest our slave population increased at the
rate Of nearly three-fold In thirty years.
| 81 have said that North Carolina would be
more seriously injured by this waiiing-in policy Of
the Federal Government than any Of the South
ern States, and this will be apparent II we would
atteptively consider our situation. North Caro-
lima has but little territory peculiarly adapted to
| the profitable occupation Of slave labor, much
of her soil Is already worn down by constant cul-
tivation, and needs the resnseuaiion Of rest and
economical and skllfsl hnsbandry, whioh can nerer
take place whn Jpdeaed by superintendent popala-
ton of siapes.
ain forty years from this time, unless the law
Of population Is changed in our case, North Car
olna will contain more than 500 900 slaves, near
| ly all Of them agricultural laborers, drawing a
scanty support from worn cut and impoverished
soil The nrst effect Of this great increase OF
slaves win be temporary rise In the value Of
land and depression in the value Of labor, the
poor non-slav eholder will be forced 10 emigrste,
the owner Of slaves viii be compelled to purchase
land to employ and feed his surplus labor, until
the State becomes one vast plantation barelypro-