The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-04-10
EMANCIPATION AT THE SOUTH.

the earlier days of the Republic, when Wash
ington, Jefferson, and Madison, controlled the
opinions of the South, there was general re-
pugnance felt among the more enlightened
part of the People of Virginia, Maryland, and
North Carolina, towards an institution which is
standing libel and reproach upon the authors
of the Declaration of Independence.
Gradually, the cotton culture by slaves prov
ing to be more and more valuable, weakened
the moral sentiments of the People, and rem
dered them Indifferent to the evils of a system
which they deemed essential to their prosperity.
They abated their honest attachment to the
cardinal principles of our institutions, and
came into that neutral Indifferent state, from
which they were liable to be led in any direc-
ton by circumstances. The occurrence of the
instruction in Southampton, Virginia, proved
the turning point The first impulse of the
more enlightened and better part of the Com
monwealth, after the suppression of the revolt,
was to abolish an institution which so fearfully
menaced the peace of society, and which lay,
as a mine, under their feet, to be sprung by
the first enemy, domestic or foreign. The
subject was freely discussed in the Legislature
of 1912, and by the newspapers of the day.
Eloquent speeches were made, and eloquent
editorials written, glowing with the spirit of
Freedom-speeches and writings which would
do honor to the ablest champions of the cause
in the free States at the present day-but their
effect was merely to arouse the british opposi-
ton of the slaveholding interest, who by the
crushing force of numbers put down the "agi-
tation," which even at that day was branded as
incendiary. In word, although Virginia had
hundreds and thousands of champions of Free
dom, they were unequal to the task of Kidding
the State of Slavery. The People were poor,
| their land was poor, and the bulk of their prop
erty consisted of slaves. The idea of throwing
away the principal element of wealth in the
State, appeared to the vulgar apprehension, to
the shortsighted common sense of the slave
holders, as little less than suicide. They easily
triumphed over the friends of Freedom, and
from that time forward the Pro-Slavery senti-
ment has grown in bitter intensity. The poll
ticians have found it the best and surest invest
ment for patriotic ardor, and it has caused the
rising of thousands of the meanest and poorest
of demagogues to the surface of society, with
the downfall of whatever is free and liberal.
But after all, the People are better than the
politicians. The still small voice of reason
and conscience is still heard in that quarter,
and the efforts to suppress education and eman-
cipation show that the People are disposed to
do "what is just and equal" by their slaves, if
left to themselves. The imbruting laws against
teaching the slaves to read had their origin in
the Southampton insurrection, as well as the
laws prohibiting emancipation. If the authors
of such wicked and criminal statutes could
discard passion, and act upon their better in
stincts and upon the plain dictates of reason
and experience, they would see at once that
the occasion called for the very opposite line of
policy-for laws intoxicating and encouraging
education, and the thrift and industry necessary
to purchase freedom. They could not fail to
perceive, if they would open their eyes, that
the Southampton as well as all other nsurrec-
tons of slaves in this country have proceeded
from the beastly ignorance of the slaves-from
their utter ignorance Of the relative numbers
and strength of the two races in the country,
which the least knowledge of books and news
papers would have taught them.
We believe that the South is awakening to
consciousness of the great mistake which has
been made in this particular, viewed in the
light of policy as well as of duty. For three
years past we have observed growing symptoms
of Change gradual development of con-
science and reason in the treatment of slaves.
1t is true that the Pro-Slavery feeling was never
higher; never before has Slavery claimed so
much at the hands of the Federal Govern
ment. But in the very act of claiming recog-
milton as hnmane and Christian institution,
it has been compelled to repudiate its grosser
features-its denial of education of the mar
riage and family ties, and the traffic in human
beings-as abuses, as no part of the essential
idea of servitude.
Efforts have recently been made in Georgia
and Virginia to throw greater obstacles in the
way of voluntary emancipations. This policy,
like that against education, is founded on a
short-sighted view of the subject, and will
tend to precipitate general and sudden eman-
cipation, rather than to prevent it. The we'll |
ing current of humanity will break over the
temporary barrier which confines it, and its
strength and volume will only be increased by
the obstruction. The of Slavery, present
and possible, is limited, while the increase of
population is an endless geometrical progress
sion, doubling every twenty-five years. To
check voluntary emancipations, therefore, is to |
insure a speedier arrival of the period when |
the excess of supply over the demand must of |
necessity destroy the value of the slaves to
their owners and compel emancipation, as
release from an intolerable pecuniary burden.
The short-sighted and sinister legislation of the
South on this subject, by preventing occasional
voluntary emancipations, therefore can only
tend to precipitate the sudden overthrow of
the system of Slavery.
The People of Louisiana have always acted
with more wisdom and moderation in legisla.
ting on Slavery than most of the other slave
holding States. The comparatively liberal and
tolerant black code which exists in that State
is doubtless due to that portion of the inhabit-
ants who are of French or Spanish origin, who,
though faulty enough in other respects, have
always treated the negro with more lenity than
the liberty loving Anglo-Saxon.
The New Orleans Bulletin has an interest.
ing and suggestive article on this subject, from
which we make the following extract: C.
"It is worthy of remark, and furnishes food
for reflection, that this class of population, free
colored persons, should be so differently re- |