Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-04-24
EQUITY AND EXPEDIENCY OF COM
PENsATED EMANCIPATION.


abstract Of his plan
No candid man. North or South, can hest
tate to admit that the. antagonisms and cs-
arrangements generated by the system Of slav-
cry imperi the life of our beloved Union far
more than a world Of foreign foes could do.
Fifty years of Che nations experience prove,
that peace. harmony and brothorly unity can
never pervade this great continental family OF
States while slavery exists but that, on the
contrary, the cmbittering struggle will grow
more and more intense and calamitous, until
some competent measure be adopted for the
extinction of that system.
If the Union were at war with coalition
of European Powers, and could only escape
subiugation by the extinction of slavery the
Constitution, as well as the law of selt-pres-
crvation, would fully sustain the summary
act. Both these sources Of authority would
authorize the Federal Congress to take equi-
table and adequate steps for putting an end
TO the same evil, in order to vanqush do
nestle foe. more dangerous to the Union than
all the external enemies that could be arrayed
against it.
If slavery were abolished in time Of war as
a national act Of sei-defense. the slavo-hold-
ors of the South would claim and receive in
Identification from the Federal Government
for the act of manumission. II the system is
to be abolished, to destroy an internal enemy,
which is sapping the very soul of the Repub-
lic they should be equally compensated for
the emancipation Of their slaves
For nearly fifty years the legislatures of
'ho 'ou,nerh states nave uono an .net men
acts eouia acnieVe 10 IeBan~e ana sus tni'l sia'-
cry TO encourage the people Of those States
TO invest their capital in slaves They cannot
now justly turn rouna ana treat lnosS ieslSia-
i've acts as lmmoraii'les' ana destroy 'he prep
cry "nlch 'hcy nave oc J"co' cIeH'cu WIN
OUT compromising us present hoiuefs ior ''o
loss ch'a''eu upon theih' " nat 'ho ?ou'loIn
0tAes canhot 40 oy 'ioiIscl'os, CONSISTENCY
with justice ana equity al inc o'a'eS ol uhe
Chloh cannot 90 toSether'
nc ut'vr eN',rPauoh VI siaNVry from "a
!helioan sou snouiu DC aohicNVu m way anu
III spnl' 'nus "oulu "'''o" an 'ne 'neiilpois
Vi 'ne coheueia,ioh 10 eacn otner o3 s'ron-
ger Donus ehan nave eNci eNs'Su oe'"eon
tnehi "hich Snouiu ooquoa'n " "S miner
Gus postcrlty Oh states iloh icsao! VI pre-
clouS memories deepening ana perpeVuatihg
eheT sense oil Hatern"l reiauohSn,p, as CO.
heFS OIL the hoolest chapters Oh American
history
vi an paft'os 90 TINS great moral struggle
tne Well-Oelhg OF lhe slaves must ne most ue-
pehuent upon inc prevalence Oh spirit OF
orothefhoou ana ooneNolehcc throughout inc
nation at .he ume OF 'ne'r n'ahuihi'sloh
No'iuhS ou' slavery l'seii' 81 'ne mos, a'ro-
clous stamp co"iu DC worse ior tneih than G
ni"h0ipauon III SolnPest VI lii'lisli"h' pas
slohs' ana nerce ana merry hale'
Great as the system OF slavery mas grown
II may be equltapiy aooished without lnoreas-
ing the taAation OF the country oy a single
,afthing per mead OF its population' Inc pup
uc JANUS aiohc "ouiu DC suiieleht 10 pay ior
the emancipation OF all the slaves IN the IN
ION appropriated exclusively 10 tnat OBJECT
Without including the LANDS acquired from
Mexico by the treaty OF 300 TINS nauonal 40
nam contains l,ooo,o0o'ooo acres AZ 10 cts
per acre, 1t would yleld' IN the END Sl ,ZOO,-
V0O,OOo. Admitting S2oo per head tor the
whole slave population to be a ialr average
price, taking infant and aged, sick and intrm,
three millions and hall would amount to
Soio,OoO,oOO mus tins landed estate OF the
nation would not only emancipate all the
slaves IN It's borders, but would yield large
surplus Tor their moral elevation and improve
meht'
considerable portion Oh the hatona 40
mann mes IN the save states ana consequent
~ has but httle demand and value The re-
moyal OF slavery would create both, by the
continually increasing influx OF men and cap
ital from the present free State and from Eu-
rope. In Missouri, for example there are
lo,ooo'ooo acres OF the pubic lands unsold
ana unapproprated, OF only nominal value
me extinction OF slavery would oring these
lands immediately INTO market ana at price
winch would yiola suihcient TO pay Tor the G.
n,ahcipatioh OF an the slaves IN the otate'--
nus missouri might De ireed RON the eVil
without sendlng hcr dollar directly from the
national treasury or the proceeds oil single
acre oil lana lying outside OF her borders
The pecunlary results OF emancipation IN
Missouri would pc immediate ana imineasur-
able, lhere would be such a RAPID develop
Hieh' Oh her mineral ana agricultural resour'
ceSi such a great ana sudden enhancement
inc prlce ni new lands, that kentucky, len
hessee' Maryland delaware ana Virginia
would oe induced TO lollow her example ono
aiter the other' IN comparatively quick sue
cesslon,
ny nitlng the incubus oil slavery nom
Single state like missouri not only power