The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-11-27

and SO to encourage free labor against the
wasteful system of slave labor. Had their
efforts been crowned with success, Italy would
have been saved from the horrors of the servile
instruction which, fifty years later, found no
free population strong enough to breast its
rage.
The Enquirer is just as much at fault in its
statement concerning the slaves of Sparta.
Some of the slaves belonged to the State-the
body of them to private masters, some being
domestics, others, field hands. They had no
facilities for instruction there, which they had
not elsewhere-not so many, indeed, for they
were under stricter police. And yet, Helot in
surrection was characteristic of the social
condition of Sparta. The Helots were regard
ed as perpetual Preside enemies; the youths
of the State were encouraged to kill them, to
keep down their numbers; and when this did
not suffice, Wholesale butchery was resorted to.
As to st. Domingo, we have never yet seen
the facts stated correctly by ProSlavery pa
per. The first contest there was between the
whites and the free mulattoes, in regard to
equality as to political rights, conferred by the
National Assembly of France. With the dis
cussion and agitation growing out of this, the
slaves had nothing to do, until, from time to
time, some of them were enlisted into the
forces of the contending parties. A local in
surrection took place, but was soon suppress
ed. Subsequently, three Commissioners from
France, armed with absolute power by the Di-
rectory, landed on the Island, and, owing to
the chaotic condition of affairs, with the threat
ened descent of the English, proclaimed the
with enrolled in defence of the Colony. The
freedmen did not abuse their liberty, submitted
to authority, fought bravely, and not until Ma
poleon afterwards undertook, as they believed,
an expedition to re-enslave them, did they re.
sort to violent measures. Their acts, then,
were not insurrectionary, but selfdefensive.
They fought to maintain liberties which had
been conferred on them, and the horrors that
followed we're Justly chargeable on the wicked
policy of the French Despot.
Again: "Few as slave instructions have
been, they have only occurred where the slaves
numbered more than ten to one of the free cit
izens." So says the Richmond Enquirer. Glib
bon, after weighing carefully the whole subject,
comes to the conclusion that the slaves in the
Roman Empire were equal to its free citizens
not ten to one-and yet, as we have shown,
slave instructions were common in that en-
pirel
In the British West Indies, during the exist
ence of Slavery, there was not so great dis
proportion between the free and slave popula-
ton, and yet Instructions were frequent; and
in Cuba, where no such disproportion exists,
knows that Instruction is the per-
petual horror hanging over its inhabitants.
"There can be no danger of instruction at
the South, because the whites are more numer-
Gus than the blacks" &C., &c. In two States
of the South, the slaves greatly outnumber the
the general superiority of the
white population has not prevented insurrec-
tons, as the records of Virginia, South Caro-
lima, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas,
and other Southern States, prove. At this very
time, accounts appear in our Southern ex.
changes, of recent instructions in Tennessee
and Texas.
"The danger is least in time of war, for then
the slaves are most closely watched, and all the
whites are armed" The following extract
from the Secret Journals of the Congress of the
Confederation, (vol. l, p. 1917 containing the
on the 29th March, 1879, furnishes
q sufficient commentary on this bold assertion
"The Committee, (Messrs. Laurens of S. c.,
Burke of N. c., Nelson of Va, Armstrong of
Pa, and Dyer of Conn.,, to take into consider
alton the circumstances of the Southern States,
and the ways and means for their safety and
defence, report:
% That the circumstances of the army will
not admit of the detaching of any force for the
defence Of South Carolina and Georgia. That
the continental battalions of those two States
are not adequate to their defence. That our
three battalions of North Carolina continental
troops, now on the Southern service, are COM
posed of drafts from the militia for nine months
only, which term, with respect to great part
of them, will expire before the end of the cam
paign. That all the other force now employed
for the defence of the said States consists of
militia, who, from the remoteness of their hab-
itatons, and the difficulties attending their
service, ought not to be relied on for continued
State of South Carolina, as represented by the
delegates from that State, and by Mr.. Huger
who has come here at the request of the Gov.
ernor of said State, on purpose to explain the
particular circumstances thereof, is unable to
make any efectual efforts ioih militia, By rea-
son Of the great proportion Of citizens necessary
to remain at home to prevent resurrection amonQ
the negroes, and TO prevent tho desertion of them
to the enemy. That the state of the country,
and the great numbers of those people amono
them, exposes the inhabitants to great danger,
from the endeavors of the enemy to excite them
either to revolt or desert. That it is suggested
by the delegates o. said State, and by Mr.. Huger,
that force might be raised in the State AMONG
the negroes, which would not only be formida-
BILE to the enemy, by their numbers, and the
discipline of which they would admit, but would
alSp lessen the danger from revolt and deser-
tons, by detaching the most vigorous and en-
terprising from among the negroes. That as
peculiarly affecting South Carolina and Geor.
gia, the Committee are of opinion that the same
should be submitted to the governing powers
of the ssid States; and if the said powers shall
judge it expedient to raise such q force, that
the United States ought to defray the expense
thereof Whereupon,
Resotred, That it be recommended to the
States of South Carolina and Georgia, if they
shall think the same expedient, to take meas.
ures Immediately for raising 5000 able-bodied
negroes"
We omit the details of the organization of
the proposed force.
;" Resotred, That Congress will make a pro-
vision for paying the proprietors of such negroes
as shall be enlisted for the service of the United
States during the war, q full compensation for