Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-09-12
Ibe Auti- 9loucrp BueIe.
NATIONAL COMPENSATING EMANCIPA
TON CONVENTION.

The Business Committee reported preamble
md resolutions which were amended upon mo-
tion of Gerrit Smith hereinafter mentioned to read
rs follows:
Whereas, In consideration of those moral polt
ical and commercial relationships by which lin
times past) the Free States have directly or indl.
recy contributed to the sanction and sustenanee OF
Slavery, and Of the magnitude OF the difficulties
involved in its extinction, and also the immeasur-
able advantages which would accrue to every sec
tion from its removal, therefore
Resolved That in the opinion of this Conven-
ton 1t is h ghy desirable that the people Of the
North should unite in generous and brotherly
spirit with the people of the South, an share liber
aly with them in the expense of putting an end to
SO great a political and moral evil American
Slavery.
Elibu Burritt advocated the resolution in long
and able speech, of which can give but mere
synopsis For years said he, our most iliustrious
en- have recoiled from graphing with this
question and thousands who revere their memories
now deem it lanaticism 20 venture an attempt ut
emancipation. Should slaves increase at the rres-
ent ratio, in 1850 they would number SO, 600, O00-
The failure of West India emancipation had been
adduced as an evidence of the incapacity OF the
black race for freedom, and the sentiment that it
was dangerous to touch Slavery where 1t now ex-
lists was already creeping into protessed
ry journals in the Free States, But all these OBJ
stacles were but as molehs to the Andes cOmpar-
ed to the deep sectional feeling between the North
,nd South-more bitter and untriendly than be-
tween any two nations. lie believed that II these
two great sections could be canvassed to-day three
fourths of the people would be favorable to sucl
plan of emancipation as may he looked Tor from
This Convehtion. We have come together in a cor
dial spirit of lrnternal cooperation, and to con-
struct plan not only to do away with Slavery but
to abolish the alienation and distrust which grow
ont of its existence-a plan which shall make the
Union in reality one. The central principle Of this
Wa, +i,r n
in behalf of it beth sections were to work and each
State give its aid The North has in tlme3 past
received great profit from the staples OF the South,
and as a northern man, in velw OF the pfoslaFery
legislation of the country, he would prefer not to
90 into particulars to our moral responsibilities
in relation to the system, lie would rather say to
the South let 5v.gones be by cones, we have all
of us lived in glass houses too long to be able now
TO throw stones ut one another. The three roiltc'
nj parties of the North expect to put an end to
Slavery through the Federal Congress, and he had
nerer heard of Southern statesman who supposed
il could be done in any other manner. Northern
action cannot do.it without iudemniiication. Eui,
us King in 1926 he'd offered in Congress resolu-
tion providing the public lands for such compen-
sAtion ard Daniel Webster had advocated the same
proposition at subsequent period. Shall we WIN
miserly weights and measures deal out q small
part Of our great public domain to the South ana
clutch the residue ourseyesor squander 1t uponraii'
road grarts2 No-a thousand times, NO! Rather lei
ms in the name of the Great Jehovah and the con.
t;nental Congress, cay to the South: Take it all
md extinguish this curse of Slavery, and let it be
said by our chlcren's children, that thess broad
acres upon which God had put bjs stamp OF free
dom had purchated liberty for millions Of human
beipcs. aud had extingushed sectional hetreds and
;eslonsies. The public lands st IS per cent per
acre would yield 81 0000000O. Nos, allowing
n compensation Of $3.50 for each slave, and this
sum would suffice to free them all. 1t is true, Tie
Charleston Courier thinks this sum too small, and
At heo is n M pOultablR
there is difference between selling into bondage
and into freedom for in the latter case the land OF
the STAKEHOLDER would greatly increase in value
while in the former it would 1e decreased lhu'
then. putting, as he confidently believed 1t could
be done, the compensation to be paid at 500 per
head and the 8 500, 600 slaves would require $50
100000, still leaving surplus OF 500 ,UUUuDI
arising from the public ands to be used IN the cd
ucation or other Improvement OF the new
made ftee-mcn. Under this plan, tie great
obipcton of the North to an extension Of territory
would be removed, and tue day might come VIXEN
Central America would b9 added to the tnlon.-
But there is still another source OF aid IN tins WorR
viz the surplus revenue arising from cuStoms.--
larre surplUs revenue was deprecated by com
mercial men, and was certainly to be avoided. It
lessen the tariff was reduced, but tho consump
tion of imported articles largely increasing, the
revenue was not diminished by the reduction
One wears surplus revenue would MAKE missouri q
free State and one months would answer Tor Del
creasinp taxation one dollar or imposing upon oul
citizens a burden that would be felt. and without
the proceeds Of the public lands, every state IL
our Confederacy mi ght become Free Emancipation
thus produced would restore tho g0Gd 'Gehls Una
ougbt ever to exist between the North and tht
South 1t would expedite the day of the slaves
redempsion for fifty one hundred years. and they
would enter upon Freedom under auspices peeu
liarly favorable. That they would he retained by
the South to perform accustomed labor, II thus
,.oI ha hoJ honh N Northern
States the field Of labor is fillod, and any form
emancipation that should tend to throw5O, ,OOOsiaye
into each of the Northern States would produce
domestic revolution and the enactment OF Blaci
laws like those of Illinois. Though the iunds io
emancipation were thus to proceed primarily iron
the General Government, still no State should re
ceive its portion except upon the solemn action o
its Legislature. No attempt would be maze 10 IN
fringe State sovereignty, nor was any compulsio'
to be used toward the Slave States. Each stat
was to decide for itself when it would enter upoI
the work and in what manner it would carry It Tor
ward and thus all constitutional snaGs would b.
avoided and State sovereignty respected
The Rev. Mr.. Rankin believed there was no ne
cessity for a separate party organlZatlon' iOr n
thought that men Of all the great political parue
could unite in aiding forward the work OF compen
satory emancipation. He did not think the move
ment recognized the moral right of Slavery, if ht
did he would have nothing to do with it. lie tel
that life and freedom were more precious thai
money and he therefore advocated the plan pre-
posed.
Mr. Watkins (colored man) of the State of N.
introduced by Gerret Smith, said the subject wa
one of the deepest Importance Revolution wa
the order of the day, and the watchword was Rt
form. Institutions and systems once regarded a
the embodiment of human wisdom were now look
ed upon as the embodiment of human folly. ReG
son, not custom. now the sovereign power
and by this standard must all projects stand o
fall. This doctrine of Compensated Emancipatio
demands the closest scrutiny, and like every move
ment which has humanity for its basis, must b
we'll defined and understood. In his opinion,
was highly Objectionable and ought not to succeed
1t recognizes distinctly the right of the slaveholS
OF 10 property in man. If he has right to sci