Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-02-03
REPORT
the .Sslect COMMITTEE on The regaopai Of Ere
Spe.eons of Cola,. fs,o,o Nis STATE


Western Coast of Africa" have had the same under
and ask leave tosubmt the following
report: .~5tii1tkE
Tue condition of the free negroes IN Tennessee
and the propriety of providing means Tor tneir
removal beyond the limits of the State, are matters
of no little importance, and are worthy the serious
consideration Of the Represen taives OF the people
The free negroes IN Tennessee, ana, we may auu,
in every Southern STATE, occupy strange and
anomalous position They are not under those
wholesome guards and restraints which tend so
much to promote the happiness and well.being OF
the slave population nor are they possessed OF those
rights end privileges which belong to the white
population. 1t would not only be contrary to eve
ry dictate Of sound policy, and to every principle
of enlightened legislation to place the negro upon
afooting Of equality, either social or POLITICAL with
the white man; but it would be revolving to nature,
and subversive Of the whole structure of society.
Two races so dissmilar cannot remain together
with any prospect of advantage to either unless
the negro is in state of bondage This fact we
consider almost self evident but did it need any
argument to sustain it. could point to the cond
ton of the free negroes In the northern states OF
this Union, proof conclusive OF the fact. Iher
condition in those States, is, with few exceptions,
one of the utmost degradation, and often OF utter.
misery and want Whilstwe are free to admit, that
mariv of the free negroes in this State are quiet
orderly ard well behaved yet it cannot be denied
that their presence is often Of serious inconvenience
They occupy position alike hurtiul to themselves,
Injurious to the slave population and detrimental
TO the best interests OF society. The increase OF
this kind of population will be seen 10 be very rap
id by reference to the census tables since looo
The free blacks in the United States, IN the year
1900 amounted to los, 39S whilst in 1850, their
number was 4l9 173, showing an increase Of over
300 900 in fifty years. The whole slave population
of the United States in the year 1870 was only
697 997 but little than the present free black
population. The number of slaves has increased to
over three millions and should the free negroes
continue to increase as they have done within the
last half century, their number will ere long amount
to as much as the present slave population. In our
own State the number of free blacks in 1870 was
6,22l whilst in 1900 the whole free black popula-
ton in Tennessee, Kentucky, and the territory of
Alabama was only L090. The important and IN
teresting question is then presented, what is to be
done witha population, increasing with such fearful
rapdity and which in the language OF one of the me-
MORALS occupies an intermediate state between Tree
dom and slavery enjoying the benefits of neither OBJ
jects at the time of compassion and suspicion
We clearly Of the opinion that there Is but one
remedy for this evil and that is their removal to a
country where the government is under the control
ofpeope of their own coorupon the western coastof
Africa So long as they remain in this country,
either in the Northern Southern States, their
condition must, of necessity, be enc Of social and
political degradation, and thus very fact will have
strong tendency TO make them, in many instances,
idle, dishonest and worthless, and render them
public nuisance. Their own best and highest in
terests demand imperatively their removal to Ii
IBERIA, country in AL respects suited 10 their wants,
where they may enjoy social and political privl-
leges and where the experiment can be fairly made
whether they can ever be so elevated in the scale of
being as to establish and maintain free govern
ment That they may be able to do so is doubtless
the earnest desire of every friend of humanity
The idea is entertained by many, that the negro
race owing to its natural neriority can never be-
come capable Of governing themselves This ques-
ton we shall not undertake to decide and it must
find its solution in the result of the experiment of
the Republic of Liberia That government is rep
resented to be now in highly fourishing and pros
porous condition, considering the circumstances by
which it has been surrounded and the difficulties it
has encountered. 1t has aided greatly in the sup
preston of that infamous traffic which our own
government the first to declare piracy and has
also been the means of extending into the interior
Of Africa some of the arts of civilized life. There
is no other means of civiEzing that vast continent,
which contains one hundred and fifty millions of hui
man beings, and whose growing trade is attracting
the attention of the commercial world than
through the nstrumentalty of the Liberan gov
eminent. We doubt not the free negroes of this
country WILL in a few years, be so much dissatis-
fled with their condition in this country and so well
persuaded of the advantages resulting from their
removal to Liberia, that many, If not all of them
will voluntarily seek homes in that country so ad
miraby adapted to their necessities and their con-
dition and where they may enjoy privileges which
they can never hope topossess in the presence of a
superior race. The wicked efforts Of the abolition
lists to induce them to remain in this country will
we doubt not, prove unavailng when they become
more acquainted with their own true interests and
better satisfied to the advantages which Liberia
holds out as inducements for their emigration thith-
er. Maryland and Virginia have made liberal APP
preparations from their State TreaSuries to provide
the mearns for the transportation of such of their
free blacks might wish to remove but as there are
so many applications for appropriations from our
State Treasury for more immediate and pressing
wants, we do not think it advisable to recommend
any appropriation for any such purpose at tbs time
though we are decidedly Of the opinion that no
more slaves ought to be emancipated in this State,
unless the means are provided by their owners for
their transportation to Liberia. We believe it
would be much better for them, and much more
conducive to the best interests of society for them to
remain IN slavery than to be liberated and permit
ted to remain IN this State having thename of free
dom without any of its advantages. The idea of
colonlzing our free blacks on the western coast of
Africa had its origin in Virginia and was advocated
by her ablest and most distinguished statesmen.
Washington Jefferson, Madison, Marshall and Mon
roe were among Its warmest advocates and it is to
this day favor1te scheme with the people Of that
noble State. Mr.. Jefferson in 1871 said al have
longago made upmy mind on this subject, and have
no hesitation in saying have ever thought it the
most desirable measure for gradually drawing off
this Parto our population (the free Blacks Going
from country possessing all the useful arts they
might De the means Of transporting them among !
the inhabitants of Africa, and would thus carry
back to the country Of their origin the seed of civil
zaton which Mi ht render their soourning here !
blessing IN the end to that country. Nothing is |
more TO be desired than that the United States |
would themselves undertake TO make such an es- |
adjustment on the western coast of Africa EXclI- !
ave OF motives OF humanity, the commercial advan-
ages to be desired from it might deiray all its ex-
lenses. ...
The attention Of the committee has also been di
ected to subject Of much interest in every slave
holding community, and that is the propriety of
permitting Tree negroes to nermarry with slaves
TINS we consider to be serious evil not only to the
'wner, but also both to the slave and to the free
legro. 1t is highly important that there should be
'ut lew family ties between slaves and free negroes,
5 1t may sooner or later become necessary for all
he free blacks to be removed. In addition to this,
here are other reasons which we do not deem it
ecessary to dwell upon, why marriages between
laves and free negroes should be discouraged
hough we do not think proper to advise any legis-
alton upon this subject believing that it NAV safe