The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-01


are seized with a fit Of truth telling on the ne
gro question, and the nerves of the abolition
lists receive terrible shock. Such fit attacked
Mr. Larwill, member of the Canadian Parlia-
ment, short while since. In reply to the
speech from the throne, he moved that 1.-THE
Provincial Legislature do hereafter exact from
negro immigrants poll tax equal in amount
TO that now imposed upon other foreigners-do
not incorporate any associations for the special
benefit Of men of co or IS class, and do dis
courage the promotion OF any institution the
object and end whereof would be JUNCTION
with the abolitionists Of the Northern States, to
bring about severance Of the American Unionn
Now. it is quite clear to any man of common
sense that Mr.. Larwill cares as little for the
existence Of the American Union as we do for
the continuance of Lord Elgin's goyernorship.
He has no conceivable interest in its duration:
but on the contrary direct interest in its Sc
verance. The pretence that his motion was
made in order to conciliatc us is mere sham:
and can delude no one. A use far nearer
MIR. Larwills heart than our national welfare,
impelled him to the step. In the township Of
Elgin, which forms part OF his constituency,
eleven thousand negroes have ettled most of
them fugitive slaves from the South who have
reached Canada by the underground rail-
| road. When runaway slaves first began
to fly 10 Canada, they scattered them
selves in the large cities, and sought work
where they could obtain IT, Soon, however,
very strong dislike to their society began to
manifest itself among the thorough abolition
| lists Of the province: the same people who hold
antislayery meetings and abuse Us so heartily
once or twice year. To satisfy them, q town
ship was set apart for the special use Of the ne
groes; and the Governor General gave ii his
own name. They had not been there twelve
| months before the inhabitants of the neighbour
ing townships began to rebel against their
proximity. Land in the neighborhoo1 Of gin
deprecated rapidly no one wanted to have
farm next door to q ''niggcr village" 1t was
shown abundantly that the bnlk of the negroes
were idle, vicious, and turbulent: and il was
strongly suspected that they were actually
relapsing into their native barbarism. Adolf
tionism was too potent in Canada for the com
plants OF the negabors to be heard at first
people who had never seen over couple Of
negroes in their life could not understand the
antipathy which several thousands Of the race
collected together and living under no re-
straint, had contriyed to eagender. AT length,
however, az the last election Mr.. Larwill was
elected under pledge from his constituents
that he would do what in him lay 10 relieve
the country Of the plague of the negroes AS
The first opportunity he has fulfilled his pledge
by proposing poll tax of one dollar and
half on fugitive slaves migrating to Canada
There is of course not shadow ofa pros
pcct that Mr.. Larwill will even find three mem
bers to support his motion. People must live
among the colored race to appreciate its incon-
vcniences; and as no one in the Canadian Par
lament but Mr.. Larwill himself has enjoyed
that experience, his proposal will obviously be
regarded as the fruit of narrow prejudice. The
fact is there, nevertheless. The only county in
Canada where coloIed people arc settled in any
considerable number instructs its representa-
tive to take measures toprcyent their settling
in their neghborhood Canada, to which Mrs
Stowe and the other abolitionists look as the
soil Of freedom, u sort OF promised land to
the negro, begs her parliament to shut the door
against the entrance OF fugitive slaves.
This is only another evidence of the insolu-
bility of the problem Of negro freedom in Amer
ca. 1t only proves arresh that, given four
millions of blacks in The United States and
twenty five millions OF whites you cannot place
he two on footing of equality without de-
stroying the peace of the country.
1t is easy work to theorize on slavery Any
body can steal page from Robespierre or Rous
eau, and deduce inaliepable rights in men oil
q. hues to personal liberty. But when it
s attempted TO put these theories in prac-
ticc, obstacles which override all the alb
stract teachings Of philosophy at once e.-
tablish their utter-though relative-absurdity
We may talk as we will about the horrors
ofslayery: but we who speak thus, will not asso-
ciate with negro on any terms but those of SER
vitude We may upbraid the South for selling
men and women but these same men and wo.
men we will not suffer to enter our omnibuses
or sit down at our tables. We may utter
heartren ing cries at the separation of IA
miles but we shrink ourselves from the
bare contact of one Of the beings whose
fate we so bitterly lament. Just so the
people of Canada. They are immensely philan-
thropic when they talk of the negroes at the
South: but when The negroes reach the North,
they will pen them up in a township by them
selves to avoid contamination, and will after
wards petition the Legislature to prevent their
settling even there. Right or wrong the an
tipathy is born and dies with all of US To try
to cure it by acts of Congress, is like making
laws to prevent fvers or guard against colds.
So far as we are concerned, the mistake lay
in bringing the blacks here at all. To them
the exchange has been a godsend. If the ne
groes knew their own interest they would re-