The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-09-06


have very general circulation throughout ,he County,
Mr. Latrobe is OF the ablest lawyers IN tue
and enjoys distinguished reputation as poou Ha
10 president of the Maryland colonHaioh society, anu
although living slave State no man possesses more
humane feelings towards slaves than MI Lalrope
In this letter. in our opinion he has entirely demol-
ished ali the sophsry and OF Victor Hugos let
ter; and that was about a y eSn.an is aisnougn y Is
ZION as popular poet and novelist is calculated TO give
i popularity in certain sections of the country which it
would not otherwise have.
and his views are the only correct relative TO these
important questions His letter. we have no doubt. will
accomplish much good and il affords US great deal OF
pleasure to lay il before the public for the first time
Letter from J. H. B. La.robs, esq.
OCEAN HOUSE,, NEWPORT, R I,) Aug. 20, 1851.
DEAR SIR The following is, probably. the substance
q my ys%aes during my ,h West YESTERDAY w
ter Mrs Chapman. of July 6, 1851, the subject OF
slavery in the United States, before | commit them
The letter Of NJ Hugo is characteristic It has been
translated do justice 10 the terse and epgram
matte style Of the author Argument it does not pretend
10; and while you feel that is calculated 10 produce
wrong Impressions and obtain influence to which il
il not entitled is difficult to find any salient point on
which 70 hang the true view ; Of me subject ,.
the expression Of strong sympathy on the part OF the
writer. in the labors of lady engaged in promoting the
o. or TO Ss
Victor Hugo begins by saying that he has been desired
:" 70 lift up his voice = and SO he does:
in thinking that within time not distant the United
States will repudiate slavery with horror" II is not
reasonable to suppose therefore. that he would be glad
Let ~ suppose, now. that his expectations were
Allied The country would then present the spectace of
two free races, OF different coors with equal rights as
But there would be some things which The law could
not give II could give political but not social position
II could empower the emancpaed slaves to hold prop.
ery and to vote which has been already done in Of
the States but il could not remove the prejudice which
the white population entertain against their race i
could not change those physical characteristics WHICH
affect association with Them either regards their~ap
pearance or otherwise 1t could not induce fathers to
give their daughters to them in marriage reconcile the
impotency of the law be of present duration only. AS /
already said someof the States have done for the
race all that legislation could eectand this too, genera
tons since But nowhere do we hear OF any general
change, any prospect OF such change, would bet
ter their social condition in any of the particulars
nave Ne mentioned 9s.1
the whole slave population of the United States al
or gradually would present the spectacle Of two free and
distinct races whose difference OF color was an nsepaa-
BILE barrier to their amagamaion by ntermarrage now
or within any probable period OF the future. Whether
the emancipation of the slaves, which would prevent
color from being the badge of sevitude, would tend
promote ntermarrsge. and the gradual absorption, in
many generations OF one race into the other must OF
course be matter Of speculation. That those ntermar
general
entire country is fact and such may be dealt with.
The future is conjecture wholly, about which mans
opinion may be entitled 10 az much consideration
Others But we may fairly suppose that the white gen.
erAdons which have seen slavery must first die out be-
lore TIE preudlces originating from that condition can
hes at the root OF the questions involved II emancipa-
hon present or gradual, is TO produce anal gamalon by
intermaage between the white and black of the
United States as they will then stand related and affected
towards each other, we give up the case belief to
,hia effect is the only apology for modern abolition.
But we do not believe so. and repeat again that the
two races in each event. would remain separate and dis
nnct while they continued to occupy the same land On
the truth OF this position our argument rests OF this
; s.sh one must Judge for himself The reasons OF the
Having made the whole colored race Tree, II 10 not TO
b. supposed that Victor Hugos sympathy with what be
calls ihe august of slavery. would cease On the
contrary natural curiosity would interest him in the
subsequent condition of the new made free man. 1t
might have been WELL perhaps il Victor Hugo, before
expressing the strong opinions OF his letter OF the 9th
July, had considered what would be the probable cond
ton Of the emancpaied slaves He does appear from
anything that his letter contains, TO have done so.
Had Victor Hugo reflected, he weuld have found that
all history teaches but lesson the point which u.s.
that too ri cannot amoigamas by intermoriage
can srta in The land only the relation of master
and dave or, both are nomn'oay free, IN that Of the
oppressor and The oppressed.
The instances are striking and numerous The Moor
superior IN learning TO the Spaniad but not anagama-
ting with him, expelled the land renamed i'll
treated inferior. The Saxons and the Normans were in
continual strife until inermaages amagamaied them
people Our country, in It's Indian history. pre-
sents another instance OF the truth of the dogma In
Mexico the Spanards and the Indians amalgamated, and
formed one people; but what people In the old
United States is that OF the best blood of the
land-noble in spirit, steady in purpose and brilliant in
talent-hows down from Indian maternal ancestry to
the present day but yet the Indian in our country will
soon be memory only There experience, there
fore. 10 which Victor Hugo might have referred touch
ing future probabilities, should modern abolition, whose
advocate he is be triumphant in the end II is perhaps
pity that he did not push his inquiries further An ndf
lersnt cause, think, would have lost the weight of
great name, but humanity might have been the
worse of on that account.
Nor is history, in this respect without the conrma-
ton OF every days experience IN our own country.
In the city Of New York, where the negro may be a
voter, he is not permitted TO drive a dray cart
am not aware whether this is by law, is the effect
OF combination among white competitors but the
he has again and again been made the subject of attack
BY an Infatuated populace In Cincinnati TO protect him
from such attack, has been necessary 10 parade can
non IN the streets Boston and Hartford have both wit
messed scenes OF violence where The negro was the VIC
tim. And yet all these cities free States where the
negro has enjoyed for years nearly, or quite all the
rights which law could give him. What hope il there
Of different future for the black these re.p cts
What prospect 10 there OF present change for the hene
III either Of those now free the whole race should
general emancipation take place None under the can.
less iuupe, than that Of the free coored people OF the
United States cannot exist, America is the white man 3
home. and bis exclusively. God hath appointed it,
During the year 1850, the total immigration to the Uni
ted States from a foreign countries hardly have been
lees than 900 peraonspersons OF class that at