Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-05-05
If Southern slavery were as atrocious. as it

| ii SOutneFn slavery were as atrOclouS, as ]
is generally represented to be by Norther,
aboltionists, there would indeed be erea
need Of reform. But the truth is, thos,
representations are the grossest of mirepre
sentations. Even the most favorable view
of slavery which are entertained at IL,
North, are less favorable than the reality
It is the uniform testimony of Northern men
who visit the South, that the slaves are il
better condition, than they had supposed
them to be in. So far from American sla
very being worse than any slavery whicl
is brought TO view in the Bible, the fact il
that no extensive system of slavery wa.
ever, so far as our knowledge reaches, so free
from abuse. Even in the Hebrew Com
monwealth, although the law was perfect
yet in practice greater abuses prevailed
than can be found in the Southern States
of our Union. See Jer. 81: With regard
to the few abuses, which now exist IN con.
nexion with slavery in this country, have
no doubt that, within few years, they will
be in good degree corrected and that the
institution will be as free from defect as any
| human institution ever was.
We do not then find any reason to con.
clude, that the emancipation of the Ameri.
can slaves is required by the principles Of
strict justice. Let us inquire whether it be
at present, the duty of the South to under
take the enterprise as a work of charity.-
Whether this be duty or not depends upon
several circumstances. 1t cannot be duty
to undertake the work, unless IT promises
to be real benefit to the slaves; nor yet un-
less it can be accomplished without doing
injustice to any other party. And suppos-
ing both these circumstances to be favora-
BILE, there is still another point to be con-
sidered. Could the benefit be conferred
without imposing an unreasonable burden
upon the South j? No man considers him
self bound to give more to- charitable OBJ
jects, than he can afford to'give. Could
the South afford to, give TO .he charitable
object of emancipation, either at once or in
the course of few years, one thousand MIL
lions Of do7la,ss Would the North, with a
population more than double the white pop
ulation of the South, be willing 10 contrib
ute faco thousand millions of dollars, TO pro-
vide homesteads for six millions Of emf.
grant paupers Would she be willing to
contribute one hundred millions year for
twenty years? If not, then let her cease
to reproach her Southern sister with "slaye-
holding for the sake of gain" .i -.
>. But the two circumstances, which We
just now supposed to be favorable to eman-
cipatlon. are in reality both unfavorable,
and that IN so high degree, as positively
to forbid it. No person in his senses, no
one but "doting" abolitionist, could think
for a moment, that the dense mass of slaves
in this country would be benefited by
freedom, while remaining where they are.
Accordingly no sane man thinks of eman-
cipation except in connexion with coloni-
zation. But it would be scarcely greater
benefit TO our three millions of slaves to
throw them in mass upon the coast of
Africa; or even to transport them there
within twenty or thirty years. The speedy
abolition of slavery would then be worse
than useless to. the slaves. They might be
properly retained in bondage, for o. long
time, even if no other consideration than
regard to their own good justified the reten-
tion., There is on this ground, more justi-
fication for American slavery, than there
ever was for any ancient slavery with
which we are acquainted. .;t T..
But speedy abolition, besides being in
consistent with the highest welfare of the
slaves, would be disastrous in its effects
upon other interests. Three millions of
free negroes remaining in the Southern
portion of our country would constitute
nuisance to the white population perfectly
But they might be removed.
Certainly but their removal could not be
effected without the expenditure of one hun
dred and fifty millions of dollars and this
would be "a grievous burden 10 be imposed
upon the South, already impoverished by
the thousand million charity, which procur-
ed their emancipation. But the most dis.
astrous effect of all would be upon Africa.
A Providence, equally wonderful in wisdom
and in benefcence, is beginning to cause
the greatest scourge ofthat unhappy conti-
nent to return the richest blessings TO her be-
nighte2 shores. African colonization, while it
provides for emancipated slaves & other free
people of color, the most inviting asylum
which the world affords; al the same time,
promises to cause, that Ethiopia shall stretch
forth her hands unto God" and that "The
desert shall rejoice & blossom as the rose.'
1t must be matter Of rejoicing TO every
person of correct views and right feelings,
that the tide of popularity is in all parts of
our country, setting strongly in favor of this
noble enterprise. But its friends must make
haste slowly. A Notherh religious period
ical, which has always been its firm advo-
cate, has we'll said -"Perhaps in this pop
ularity, Its greatest danger may be. The
tide of emigration may Sc! so strongly in
the direction Of Liberia, that thousands may
be induced 10 seek home in the. young
Republic, whose presence there will be as
as it is here. Liberia is now
more inviting 10 the colored man, than A.
merica is to the Irish or German. When
this truth reaches the brain of the African
he will want to 60 home, and there will be
such a stampede Of colored people as there
Is of Celts." N. Y. Obs. Feb. 10. Now
suppose that the Southern States had done,
twenty five years ago, what the whole
North then thought, and has ever since
thought that they ought to have DONE
Suppose they had all adopted q plan of grad.
dal emancipation, providing that every slave
born after that time, should be free at the
age of twenty-five years, and should be
transported to Liberia. The consequence
would have been, supposing the plan to be
carried out that food Of emigration would
now commence polling, which would carry
to the shotes of Africa more than one hum
dred thousand emancipated slaves annually;
and it would continue TO roll until the whole
slave population were drained from this