Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-11-09

anu ne .no''Ves OF the parties to it, 1t ono
% enects OF slavery :oimpress on us Ine
convection OF the lnestimable value of ~ d deep
and profound reverence for the Const;trt;e Union,
created II; and hence We habituallv cbo,;aL winch
teelng as OF brethren towards our fellow o.. good
every State and any deed or word tend" V'Hens Of
me perpetuy OF the Union and the efceDo w impair
Constitution and the laws passed in accoUdy OF the
it, or to ALLEVIATE the affections of the with
different States from each other is seen t, OF the
tence and trowned on with indgnation Ia lmpa-
tnefe We're any thing in slavery or the interaS, II
neced with 1t incompatible with that fundaroooon,
law; oo1ot not that our people would wilTnn.al
abide by that sacred instrument though il aLgy
cut Oft right hand pluck out a right avo 'Ho1id
there VIII be no occasion for display of onr out
IN that respect since the Constitution clearly 5'y
nzes our slavery, sustains the rights of ownossTS
and enforces the duty of service and am ners"sSH
ina! tne oDgat'on OF those provisions and their eve
cuton will be ultimately pronounced and carried Gaze
by those on whom the Constitution itself confea
authority. My purpose, now however, is mereIv 't u.
MAINTAIN that slavery here is favorable to the NV
ests OF agriculture in point of economy and nroe.
and not unwholesomc to the moral and social toOI
ton Of each race. "ul'
In support of the fist part of the proposition !,
cisve argument is furnished by the fact tb.t ~, ue
amount and value of the productions of slave te
in this country exceeds those of similar rrnd.;F
nay, of all other agricultural productions ~ u.s.
equal number of men in any other country as 70, al
they can be ascertained In some localities ;nSno SS
and in respect to articles of great valne 49,
production would cease, or nearly cease with oIo
ry; since the blacks, by the constitutions inhar;el
from theft African ancestors, labor Y ithont J
| trment, under degrees of heat, moisture and ~
posure, which are found TO be fatal to the vb;,na
whose systems better adapted to different conE
tons of the atmosphere. In truth if the free nn =;
those States in which slavery prevails be aIouaI
credit for common and the capacity to undor
stand their own wants and interests, the utility Of ~,
employment of slave labor and its productveness aro
established beyond controversy, simply by the fart
that it is done. Men who are thoroughly versed in
the practical operation of any institution, cerainlv
will not, 10 their own pre- udce, uphold it from gen.
Grafton to generaion and cling the closer to it as bv
its natural extension it becomes more and more d.
structive If it be said that the continuance of slave
| ry does not prove Its utility to the Commonwealth
because it was continued of necessity and would
have been, however impolitic it might be found we
must own some force in the suggestion, by itself,
since at all times after IFS introduction would have
been difficult to get rid OF it, and that difficulty has
been continually increasing 1t was much easier for
those who now condemn SO strenuousIy our tolera.
ton OF slavery, to capture and enslave the epless
Africans and bring them here, than for us, without
CRIME yet more heinous, 10 dominion over
them and turn them loose to their discretion and
self-destruction. Their fate would soon be that of
our native savaaes or the enfranchised blacks of
| the West Indies, the miserable victims of ideness,
want drunkenness, and other debaucheres But the
argument goes only to show that would have
done right, though enforced Thereto by the ne.
cesslty spoken of-in still holding those people in
bondage 1t is far frcm showing that slavery would
not have been and ought not 10 have been manained
though there had been such hypothetical necesS.
ty for dong So Furthermore, there numerous
facts to prove clear opinion to the contrary in ev
cry class OF our population When did any man,
for example, leave North Carolina in order to get
clear of his slaves of slavery! We have indeed
respectable and peaceful religious society-ess nu.
melous than mery--who are forbidden by an arti
Gle in their creed from holding men in slavery
Even they never warred or commended against this
institution here, nor sought 10 seduce spirit away
their neighbours slaves but like the quiet and chris
tan they professed to be, they left and i'm
migrated chiefly to the States of the Northwest in
which slavery did not exist With that slight excep.
ton. the public sentiment is generally satisfied
with the existence OF slavery and its propriety here
that it may properly be called universal Some men
have emancipated some or all OF their slaves by send
ing them to other States. But know not of an in.
stance in which the former went with them,
or left North Carolina because other would
} not follow their example On the contrary when
our shareholders remove, they carry their slaves with
them further South where slavery is, if possible,
more firmly fixed than here, because they expect the
labor OF the slaves to be more productive Besides,
there are many inhabitants of this State who do not
hold slaves, some from choice and some from nabIi
y 10 purchase them, and nevertheless they
tented 10 abide among and our slaves. And it IS
also true, that even when those men migrate much
the larger part of them likewise 90 10 the south OF
in the thick of slavery because they hope make
greater profit from their own exertions These
facts which cannot be denied, will bear reflection,
and furnish evidence sufficient to satisfy any fair
mind that there is an unanimous conviction Of our
people that slavery, as it exists here is neither un-
prohta BILE, nor lmpolitic, nor unwhoesome. For
certainly. though shareholders, we may claim to pos
sess as clear understandings, and clear conscences
; as generally fall to the lot of other men.
Ii would indeed, be otherwise, if it were true as
supposed OF set forth by some, that slavery degaes
free labor and, consequently, that population are
too proud too lazy to work and become, especially
slave owners. dlssolue and prohigate in morals, IS
well as atroclous yrans. But that is not true-n0l
at all true; and there was greater mistake
than to suppose it true. 1t cannot but excite smile
IN u.s. who know the contrary well, when we are
told that white men do not work here and that they
do not because 1t is considered disgracefu. WHY!
there is not country on earth in which honest labor
and diligence in business in all classes and conditions
is considered more respectable is respected
We, like every other people, have the idle and the
vicious amongst us. But they chiefly those who
have the least connection with slaves, and particular
ly those employed in agriculture and are to be found
without means, lounglng about cities and villages
Many most independent farmers, who own slaves bu
not enough 10 make their superintendent full EN-
| ployment, work, they and their sons, with lhe4
slaves and 1t is sure that here ever tTea'VI
them or thought of them as disgraced by it. Indeed
every one, who by intelligence integrity, and indus
try provides for himself and his household either q
the field or at the forge, or any other mechanical Pu
suit, is as highly respected here as in every otHe
well ordered community, and many of them are "
great and useful influence in society.
1t is = mistake too, equally notable that save ave.
holders are above or exempt from the cares and VIC
business OF life; and it is gross caIumny TO repre-
sent them the ruthless and relentless yrantS' Q,
whom some persons delight to draw over-chaTseit
and exaggerated caricaures Although the labor I"