The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-05-05
COLONIZATION.

BY request,-of ]. H. B. LATRoBE's Let.
ter on Colonization, or rather his notice OF
VicroR Hueo's views Of Slavery in the
United States. Mr.. Latrobe is citizen
Of Baltimore. Nd. The letter was ad-
dressed to THOMAS SUFFERN, OF N. Y.
OCEAN HOUSE, NEWPORT, R. ! I
August 90, 1851.
MY DEAR SIR:-The following is, prob.
ably, the substance of my remarks, during
my conversation yesterday with Mr.. ]. w.
Coleman and yourself, with Victor Hugo's
letterto Mrs. Chapman, OF July 9th, 1851.
on the subject of Slavery in the United
States, before us. commit them 10 paper
at your request.
The letter of Victor Hugo is character.
istic. 1t has been translated so as to do
justice to the terse and epigrammatic style
OF the author. Argument it scarcely pre-.
tends to; and while you feel, that it is cal
culated to produce wrong impressions, and
obtain an influence to which it is not enti
tied, it is difficult to find any salient point
on which to hang the true view of the sub
ject.
The best way, perhaps, will be to con-
slider the letter as the expression of strong
sympathy on the part Of the writer, in the
labors Of lady engaged in promoting the
cause Of Anti-Slavery, to speak more
accurately, Modern Abolition. in the Uni
ted States. Indeed, Victor Hugo begins
by saying, that he has been desired by her
''to lift up his voices" and so he does.
II is plain that both of these persons be-
long 10 the class which desires the imme-
diate emancipation Of the slaves in the
United States, under the impression, that,
not only will the country be relieved, there
by, from stigma which they assert rests
upon it, but the emancpated slaves will,
at once, be elevated to proper rank in
society, and permanently benefited. Both
OF them. it is taken for granted, would
shrink fiom the idea Of masters destroy
ing his slave in order that he might clear
his conscience of the guilt of holding him
in bondage. Nor would they. knowing ly,
sanction the employment of any means
which indirectly, no matter how remotely,
produced the same result. This being the
case then, if we can shew, that the sue
cessoftheir projects in wolves the sacrifice of
the objects OF their benevolence, they must
either admit such project to be altogether
wrong, or disown what we have accorded
to them,-an honest purpose to benefit the
black race. The reply to them, therefore,
which will cover, too, whatever there is OF
argument in Victor Hugo's letter, must be
found in an enquiry into the probabilities
of the future, should their anticipations be
realized, that "within time, not distant,
the United States will repudiate Slavery
with horror"
Nothing is easier than to cry out "eman-
cipation forthwith but there are good
many practical difficulties in the way Of it,
which modern abolition, whose character
istic is total disregard of circumstances
does not seem, heretofore, to have taken
into consideration. The care Of the aged.
the insane, the idiotc, infants without moth
ers, and mothers helpless because Of their
very infants. which n low falls upon the mas
tors Of slaves, but which would be the duty
of no one, were the masters discharged
from the obligation, would be a matter Of
no little consequence and difficulty, in the
event OF a general and immediate eman-
cipation. But, suppose this and all other
practical difficulties to be surmounted, we
come 10 the time, when, legislation having
done every thing in its power, the country
would present the spectacle OF two free
races, of different colors, with equal rights
as citizens, under the law:-the black race
composed of colored persons born free
and emancipated slaves, numbering some
four millions, and the white race, compos.
ed of native born whites and whites from
other countries, numbering some twenty
one millions.
But, however liberal Legislation might
be, there would be some things which i,
could not do. 1t could give political, but
not social position. 1t could empower the
emancipated slaves to hold property and
to vote, which has been already done in
some of the States; but it could not re.
move the prejudice which the white popu-
lation entertain against their race. 1t
could not change those physical charac-
teristics, which affect association with
them, either as regards their appearance
or otherwise 1t could not induce fathers
to give their daughters 10 them in MARI
age, or reconcile the daughters to receive
them as husbands. Nor would this i'm
potency Of the law be Of present duration
only. As already said, some Of the States
have done for the negro race, all that leg
islaiion could effect. and this too, genera
tions since. But no where do we hear oil
any such change in public opinion. OF
any prospect Of such change, as prom
ises. now. or hereafter, to better their So
cial condition in any of the particulars we
have just mentioned.
Legislation, then, having exhausted
itself, without having been able 10 remove
the prejudices Of the whites against the
free blacks or emancipated slaves, or give
them social position, it would have to be