Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-29
THE ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.

to be allowed them, might determine not to hire
cut. There world thus remain for hire 25, 900.
The average hire Of negroes is now nearer to 500
than to 500. 1t may be safely assumed that, after
deducting the 0verseers' commissions and the ex-
?enses incidental to the hiring, the net produce Of
their hire would be $50 per captd.--At this rate,
for 20, 900, there would be received by the overseers
for the first year, the sum Of 81, $50, 000."-Our
quotation marks include Mr.. Rutherfoord's esti-
mate, which, for the present, we will adopt.
Certainly not more than half of the rmo us
sum Of Sl,250,000 would be necessary for the
annual support of such of the FREQ negroes as
could not be hired out. The balance of that sum,
accruing as it would, to greater or less extent, in
all OF the counties of tho State, could be admin.
istered by the County Courts, and under this di-
rection, for the removal annually of as many free
negroes as it (the sum- might be adequate to dis
pose of. In the meantime, while all this was
going on, the number of free negroes, under the
operations of the law we propose, would be con.
stantly diminishing in the State, in consequence
OF many voluntarily leaving the state rather than
go to work, or voluntarily selecting their masters
and becoming slaves, in preference to b eing hired
out, or being compelled to leave tho Common
wealth. By the measures we propose, the altern.
ative of voluntary removal or enslavement would
be presented to them, on the one hand, and COM
pulsory removal or ensavement on the other.
They would have to make their selection Apart
from the money accruing from their hire, the fund
arising from the sale of those selecting their mas
tiers aud voluntarily going into slavery, could be
used for their removal. To this we might add the
appropriation made by the Legislature in 1853,
(which sum has never taken fifty free negroes
heretofore out of the State, because the bill appro-
prlating 1t had not, as we now a CO.
ercire %feature,) which, with the fund of the Colo
nization Society, would, altogether, give us money
enough, within fifteen years, to remove annually
as many FREQ negroes as would be convenient and
desirable for it would not be desirable to remove
them too rapidly.
Thus the pious, Missionary, Colonization So
ciety, is to become the welcomed auxiliary in this
inhuman process for the determination or enslave.
ment of a large class of persons.
Another correspondent of the same paper
writes
l have read with much pleasure the communion
ton of collin" in your paper of the 4th, and en-
tirely agree with him in the propriety and neces
tlty OF either reducing into slavery or e~xpelling
from the State all free negroes who may be nov
among us or who may be hereafter liberated
They arc a worthless and degraded set, of nc
value to themselves or the community and Of grea
injury to the negroes. And as slavery is a txec
institution with us, which we intend to protect
defend and extend, it becomes the solemn duty o
the Legislature to exercise its whole power il
throwing around it every shield, and of increasing
its usefulness and value by the removal Of every
obstacle in its way.
In this county they are more numerous than il
many parts Of Eastern Virginia, and many O
them educated and acquainted with the Northern
States which they frequently visit. The effect Of
it is 50 sensibly felt upon the black slave popula
ton, that it is almost impossible for us to get along
with the institution. If we speak harshly to oul
negroes it is the signal for a runaway, and we be
come SO annoyed with the state of affairs, as FIRE
quently to wish that there were none among US
If the free negroes are allowed to remain and tam
per with our slaves much longer, Western Vir
ginia will become virtually q free country, and i
%bGhOoves the people of Eastern Virginia to take
this matter into serious consideration and unite
with us in our efforts to preserve the institution
The laws on the subject of free negroes are 81
loosely executed in many Of our counties, that they
amount to a mere nullity.
In this county, a free negro, by the name o
James Peters, has just returned to Harrisonburg
after n residence of near five years in the Distric
of Columbia, where he has been at College. VIII
can estimate the injury this single negro may no
do by his conversation and conduct? My ohiec
in writing this piece is simply to assure collin
and others in Eastern Virginia, that the name O
those in Western Virginia who concur with him il
his views, is Legion" and that we will come NJ
to act with him in the next Legislature. Let him
therefore, keep the ball in motion, and arouse tn
Eastern people to a sense of the necessity o
speedy action.