Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-08-25
EXPERIMENTAL EMANCIPATION.

,rot,,s,ur u devotion 10 the Constitution uh0 l""''
EXPERIMENTAL EMANCIPATION
} Tho baltimore Patrio. submits 10 those who favor
immediate abolition the following interesting nara
tive of experimental cinancipaiion, furnished from "
: source perfectly authentic. As the Patriot well says
the oninions Of orr forcfathers were compounded o'
philanthropy and Il conviction that slave labor, n'hc
country "a which il was then confined, wns not worth
) rho cost Of observation-disclosures But "thc moral obl'Sa-
,;o, IN .maucipu,c tho slave, has been, however
,r.u,,r cl,udcd hy the result Of experimental aboli'
,;ou whilst the invention of the cotton gin, the I'M,
meuse demand which has sprung up for the staples "i
the South. and the improved capacity which the slaves
are deriving from the great manual labor school, have
impaired to that property a vuIue that renders Inc
policy recommended by our iorcinIhcrs inappIicablct"
the existing condition of things. But II Is not "F
purpose to descant upon the pr"lI1etyoi tho OPINION
To which we have referred. Some "i inc same Srca'
authorities were opposed at one time to any separa-
ton from the mother country. We desire TO submit
10 those who favor immediate abolition, the following
narrative of experimental aboition-an experiment
made uuder fsircst circumsi anccs, and yet attended with
the most lamcutable failure. We do not affirm that tile
same result would follow i cvery case; bn; with tli'l L.
Illustration Of auinvariable result so far us wc have heard
wherever the experiment of manumission has been
tried in q slaveholding community. and With the s'a-
tisticel exhibit of the condition OF the freed man, IL Il
uou-slaveholding community, we may ask those VIII"
prescribe emancipation as I duty, Ia explain the dis
position which can be made Of the slave. ii il should
become the policy of The South TO Gdopt their advice.
The narrative presents results so inevitable il coin
cides SD c1actly with what We have ourselves seen in
similar communities, that i, carries IN internal impress
OF uuexaggrrated probability. Wo will not anticipate
the excellent comments with which the narrative is
interpreted. Every rational friend Of emancipation
must. We think, be convinced, from every example
which it has Us yet presented, that great a. may bein
their imagination the evils OF slavery, those Of indis-
Greet emancipation are scarcely less"
AFREr NEGRO CoNMrNITr.-Eichari Randolph
eldest brother of John Randolph, Of Roanoke, died IN
the ycGr 1896, at bizarre The name OF the large
estate bcoucathcd him by hs father, John Randolph.
ST., and living On the head waters OF tho Appolnnt'uH
river. near III" Town Of Farnviiie, Va. lie is repre-
scented 20 have brcna lnnn 81 talents scarcely inferior 10
those of his celebrated brother, and OF extraordinary
goodness OF character. Entertaining the opinion, then
general in the South, and especially in Virginia, that
slavery WIZ n curse alike 10 muster nnd 10 servant,
Mr.. X. liberated his slaves by will, aud made ample
provision for their maintenance. Owing 10 rccunia-
nv cmbarrassments, the provisions ut the will were no:
carried into execution, until fifteen years Hitciw arh-,
and not until many Of the slaves had been sold to IL
quidate the heavy mortgages which rested upon the
estate. About ISL, John Randolph, who had aS-
sumed the management of his brother f affairs, re-
moved to the county OF Charlotte, and the negroes,
vnriouslv estimated a; from one hundred 10 one hun
drrd and thirty in number, entered upon the ENJOY
ment of their freedom.
A portion of the Bizarre estate, consisting of three
hundred ana fifty, (sonc sWv five hundrcdI acres, par
tally cleared, we'll tintbrrcd, and well watered, WIS
divided into sections Of fifty and twenty-five acres,
each; aud upon these sections the various lainlllcs,
according TO the number and age OF the individuals
composing them, were scttl"d-thnsc hay !ng aged and
iniirn parents TO support, received more, and those
not having these incumbranGcs, less iahd; All were
provided with means To build themselves houses, and
with agricultural implements l." till the soil. Fairly
settled i'll the land Of promlSc-thc Canaan to which
they had looked so lougingly for fifteen yenrs-thcy
"uvc il the name of "lsrael ll;iF-an appclatiun
which explains the ~sHn.uinc anticipations and rci.
riotis tone which guided ;lIcm to IL choice. VI"
doubt they looked forward 10 the time when Israel
Hill should bc a thriving, porn!ous rii!"cc-"" city
set upon au hill'-shining g!pii0,islv to the eyes OF
their brethren in bondage, as did the Detachable
mountains 10 Bunvans Pilgrim.
Here, then, they were Lei. to work out their dcstl-
ny, and here, indeed, il ever, it was to have been cx-
pcctcd that the African would thrive and prosper,
and fulfil the expectations which prompted his noble
muster to set them free. The conditions of the es-
pertinent Were prc-eminently favorable for the manu-
~mitted-Mld the clements OF success surrounding
lucln nuUlcTtuS-oHu suNH w N"t Nv "SN'A ~
brought 10 bear upon them i'll any future experiment.
They were the choice servants OF one OF the most
aristucratic, humane md cultivated families IN the
State, reserved from sale because OF the excellence
of their dispositions, their fidelity and their industry.
They had enjoyed the advantage of association with
intelligent whites, they were taught the principles u!
the Christian religion. They were trained TO habits
Of labor, and were settled upon fertile land in Il tenn
perato climate. Fuel anl water were abundant
They We're surrounded by kindly disposed ncIgh5ors,
who gave them employment ut harvest, and ut many
other times during the year; who minis,crcd to tlirir
wants i'll sickness, and who gave them advice in mat
tiers of business. And more than nl, they Were not
brought into competition with white lnbur--lhc
banc Of the African who settles in the free
, States. Under these p~ropIlious circumstances it
was reasonable TO expect that the little colony
would have gonc on ~ prospcr-!hat this miniature
Liberia would have become rich, %populous, fertile
the parent of other colonies To the free Suites that
the system Of parccl-cnii,rc would have mndc every
inch of the sul productive-that Israel Hill would
have become Il handsome village surrounded with or
churds and gardens. mud sheltered by luxuriunt shade.
trees. The philanthropist who shared the opinions
and the hopes of Richard Randolph. would have en-
pectcd TO have heard in this village tho sound Of the
hammer the saw. the plane, the church-going bell
tho evidences OF thrift, of industry and OF good mo-
rails. But, cow that forty years have passed awny,
what are the facts OF the case How has the cXper-
, imcpt succeeded!
Tn. traveller on the Sonth-side Kali Road passes
t through the centre of Israel Till, without being aware
= of its presence. The few miserable huts which cCn-
, stitutn the village. are uo; attractive enough to retain
i his attention for more tlinn II moment, and he passes
= Oh ignorant Of The Lesson which q mistaken phiiuil-
r 'hr"ry might have taught him. The visitor TO the
neiGhborhood' who has the eurio'ity or interest, 10 IN
! qulre INTO the results OF inns unhappy experiment
= will be saddcned by its details. He will find that II
L healthy, happy, moral community OF slaves Fave from
tho day of their liberation deeeneraied nntll uley nave
3 become a diseased uep,ra'Eh, nllseta9ie people"
curse I" themselves anu u pest 10 the.t nei!ho"is.
, The men are urunkarGs' me women pf'sluIies, IN"
chlldrca sc."lulous and Syri!litic. Almost mi strol'
There "c hylloraoie exceptions to tlls RUE out me!