Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-06-12
General Scott on Slavery.
WAsHrreTos, EsJ. 0, 1s4'

DEAn Sin 81 have been waiting for
an evenings leisure to answer your letter
before me, and, after an unreasonable de-
lay, am at last obliged to reply, in the
midst Of official occupations. .e 4s
That have ever been named In con-
nection with the Presidency of the United
States, has not can assure y0st, the son
of an ancient ineighbor and friend, been
by any desire or contriyance Of mine and
certainly shall never be IN the field for
that high Office, unless placed there by q
regular nomination. Not, then, being a
candidate, and seeing no near prospect Of
being nude one, | ought, perhaps. to de-
cline troubling you or others with my hum-
bic opinions on great principles Of State
rights and federal administration but az
] cannot plead ignorance Of the partiaiity
of a few friends, in several parts Of the
Union, who may, by possibility, in GER
tain event, succeed In bringing me within
the field from which Why candidate Is
to bs selected, I prefer to err on the side OF
frankness and candor, rather than by si-
Ience, to allow any stranger nnwittingly
to commit himself to my support. j
Your inquiries open the whole question
Of domestic slavery, which has, ID different
forms, fora number Of years, agitated Con-
gress aud the country.
Promising that you are tile first person
who has interrogated me ON the subject,
give you the basis of what ac0uld be my
reply ingreatsr detail, If time allowed and
the contingency alluded to were less re-
mote.
In boyllood, At William and Mary COL
lege, and in common with most, if not NIL
my companions, became deeply impress
ed with the views given by Mr.. Jefferson,
in his "Notes on Virginia. and by Judge
Tucker, in the Appendix to his edition on
Blackstons's Commentaries, in favor Of a
gradual emancipation Of slaves. That ap-
pendix liaye not seen in thirty.odd years,
and in the same period have read scarcely
anything ON the subject; but my early i'm
pressions are fresh and unchanged. Hence,
if had had the honor Of a seat In the
Virginia Legislature III the winter Of 1881,
80, when bill was brought forward to
carry out those views, | should certainly
have given II my hearty support.
! suppose I scarcely need say that, in
my opinion, Congress has no color of an-
tliority, under the Constitution, for touch
Ing the relation of master and slave with.
in Stale Ihold the opposite opinion IN
respect to the District Of Colulnbia.--
Here, with the consent Of tile owaers, or
on tile payment of 'just compensation
Congress may Iegis!ate at its discretion
But my conviction il equaily strong, that
unless it be step by step with the Legis-
latures Of Virginia ai1d Maryland it would
be dangerous to both races IN those States
to touch the relation between master and
slave in this District.
have from the first been Of opinion
that Congress was bound by the Constita-
ton to receive, to refer, and to report up
on petitions relating to domestic slavery
as in the case Of all other petitions bnt I
have not failed to see and regret the una
voidable irritation which the former have
produced ;nsthe Southern States, with tile
consequent peril TO the colored race where
by the adoption Of any plan of emancipa-
ton has everywhere among US been great
ly retarded.
/ owe, myself, no slave; but never have
attached blame TO masters for not libera-
ting their rslaves---knowing that Liberation,
without sending them in comfort to some
position favorable to the pursuit Of hap
piness," would, in most cases, be highly
injurious to all around, as we'll as to the
manumitting families hemsslves--unless
the operation were general aad under the
auspices Of prudent Legislation. But Tam
persuaded that 1t Is a high n0ral obli-
gasiong nsasteysa,sd slavebotdi ling States
to employ ay means. not incompatible
nth the safety Of both c0lors, to nseIso-
gate slagery cuen 10 determination.
There il no evil, without, in the order
Of Providence. some compensating bene-
fit. The bleeding Airic6n was torn from
his savage home by bis ferocions neighbor,
sold into slavery, and cast upon this con-
tineut. Here ID the mild South the race
has wonderfully multiplied, compared with
anything known In barbarious life. The
descendants Of q few thousands have be-
come many millions; and all from the first
male acquainted with the arts Of civil.
zation, and, above all, brought under the
light Of the gospel.
Il Is gratifying to know that general
melioration has been great, and is still pro-
gressive, notwithstanding the disturbing
causes alluded to above. The more direct
process Of emancipation may, no doubt,
be earlier commenced and guickened in
some communities than in others. Each,
/ do not question, has the right to judge
Tor itself, both Us 10 time and means. and I
consider interference or aid from without,
except on invitation from authority with
III, 10 be- as hurffilI to the stlre progress of
melioration as il may le fatal TO the lives
Of vast mnltitndes o. all ages, sexes and
colors The work Of liberation cannot Be
forced withon, these horrid results. Chris
iian philosophy Is ever mild and coITsi1e.
rate. Hence all violence ought 10 be de- |
precated BY all friends Of religion and l1u-
manity. Their pursuasions cannot fail,
at the right time, to iree the master from
tie slave and the slslve from the master
perhaps before The latter shall have fol1nd
out aud acknowledged that the relation be-
tween The parties had long been mutually
prejudicial 10 their worldly interests.
From the promise INSIDE % Abrallam,
some two thousand years bad elspsed be-
fore the advent Of our Saviour, and the |
Isreaiites, tile chosen people Of Sod, were. |
f0r wise purposes, suffered 10 remain ID