The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-06-12
Tbs fe|i}iana Ilemotrat.


lHC HpNb great NdNb VI lllc SoHlU II VI
slaves. Ifa democrat-a social state in which
all are absolutely equal--wcrc certainly the
best, we would not only not want more slaves
but we would he concerned to rid ourselves oI
those We have already But we have not 50
thought on the contrary there is q growing
feeling of contentmout with our institution
and If there were now the liberty of choice
we believe there are few at the south-per
haps few of intelligence ut the north even
who would not industriouSy elect the form oI
society that is here established But whether
30 or not, its existence rs great fact is un.
questionable, and it is either for US to uban
don and evolve it, or to press il onward TO NM
jority and 10 its just maturity there is II ne
cessity for greater relative proportion Of the
subject race.
Before the suppression Of the slave trade,
che two races were nearly equal and it is pro
bable that they would have so continued
Both were free TO come, and as they naturally
settled in prop rtionS Of equality, it is prohu.
bic, under The ordinary circumstances, That
chat il the due proportion between them Bat
when the slave trade Was cnt Off the natural
tendency became disturbed The opening
south demanded population the white race
could come, the cularod could not, and hence
II has happened that they are no longer cgnl
To 3, 10000 slaves there arc $500. 600 mas
ters, aud ulou tic suprostion that they
should be at least equal, there nre 5000 600
masters IN excess, who are unfXed therefore,
aud without proper slave basis to sustain
them. These add 10 Tile political power Of the
south but they add nothing to the strength
Of slavery. They form no part and parcel Of
the structure. They do not look Mt it with
rcpngnnncc. perhaps. for it is popular at the
sonth to admire it they would not abolish il,
for they wonld share III the ruin Of its loss :;
they will not permit it to he diSur-
bed by others. for if an ulcer" it is
al best our Own, and ave will let no others
scratch it :" aud it may be even true that
those sections The most ready to resist aggrcs.
sors-the most yigilant to mark eucroachmput
will be those where there are, in proportion
the feweSt slaves, but there is still the feeling
that we do not share directly il the Institution,
and of this feeling the indications are abln.
dant. In DrawaLe and Maryland there is
scarce the effort 10 defend slavery in western
Virginia il has been proposed 10 plant colo
ny Of abolltioniSts in Kentucky there has III
ready been effort at emancipation in Nilsson.
+! there is q Irccsoil party 10 contend for pow.
er; ~ Tennessee aud rym in Georgia Ala
bama, Mississippi and Louisiana there are
large classes OF persons vino have to make
their own bread with their own hands, and
these are distinctly conciouS that there is diff. /
ference between labor and slave labor
They send that consciousness into the cgiSM-
lures Of their several Stntcs-and in South
Carolina alone, perhaps of all the southern
states, where there is an excess Of 100, 600
slaves, it is safe to hold that there is and ought
to be no difference, and that it is not polite
and is not proper to restrict the slave to such
range Of occupations MS will keep him out Of
competition with the white man
This condition, painful, if it be not pcrlous,
would he alleviated by the Foreign Slave
Trade That will diminish the disparity of
numbers, Bntit will 10 more, and remove
another difficulty also Under present crcum-
stances, il is not only impossible that 6 800 900
of freemen can each ewn one OF $500, 600 +
slaves, but n present prices, it is almost i'm
possible that the mere aboror can ever do so
1t is long, under the most favorable crcun.
stances, before he can make one thousand dol.
lars, and making it, it is longer still, before he
can come to risk SO much upon II single ven
ture. However mach hc may wish share in
that desirable commodity Of slave labor, it is
done MP IN packages too large for common use;
and thus, therefore with every disposition TO
be a slave owner like his nrighbors, lie is bar y
red from that position The foreign slave {
trade viii bring Slaves enough for all, and ~ Il
prices winch poorer men may purchase. These
slaves may not be so desirable bnt at prices
to be paid for them they will yield abundant :
profits. 1t will thus render it possible for all
to become slave owners it will render ii pro- :
ftabIe to become 50 it will thus bring all the 5
ruling race to the same social stand point il i
will thus reintegrate and erect our social Sys- ,
tenn it will abolish the odious distinction be. !
tween slave overs and non.slave owners it /
viii increase the lnboring clement Of our popn. t
laton; it will thus extend our capacity for c
production, and in doing all this, will give us a
the promise of a more abundant wealth, and y
open the prospect to q broader and brighter 5
1ntnre IMAM was ever yet expanded to the eye /
of man. ;
It is objected, by way of offset to these CON O
slderatlons, that sayages from africa would {
disturb the pence and order Of the country e
But we have failed to find the ground for
such an apprehension. II might be enough to I
say, that the risk wouId be with owners If .