Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-11-01
AMERICAN SLAVERY.

This question Is one OF the most important
problems in the political economy of the United
States. Few deny that Slavery is an anomaly
in our system of government, and that it ought
to be abolished. 1t is safe to say that the major
ity of the American people sincerely desire its
extinction.
What is the remedy! The fusonists in Otta.
wa County seem to think the grand Panacea
will be the election of Wing Clerk g. Regis
ter, a whig Sheriff. and whig Treasurer. The
good people of the Jackson Convention pretend
to believe that if their State ticket be carri-
ed, Slavery will totter to its foundation. So
throughout the country How much of this
zeal proceeds from sincere desire for the ex-
tinction of Slavery, and how much from desire
to use the moral feeling of the country against
Slavery, as hobby horse to ride into office, we
shall not attempt to determine.
But setting these daubers with untempered
mortar entirely one side, how shall slavery be
abolished! The experiments of compulsory
emancipation, have thus far, proved disastrous
so far as we know, and, under our form of gov
ernment, this is impossible. We believe that
the system of slavery is rapidly Fastening to de-
struction under the impulse of natural laws gui-
ded by the Providence of God, and that the ac-
ton of these natural laws will surely bring it to
aI Suu. llOW iuuCH PoiitiSoi oooiieiohoiAi
aided the decline of Slavery in Missouri, in Ken
tucky, and even in old Virginia? They have re-
tarded it, by exciting a feeling Of enmity and an
tagonism which stimulates the slaveholding in
terest to super-human efforts, to maintain the
ground which they feel to be rapidly, and silent
ly slipping from under their feet.
All the political and legislative action on the
subject has hitherto only hindered the emanci-
patton of the American slaves, so far as it is pos
sible for the puny hand of man to arrest the ex.
ecution of Gods immutable DEGREES. We think
slavery will be abolished after this wise The
principle that the United States government
have no right to interfere in the domestic legis-
ation of the States and territories being well
established, the border slave States and Terri
tories will one by one, abolish slavery as they
find it for their moral and pecuniary interest to
do so. Every detection of this kind counts tw O
in the balance. Neither States nor Territories
can ever be coerced into the abolition of Slavery,
or prevented from abolshing it whenever they
feel it for their interest to do So
Now, what can we do to promote this desira-
bic end: We can expose the evils of slavery to
the public, point out the unfaing signs of its
disso ution, and urge our fellow citizens of the
south to adopt the proper remedy for the dis
ease which prays upon their vitals. We can
demonstrate the fact that slave labor is less prof
liable than free labor. We believe that if the
experiment is fairly tried, cotton and sugar can
be raised with free labor at less expense than
with slave labor Whoever demonstrates this
by actual experiment will accomplish more for
the abolition of Slavery, than all the political ef
forts of all the Free Soiers, and all the fusion
lists, and all the wings added together. These
are legitimate modes of action. Those who
seek only the benefit of the blacks without re-
gard to the interest and welfare Of the whites
of the south, will perhaps object that such meas
ures are inadequate to the removal of such an
evil.
But if they turn to the history of the past we
think they will find that the greatest moral and
political reformations have always been brought
about by causes as apparently inadequate to
produce such great results, as the frost, the
dews, the sunshine and the rains are to level the
granite hills. And yet we know that these are
the mild influences, which the great Mind of the
Universe brings to bear upon such stubborn ma
terals. I1olander.