The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-27
From tbs Richmond (val Enquirer, August 13.
NATIONAL EMANCIPATION CONVENTION.

The following letter came to hand few days
ago, through the postofice:
New BRITAIN, CoSN.. August 4, 1857.
To the Editor Of the Enquirer:
SIR: The signers of the enclosed call would
highly appreciate your consideration and re-
spect for their character, aim, and object if you
would generously insert it in as early a num-
Der Of your journal as practicable. They would
feel much obliged to your iberality and courte-
ey, if you would publish all the names attached,
as they will convey some approximate idea of
the sympathy with this pacific and brotherly
movement which exists in all sections, and
among all parties of the country. Only about
half the names received have been put upon
the enclosed paper, but those given represent
all political parties and learned professions.
Most respectfully, yours, ELIHU BURRIrT.
closed call" alluded to. which we here annex:
|" Call for National Emancipation Conren-
ton.
"The undersigned, belonging to different
political parties, being persuaded that it is very
desirable that some practical and equitable
plan should be brought forward, by which the
people of the North may cooperate, in gen.
erous and brotherly spirit, with the people of
the South, and share with them the expense
necessary to the extinction of Slavery, would
respectfully and earnestly invite those of all
parties and sections of the Union, who enter
tain the same opinion, to meet in National
Convention, personally or by delegation. in the
city of Cleveland, Ohio, on the 18th, Goth, and
9th, of August next, there to discuss and de-
velop some plan of emancipation which shall
fully recognise the principle and policy of a
fair and honorable compensation to the slave
LII e Al f.1
Mr.. Elhu Burritt will please pardon us for
declining the publication of 9" all the names at
tached," and thereby respectfully refusing any
obligation to our iberality and courtesy" on
the part of "the signers," as our columns are
at present occupied with items of intelligence
much more acceptable to our readers than
long list Of names appended to anything 50
superlatively ludicrous, chimerical. and fac
tious, as this " call for National Emancipa.
ton Convention"
With due Difference to the patriotism, wis.
DOM and discretion, of it's originstors, abettors,
and participants, we must be allowed to express
the opinion, that this " national" emancipation
movement is among the most presumptuous,
foolish, fanatical, and traitorous, evidences of
abolition insanity we have witnessed for some
time. Mr.. Elihu Burritt may mean we'll, and
he is, we believe, usually accounted a man of
information and parts: but in this instance he
adopts rather remarkable mode of attesting
either his intelligence, ability, experience, or
patriotism. And to corroborate any suspicion
of the sincerity of his philanthropc professions,
we should certainly not refer to the fact of his
advocacy of an Emancipation Convention.
Among the signatures to this most egregious-
ly arrogant and impudent pronuncidmento,
we observe the name of an individual from one
of the Southern States. That State, we are
proud to say, is not Virginia and the individ
usl in question, we have little doubt, owes his
nativity to the North.
However Mr.. EIihu Burritt and bis benevo-
lent confreres may deem it desirable "that
come practical and equitable plan should be
brought forward, by which the people of the
North may cooperate, in a generous and
brotherly spirit, with the people of the South,
| and share with them the expense necessary 10
| the extinction of Slavery" we beg leave to sug-
| gest, for their own physical comfort, that they
confne themselves, in their addresses, remon.
strances, and appeals, strictly TO- the Cleveland
Convention, or at least to the shady side of the
| Union. We would advise them, BY all means,
not to test the sincerity of any Of their mum.
bers, by proposing to send them into the South
as negotistors for the emancipation of our
slaves, whether with the owners, relative to their
purchase for the purpose of libera,ipg them,
or with the slaves themselves, in relation to the
means of effecting their freedom through the
agency of the underground railroad.
| These intensely philanthropic persons, who
have determined upon endeavoring to devise
| ways and means for the extinction of Slavery,
| which "shall fully recognise the principles and
| policy of q fair and honorable compensation to
| the Shareholders" are assuming An importance
as unwarranted, as their undertaking is idle,
| and their design suspicious. Presupposipg
| that the Southern people exercise ownership
/ over their negroes as 3 matter of necessity,
and regardless Of every other consideration than
that of pecuniary profit; that Slavery, even in
the South, is esteemed an evil and that those
who, as they think, are cursed with it, would
gladly do away with it, if they could be com
pensated, in dollars and cents, for the loss i'm
mediately incurred by its adjustment, Mr.
| Ehhu Burritt and his conscientious coadjutors
propose, forsooth, National Q) Emancipation
| Convention, for the adoption of q plan by which
all the slaves in the South may be bought W
and made free. They might as well at The
| same time commence a contribution for the
purchase of ali the cotton and sugar plantations
| in the South, together with Cuba, Central Amer
lea, and Mexico, and, indeed, of every portion
of the habitable globe which invites Anglo
Saxon enterprise, and is peculiarly adapted te
| negro labor. We would also advise them to
exte nd still farther their field of philanthropy
and raise money enough to furnish to every in
habitant of Africa the means not only of living
but of living luxuriously, without any exertior
either of mental or physical faculties. But ad
hitting that the slaves of the South are al
willing to be emancipated, and that their mas
tiers would dispose of them for their marks
value in money, it occurs to us that even theI
there would be a slight obstacle to the accom-
plishment of this pious work, in which MIR
Ehhu Burritt and his associates of "all politi
cal parties and learned professions propos'