The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-04-11
A plan for Regencrarin. Old Virginia.

The following letter appears in the n, Y.
Herald OF the 30th ult. Since it was writ
ten, a memorial for charter of the proposed
company, signed by several Of the leading
capitalists OF New York, has been submitted
TO the Legislature Of that State, and the
charter it is believed Will be granted. TIE
scheme is beginning to excite some warm
discussion at the South. 1t has about it SO
many marks of an abolition crusade, like
that the same gentleman headed with such
direful results to the peace and que; Of
Kansas, that we anticipate 10 good results
from it either TO Virginia or the country.
woscrsTgE, Mass March y, 1851.
Mr. BESyrTT-Dpar Sir: thank YOU for
your lucid and able analysis of the plans and
purposes of the North American Homestead
Company, as given in the Herald Of Febru-
AIRY % and of March 10.
You have shown a true conception Of the
project, and i, seems to me an accurate APP
probation of its power and its probable re-
suits
assure you that it is our purpose to be
strictly a business organization.
We shall abide by the laws, State and Ma
t:onal.
We shall adhere with wonderful tcnacity
TO the Constitution and the Union.
We shall purchase large tracts Ct land at
slave State prices; shall give away to actua,
settlers about one fourth; shall sell about
oue.fourth at cost, and the remainder at free
State pricss-thus probably doubling our
money on each operation.
There il no chance for such speculation
except in slave States, and even in them only
Z =. -, A..
example: There Will be no inducemcnt for
! US 10 buy land in Hancock, Brooke, and
Marshall Counties in Western Virginia, for
. in those counties il is worth from $50 10 $27
per acre Those counties. and the bulk Of
! the others in Western Virginia, are essen
italy free.
Our chances would be much better in Din
widdie, Southampton, Accomac, and other
! exhausted eastern counties, where we can
obtain land for from IS to So per acre-such
I being the average price III those localities
where the slaves are a minority of the popu
lation. Now these lands are more desirable
than those OF the counties first named, and
by planting on them free white colonies we
can make them more valuable. Ii is too
much, therefore, for our Virginia ueighbors
to expect of human nature--and especially
of Yankee human nature-that We should
foreeo any such chance IS this Of securing
sure and ample dividends, especially when
this can be done III manner perfectly legal
and constitutional.
But very many Of the people Of Virginia
actually desire the proposed friendly invasion
Of the Old Dominion by this renoYating
army @! free white labor can show YOU
that even Shareholders are on our side, and
that too, in large numbers.
baya al Iy r4l..-r4,I 70 -r- -.--I-
TO extent Of their ability in the proposed
company. Kentucky and Maryland are Al
ready looking with envy on the sublime des-
tiny Of Virginia, and are inviting tie same
inyigorating agency of free labor 10 their own
borders.
Missouri, also, has sent a delegation for
the purpose OF securing a colony Of ore
hundred Yankees TO build toun upon a
good landing on the Missouri River. These
applications, together With the tone Of large
portion of the Southern press, make i: mani
fest that the proposed movement will be al
mirably sustained, and cur colonies treated
with kindness and respect. But IT, on the
contrary, portion Of the people Of Vir. mia.
ia defiance Of their own interests and Of our
rght>, should 80 far Stui'iiy t'irrnSelve, rs
To follow the lead OF ultra disuuionisis and
b secession fire caters IN committing outrage
against the lives and property of peacefU
, Tiers, then they must be met by the con
srtgti0n and the Laws; and should thcs
, ID. u give protection, popular Sovereignty
:, mus, be invoked for the Old Dominion, as +
;, has been FOR Kansas. We shall not be in
undated. We are not that kind Of pcopa
when good dividends are at stake. In def
q ancC OF danger We send cur whal ships Z
. the Northern Ocean for money. We scu'
= our missionaries among cannioalS for princi
pie. " have det!ed al pcris even in send
!:s t:.s Gospel 70 the heather wit out tn
c Indictment Of pccUuiary gain: but with tia
II l"iuccmeEi the Gospel Of Freedom - VI
. have free course, viii run and be g,or;i. IL
We have been charged with participatin
in the s!ave trade, col trary to 'av. iOr fifth,
,. lHcre.' Ii this he so, We should probab,
- participate in making Slave States free f.
> the Same filthy Iurre -
r: There is not a kidnapper in the countr
who vii! not Guit his business Of catchiu
= negroes in Africa for the Cuta market, whe
: it shall have been demonstrated that he "a
l make ten per cent. more in making Nirgiai
:, 4 free State.
d These men are no such big0;s in their pro
:; fessiOn as to adhere to it when lucrativ
business, protected by law, can be had !
v exchange for a hazardous, Illegal, and les
= profitable traffic.
There IS no use, then, in talking abCu
: hanging or shooting our colonists, or tn
,e members of our company. If half Of Il
3 were hung or shot. the rest would press o
- towards the shining dollars, even thong
= they should rush
u Into the jaws OF death.
lr Into tie mouth .! hell.
20 Like :lle hUni-ed'