The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-15
The Eject of Slavery.

mere Is Just enough slavery IN west
ern Virginia to curse that section of the
State by driving out many of her enter
prising citizens, and preventing the influx
OF northern men and capital, while those
personally interested in maintaining the
institution are few, indeed, compared
with the whole population.
James E. Wharton, Esq, the talented
editor of the Times, who has for twenty
years battled for the interests of Wheel
ing and western Virginia, and probably
done more than any other for the pros
perity of that city, has at last reluctantly
determined to ''pull up stakes, and re-
move to the flourishing free State ofOhio.
In his valadictory, in the Wheeling
Times of Saturday, he tells the peo-
pie of Virginia some truths too seldom
heard in that quarter, where the influ-
ence of the few shareholders generally
controls the press. We trust his re-
marks may have due weight with those
among whom he has labored for nearly
a quarter of a century. They come, not
from "nigger-stealer," but from the
heart and brain of one who, after devot-
ing his energies for that period to the
temporal welfare and prosperity of her
people, has been forced TO the..conclusion
that the evils Virginia labors under
are social, not political, and social reme-
dies alone viii cure them. Hear him,
Flrginians, and be no longerruled by tho
slave oligarchy in your State. After re-
capitulating the events which marked
his political course, he says:
''Since the defeat of Gen. Scott it has
become manifest thatoid political issues
had ceased to be considered, and that
new men were required, and new meas
ures had become important TO the public.
By the enactment of the fugatiye slave
law and the Kansas Nebraska bill, the
general government became responsible
for slavery, as it was made to adopt it
as national measure.
Opposed to slavery as an institution;
believing it to be detrimental and dis
graceful to every government, knowing
it paralizes the energies of every people
who retain it; that Il had dragged Fr-
ginia doDn from the first to The fourth
.State in tile Union in violation ofnature;
that it has established an aristocracy Of
birth, idleness and power to the detri-
ment of the masses; that under its gen.
eral education. political purity and equal
ity could not exist; that the few must
and would govern the many, while the
inpelling powers of the human mind
were suffered to stagnate, and enterprise
find few objects to stimulate tive
have opposed all efforts to make the
general government the protector and
fosterer of the institution, and have urged
upon our readers the sentiments enter
tanned by the leading spirits of Virginia,
in her palmiest days, wherein they de-
nounced the institution, and call earnest
ly upon the people to provide for its
eradication at an early day. That one
who uttered such sentiment in Virginia
should meet with nothing but opprebium
/ from those presses of the State which
are the timid tools of petty tyrants or are
prostituted to the advancement of politi-
cal factions. is to be expected. That
mouth that spoke freely upon such
subject, should feel the power of those
who would perpetuate the supremacy of
the few over the many, was to be ex-
pccted that he would suffer many forms
of persecution is no more than he ought
to consider the necessary result; but
thank God we have found thousands Of
noble hearted friends, who held our po-
sition as the dawning ofa brighter day.
The day has already dawned in the pub
| lie schools, and the commencement of
internal improvements in the State, be-
fore which slavery will slowly but inevi-
iabIy fade away as the mists Of the night
before the morning sun. We may not
live to see Virginia free State but If
teen years will not elapse before the
necessary legislation is had to produce
the result.
I '1B the meantime, however, not stran-
gers, but her own sons, are leaving her
and seeking homes in free States, while
northern men are gradually coming in
and purchasing the worn out soil for a
mere song while theaggression of the
slave power, in the general government
has reused universal spirit of resistance
at the North which can only be allayed
BY just legislation and the election of
men who comprehend nationality and
freedom as words of meaning and power.
The crisis was forced by the Nebraska
bill, aud there is no stunning it,
/ When viii Virginia appreciate the
loss of such men, and apply the axe to
the root ofthe Upas she has neurished 50
long?
During nearly fifteen years of our
connexioH with the press, we have had
an occasional tilt with Mr.. Whorton.
especially owing to bis ardent efforts for
the advancement of Wheeling and her
interests-but we part with him with re-
gret, and trust that in another sphere,
In the freer atmosphere of the North, be
may yet prove useful In promoting tie
best interests of the State in which fe
has already spent the best years Of his
manhood Pikstargh Dispatah.