Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-06-04
To the Editor of the Belnent Chronicle.

to the Republicans not exactly in harmony
with the former course of that party. 1t
has been their practice to insist that our
policy, if adopted, would have the effect to
bring into the country great number of
tree negroes, and thus retard our progress.
The facts relied upon in this article do not
favor that proposition, but tend to disprore
it. Here is the article, as published in the
Ohio Statesman and 81. Cgairsrille GczeHe
"Where the Free Negroes Are.
".The census of 1850 shows that nearly
the whole free black population of Ohio re-
sides in the counties least tinctured with
aboli.ionism. There are not as many on
all the Reserve as in the county of High
land. This is about as strong a practical
commentary on abolition philanthropy as
need be asked for.-Er ,"
ain order to verify the above statement,
which we find in some Of our Democratic
examine the census tables and compare the
free colored population of the different To-
calities with the vote of 1855.
awe find that in 1850 the number of free
negroes in Ohio amounted to 1921. In
thirty counties of Southern Ohio, which
gave Medil an aggregate majority of 1904.
there were 1886 free negroes; and in fifty
four counties in middle northern Ohio,
which gave Chase an aggregate majority OF
80, $40, there were IL 1892 free blacks.
sin the five counties of Ashtabula, Geauga,
Huron, Lake and Trumbull, where Chase
received an aggregate majority of s.l42
votes, there were snly one hundred and nine
ty-froo negroes! In the five counties Of Ham
ilton, Gallia, Highland, franklin and Bel
mont, where Medill received an aggregate
majority of 9,lsi votes, there were eight
thousand and seventy mine free negroes'
"These facts prove conclusively that the
colored people prefer 70 live among the de-
sendants of the Virginians, Kentuckians,
and Pennsylvanians, by whom the Southern
portion Of the State has been settled, to the
Western Reserve, which is peopled by
Yankee AbolitIonists. The instinct which
prompts the animal creation to stay where
best treated, keeps the free negroes in
Southern Ohio. They avoid the 'shrisners'
as they would pestilence or .amine.-Hamii-
ton Telegraph"
lhave no disposition to accept the issue
rendered, but, on the contrary, admit that
he.statistics Of thecOuntry tend very strong
to show that, for some cause, the free col
ored man is less disposed to make his home
among the Republicans, and in States
where color creat essn no legal disability, than
in those where it does. l shall moi attemp,
TO account for this. The idea of the writer
of the article, that it is because the Repub-
licans, whom he calls Abolitionists, are less
philanthroPic than their opponents, is not
believed by the writer, and W i'll not be likely
to be by any body else.
The Republicans are for just and equal
laws, and opposed to the establishment oil
Slavery, or that other equally barbarous in
stitution, Polygamy, on any territory within
the jurisdiction of the United States. They
advocate measures to carry out this policy,
believing them constitutional, and calcula-
ted to secure the ends for which our Con-
,s,itution was framed, to strengthen our
"Union, establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings o. liberty to ourselves and our
posterity."
They do this without protesting any su-
Pefabundance of philanthropy, or any esPe-
cisl regard for the colored race. They hold
that their success is quite as important to
the white as to the black race. That the
institution of Slavery is as likely 10 degrade
the white man, as free institutions are to
elevate the black man. They prefer free
dom to slavery because they believe it will
better the condition of both races, while
slavery will make the condition of both
races worse, and more especially that of the
whites.
Our opponents have heretofore labored to
make the world believe that the Republi-
cans were aiming st the social equality OF
the races, amalgamation and intermarriages
This, for years, has been insisted upon
without. SO far as have seen, any founda.
tion for it to rest upon. Some writer for
the party has found facts bearing upon the
question, and given them TO the public, and
they have brought him to very differen,
conclusion. If the poet was right when he
said that
Love, and love only, was the loan for love-"
it is our opponents, and not us, that are
smitten with love for the negro. The negro
won't live among the Republicans. He
don't like them. He has no fellowship with
them. He leaves them and sbides rather
with the Pro Slavery men. And this, the
writer will have it, is because they have
more philanthropy, which Webster saws
means .love of mankind" than we Repu5.
the free negroes" among the Pro-S.avery
men. Well, we will not dispute about it,
But should it result in amalgamation. or So
cial equality, or interinarriages; if any one
should, by way of following in the footsteps
of late Vice-President of the United
States, marry dark,e, remember that their
''iustincts" "keep the free negroes" away
from the Republicans. They "avoid them
as they would pestilence and famine" They
forsske or Keep away from those who voted
for Gov. Chase, and cleave unto, or settle
among, those wto voted for Ex-Governor
Mediil.
; To enable those who seek information
upon this subject to see more of THE facts
bearing upon it, I have prepared a table
from the census of 1850, from which may
be seen where the free colored population
of the United States are, and whether the
former history tends to show that they will
crowd into States that are Republican in
greater numbers Than into States that are
Republican.
Nfofex ITbifss Free HolorsJ Colore3 Vb;t,