The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-03-21
From the Richmond Enquirer.
EMANCIPATION IN MISSOURI.

Of the slaveholding States, breaks upon the
Southern ear. under the circumstances that
surround us, like an alarm Of mutiny Mt mid
night. after the storm has subsidized, and while
the damages done are being rapidly repaired
But four months ago our institutions and our
Union were trembling and tottcrng under the
throes Of the most anxious. excited and painful
political contest that has ever agitnted this
nation; and the popular mind is hut beginning
TO regain its eonlibrium-the public pulse to
resume its regular and heathfnl tone, when.
from Missouri, nm old and unyielding outpost
of slavery in the West, comes the murmur of
movement towards emancipation. With
what prospect Of ultimate success, or under
what auspices this suicidal scheme is opened,
we nre not prepared to say. But that there
are ardent and active advocates on either side.
and TINT the question is to he dcfnitivclv de.
cided, sooner or later. we think there is little
doubt The malcontcnts Of Missouri NAV
move Heaven and earth in their efforts to
sweep slavery from their soil, but they will he
manfnlly met at every point and icrcely fought
upon every inch of ground, by the undaunted
defenders Of the opposition.
There was time, when not a few of the
wlsest and best men in Virginia concurrcd in
the opinion that negro slavery was an evil, and
an incubus upon the interests Of the State
when perhaps if possible some Immediate
means Of emancipation would have been ca
gerly embraced by some Of the ablest spirits
in onr councils And it may be- indeed, that
the opposite extreme Of public sentiment on
the subject, which now prevails with every
class and craft Of our people, is attributable,
more to the Investigations and dsunistions
induced by the doubts and fears Of that day.
than to every other cause combined. The institu-
tion Of slavery soon sunk deep into orr social
system; once embraced and incorporated
among the elements Of our organization, its in
fnences for good or for evil, extended rapidly
in every direction. coloring everything it touch
ed and carrying veal or woe wherever it went
its agencies either Immediately or mediatcly'
ramifed through every branch of business and
principle Of legislation; every vein and artery
in the body polite were imbued with it. And
being deemed an evil in the abstract by those
honest and able but misguided men, to whom
we have alluded, it devolved upon them only
to prove their premises, and the catalogue of
incidental ills would have been incalcnlabe
when an end so desirable would have readily
suggested the means; and on the other hand
it became incumbent upon their opposing co.
temporaries to disprove their theory, explode
their false philosophy and disabnse the public
mind of the emancipation faint, with which it
was beginning to be affected, or to give hp
their ground and enter into n crusade against
the sins and impurities, the dcmornizng and
impoverishng effects Of the institution of slave
~. Investigation on both sides ensued, and
the result is that negro slavery is now consSd-
cred in the Southern States, not "a mdew. n
blight and scourge," hut social, political
and moral blessing, special boon of Provi-
dence, both to the African and Anglo.SnXon
races. Subjects so inscrutable in their origin.
so profound in their philosophy, so intricate in
their relations and so comprehensive in their
influences, demand thorough understanding
in every form and phase, and accurate appre-
henson in every bearing and effect And we
cannot but believe that the emancipation move
ment in Missouri, however it may be ubetted
by the outside Influences of Aboltionsm in the
North, after it has been deliberately discussed
and Analysed and assayed, will eventuate in
more encouraging conviction on the part of
that people, of the indispcnsabilty of the iusti-
tuition, under the enjoyment of which, in COM
mon with the other savefolding States of the
it is growing greater and strong
er, and richer and happier, with every year
that elapses.
So far as security in the Union is concerned,
it matters little to Virginia or South Carolina
Alabama or Mississippi, or any other of the
Sothern States whether Missouri emancipates
Or not. If the Constitution is to be maintain
I'd intact, slavery might be abolished in every