The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-01

lnteingence, having the DeSt opportunities, rem
enlarged experience, of forming correct opin-
| ions as to the present condition and future
prospects of this State and elsewhere"
We sincerely hope that the desertion of the
State, anticipated by the correspondent of the
Times, will not take place. We think there is
better way, prompted alike by patriotism and
humanity. Now is the time to commence a
plan of amelioration in the system of Slavery,
looking to ultimate emancipation.
We briefly sketched, two weeks ago, the ma
ture of the reforms which we regard as at once
necessary to the peace and safety of Southern
society, and demanded by justice-even the
poorest measure of justice-to the slave.
We viii briefly recapitulate them. Our An
ti-Slavery friends must bear with us while we
undertake to suggest to the South, not what
absolute justice demands, but that which we
regard as practicable and attainable at the
present moment. We may say, however, that
nothing can be clearer than that the reforms
suggested must lead to emancipation.
Slavery, as it at present exists in the South
ern States, is not simply system of compulso-
ry labor, without wages. 1t is more. 1t makes
of the slave chattel personal, or, in some
States, he is absurdIy classed as real estate.
The family relation is not recognised by the
slave codes. There is no marriage or parental
relation between slaves known to the laws. The
union of the sexes is merely voluntary and al
though some ceremony, or the usual marriage
ceremony, may be observed, it carries with it
no legal sanction. The slaves may and do dis
solve the contract at pleasure, and form new
alliances upon the most approved plan of the
| Free Lovers. The shareholders are in no re-
spect bound by the marriage contracts into
which their slaves enter. They may at discre-
ton disregard them, and often exercise that
| discretion. The master, if he owns both par
ties, may separate them by selling the husband
or wife to a negro-trader, for transportation to
distant State. Or he may simply forbid their
union, or separate them, to crafty his caprice.
1t is often the case that the husband is owned
by one man, and the wife by another. In such
cases, separation, by the emigration to the
Southwest of one of the slave-owners, or by the
vicissitudes of fortune occurs oftener than
otherwise The children may be and are
bought and sold, without regard to the tender
ties of blood. Scarcely slave family in the
South but has suffered legal bereavement in
this way. Wa know that the better class of
Shareholders avoid such cruelties to their slaves,
except when pecuniary misfortune overtakes
them; and when that is the case, they are as
powerless as the slaves to avert the misfortune.
Slaves are forbidden, by the laws of the
Southern States, to learn to read. Notwith-
standing that all those States are Protestant,
by overwhelming odds, they act upon the max
inns of Popish despotism, and withhold the
Bible from large portion of the population.
They are guilty of the crime which they lay at
the door of the Church of Rome, in Withholding
the Word of God from four millions of their
fellow beings.
Here, then, are two peculiarly odious and re-
voting features of Slavery, which call aloud for
immediate removal. Give to the slave at least
the Christian rite of marriage, with all its guar
antics; give him home and Bible, if moth.
ing else.
To these reforms should be added the privi-
lege of accommodating and holding property,
with the privilege of selEemancipation by pur-
chase. 1t is ascertained, by experiment all
over the South, that more labor is obtained
from slaves when they are stimulated by sys-
tenn of rewards and compensations, than by
mere brute force. We understand that it is
daily tasks of reasonable extent to their slaves.
do above the prescribed amount The effect
invariably is, that nearly double the ordinary
amount of work is obtained, with peace, good
will, and cheerfulness, instead of the sullen
hate, and often bloody revenge, which are
caused by cruel discipline of force.
Let the South set in earnest about these re.
forms, and the danger of instruction will be
essened in tenfold degree. The slaveholding
class, 40 less than the slaves, will be improved
by sincere effort to ameliorate the institution.
They will cease to hate and despise the depend
ent class, when they undertake to elevate it in
the scale of civilization; and it cannot be
doubted that the slaves will cease to think of
attaining freedom by bloody revolution, when
the master gives up the idea of perpetuating
his bondage.
We wish it TO be understood that the reforms
here suggested originated with Southern minds.
They have frequently been the subject of dis
cussion in the Southern States, and have elicit
ed the appreciation of leading men in that
section of the Union. Perhaps the first propo-
stion of the kind came from Georgia We re-
member that the Southern Agricultural Society.
an association composed of the slaveholding
class which met in that State seven or eight
years ago, advised the reforms which we have
named above. Senator Toombs of that State. |
in his Boston lecture, which was delivered
about three years ago, admitted that Slavery |
needed reformation to the extent of guaranty
ing the family relations and permitting the |
slaves to read the Bible. Several Southern |
newspapers have taken similar ground and |
we have taken great pleasure in chronicling |
the fact, that the Episcopal Church of South |
Carolina, at its last Annual Convention, remon- |
strated against the cruelty and injustice of sep
arating families.
Why cannot the leading men of the South, of |
all parties and creeds, unite in the noble work |
of reform? They have devised various schemes |
for stopping the agitation of the Slavery ques-
ton," all of which have served to aggravate |
the evil complained of Their measures of
suppression and crushing out t" have all met
with a tenfold resistance, because their object |
has plainly been to extend and perpetuate !
the system. Now, let them make another ex. |
pertinent, which their hearts and consciences
will approve. Let them soften the lot of the