Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-02-17
Exemption Of slave Property from Sale
for Debt,

f0R Debt.
There is no measure which has
been received with more appreciation
in the South than the proposition to
exempt a portion Of negro property
from sale for. debt under execution.
With but a single exception 1.-THE
Huntsville, Alabama Democrat,) the
Southern Journals have appreciated
and advocated the measure. The
Democrat, disclaiming ssdecided hos
tility" to the proposition, s'suggests
objections" as itsays. with a view Of
soliciting discussion Of measure Of
great public Importance" That pa
per asks eff il will not offer an in
ducement to fraudulent debtors TO buy
slaves to avoid the payment Of their
just debts Z" To this it may be re-
piled that there is no law, however
wise and just, which may not be abu-
sed and made 10 subserve in some
measure the base intentions Of men.
A law exempting slaves tot given
amount in value from sale for debt, is
at once a public notification to all
men Of their rights and responsible
ties !. they are advised in advance OF
making contracts upon what they
have to rely as security for debt and
protection against wrong. u r. T.
2 Casting aside as utterly unworthy
Of serious thought, all minor objec-
tons, the paramount consideration is,
will it strengthen and fortify the in
stitutian which constitutes the basis
Of the social and political organiza,
ton of the Soulful viii it'strength-
en- this Institution which is the ele-
nent of her wealth and her prosper
ity, and which in all the loitier and
nobler qualities Of man, has placed
her far in advance Of the free States,
and given her a higher order of civil,
lization and intelligence. All other
considerations are subordinate to this.
While we are fortifying slavery
against assaults from without, our
law makers should not forget tp
strengthen it within, ., #
No surcr method of effecting this,
is its diffusion as widely as possible
Our laws should be so framed as tc
render the ownership of slaves desi.
rable, so framed as to make it the in
terest of every Southern man to OWL
aslave. This interests created whcr
he is assured that whatever misfor
tunes press upon him, if he posses;
slave property, a given portion of j
is secure from the iron clutches of tho
sheriff. i El I = IN =
The institution would then be cher
Efshed by every man (for who would
mot hoard his earnings withthe CARE
of a miser until they were. sufficien
purchase a slave . as a prop upol
which he could confidently lean in al
the mutations of fortunes and the vi
cissitudes Of life. The poor maj
would behold it in the certain means
of educatingshis children, and prepa
ring them to perform well their parts
in the drama of life. And he woulc
behold it in the support of his family
even against the rude demand of thu
hardened creditor, if .depriyedEof hit
protecting arm. : ~ =
1t is the duty of our law makers tt
| SO legislate as to- diminish as mucf
as possible the ~disproportion in the
number of shareholders and non
Shareholders. 1t is an argument O
the abolitionists that agreat dispro,
portion exists; and that, therefore, the
South has within herself the element:
Of her own weakness. !, 4Et <
This argument is fallacious in the
assumption that the interest Of the
ron-slayeholder does not demand the
perpetuity of the institution, and that
he would not be injured by its dc.
struction. Slavery is interviewer BY
a thousand cords in the framework
of Southern society, and every inter,
est is intimately and immortality con,
nected with it. But the enemies Of
the sSouth act upon this absurdity,
and derive encouragement from it in
the prosecution of thoir schemes
against the South. We have now be.
fore US a map which is being circula-
ted in the Northern States, purport,
ing to portray the territorial dimen.
sions, the population, &C., Of the free
and slave States, and this. very argu-
ment is addressed to tho deluded and
fanatioal people whose bal passions
it is designed to arouse. Let them
be deprived of this appeal and Of the
encouragement it, gives them, by
wholesome Legislation at tile South
We think there is but little doub'
that some such measure asis suggest
ed in this article, viii be adopted Al
the, present session Of. the Mississippi
Legislature ~ fssissippia,a.
sHuLLo, stranger! YOU, appear Il
be trayellingr Eyes, i always
travel when on a Journey 81 thinl
/ have seen you somewhere. -
Every like, ! have often been there
- / E - AlaN 1T