Daily American telegraph., 1852-08-05
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
TFrom the National Intelligencer,l

MARYLAND. the letter which we give below 1t
was written nearly ten years ago, and was first
published in the Danville (Virgnia) Reporter,
and thence transferred to the g Maryland Colo
nization Journal" from which journal it is now
copied. Our correspondent is of opinion that
General Scotts views on the delicate question OF
slavery have been misrepresented, and therefore
desires to see this letter, in which they are fully
and automatically set forth, inserted in the Intel
ligencer.
The views expressed by the General appear to
us to evince n wise and comprehensive statesman
ship, as well as a characteristic philanthropy,
and we therefore, with pleasure, give the letter.
place in our columns:
WASHINGTON, February 8, 1843
MY DEAR SIR: i have been waiting for an
evenings leisure to answer your letter before me-
and after an unreasonable delay, am at last
obliged to reply in the midst ofofficial occupations
That ever have been named in connection
with the Presidency of the United States has not
| can assure you, the son Of an ancient neighbor
and friend, been by any continuance or desire
of mine and certainly shall never be in the
field for that high Office unless placed there 5v a
regular nomination. Not then, being candi-
date, and seeing no near prospect of being made
one, | ought, perhaps, to decline troubling you
or others with my humble opinions on great
principles Of State rights and federal admins
traton; but as ! cannot plead ignorance Of the
Partially of few friends, in several parts of
the Union, who may by possibility in certain
event, succeed in bringing me within the field
from which Wing candidate is to be selected,
prefer to err on the side of frankness and can
dor, rather than, by silence, to allow any stran-
ger unwittingly to commit himself to my support.
Your inquiries open the whole question of do
mestic slavery, which has in different forms, for
number Of years, agitated Congress and the
country.
Promising that you are the first person who has
Intercepted me on the subject, give YOU the
basis of what would be my reply in greater de-
tail, if time allowed and the contingency alluded
to above were less remote.
In boyhood, at William and Mary College, and
in common with most, if not all, of my compan-
ions, | became deeply impressed with the views
given by Mr. Jefferson, in his "Notes on Virgin
ia,a and by Judge Tucker, in the Appendix to
his edition of Blackstones Commentaries, in ia
yor of gradual emancipation of slaves That
Appendix have not seen in thirty-odd years,
and, in the same period, have read scarcely any,
thing on the subject; but my early Impressions
are fresh and unchanged Hence, if l had had
the honor of seat in the Virginia legislature in
the winter of 1912, when bill was brought
forward to carry out those views, | should Ger.
tainly have given it my hearty support.
| suppose | scarcely need say that. in my
opinion, Congress has no color of authority under
the constitution for touching the relation of mas.
ter and slave in State.
hold the opposite opinion in relation to the
District of Columbia Here, with the consent OF
the owners, or on the payment Of "iust compen-
sation, Congress may legslate at its discretion
But my conviction is equally strong that, unless
it be step by step with the legislatures of Virginia
and Maryland, 1T would be dangerous to boil,
races III those States to touch the relation he
tween master and slave in this District.
have from the first been of opinion that Con-
gress was bound by the constitution to receive.
to refer, and to report upon petitions relating to
domestic slavery as in the case of all petitions
but have not failed to see and to regret the I'm
avoidable irritation which the former have pro-
duced in the Southern States, with the conse-
quent peril to the two colors, whereby the adop-
ton of any plan of emancipation has everywhere
among us been greatly retarded
/ own, myself, no slave; but never have at
tached blame to masters for not liberating their
slaves, well knowing that liberation, without the
means Of sending them in comfort to some posi-
ton favorable to 1.-THE pursuit of happiness"
would in most cases be highly injurious to all |
around, as well as to the manumitted families
themselves, unless the operation were general, |
and under the auspices of prudent legislation
But | am persuaded that it is high moral obi
CATION of masters and slaveholding States to
employ all means, not incompatible with the |
safety of both colors to melorate slavery to exter
minaton.
1t is gratifying to know that general meliora-
ton has been great, and is still progressing not
.withstanding the disturbing causes alluded to
above. The more direct process of emancipation
may, no doubt, be earlier commenced and auick |
ened In some communities than in others Each |
1 do not question, has the right to Judge for |
Itself, both as to time and means; and consider
interference or aid from without. except on in |
yitation from authority within, to be as hurtful
TO the sure progress Of moderation rs il NAV he
fatal 10 the lives OF vast multitudes Of all ages,
sexes, and colors. The work of liberation cannot
be forced without such horrid results. Christian
philanthropyis ever mild and considerate. Hence
all violence ought to be deprecated by the friends
of religion and humanity. Their persuasions
cannot fail at the right time to free the master
from the slave, and the slave from the master
perhaps before the latter shall have found ont
and acknowledged that the relation between the
parties had long been mutually prejudicial to
their worldly interests.
There Is, IN The order Of Providence no evR acih-
out some compromising benefit The bleed;ng Afr;-
can 1oas torn rom has savage home 6y his fsrocious
heghoorS, SOLD IN staUery and cast upon This conti-
nent Here IN the MUD South the race has ,conder-
fully multiplied, compared Nth anyhing eper kno,,p
an bdr6drous life. The descendants of n few
thousands have become many millions and all
from the first made acquainted with the arts Of
civilization, and, above all, brought under the
light Of the Gospel
From the promise made to Abraham. some two
thousand years elapsed before the advent of our
Saviour; and the Israelites, the chosen people of
God, were for wise purposes suffered to remain
In bondage longer than Africans have been on
our shores This race has already experienced
the resulting compensation alluded to : and as
the white missionary has never been able to pen
citrate the dark regions of Africa or to establish
himself in its interior, it may be within the
scheme Of Providence that the great work Of
spreading the Gospel over that vast continent,
with all the arts md Comforts of