Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-26


the municipal law of the individual state in whcl
they reside. The condition of slavery is so un
natural; and so provocative of violent revolt, b,
which society in general is menaced, the non'slav
claimant being endangered in life and propert
equally with him who holds the guilty relation
that both classes naturally make common cause il
holding the save in subjection. This condition o
political society, was more readily initiated by
the circumstance that in the beginning the enslav
ed and the enslaver, were of entirely different
races. By intermixture of blood that distinction
IS rapidly passing away, but the institutions which
it has assisted to mould are uninfuenced by the
fact. We find therefore in the states where slave
ry exists that all Of the unenslaved are bound by
authority of law to keep the slaves in subjeetion
The free coored race are partial exception tc
this In property they are equally bound with the
whites, but personally they are not subject to the
militia laws, since their supposed sympathy with
their own race, renders them too much the object
of suspicion to be entrusted with arms
But as was early foreseen, the power concentrate
ed in the separate State institutions is not sufi.
cient to secure the master in his guilty position.
In 1850 South Carolina contained 101 ,46l more
slaves than free persons, and against 274,563
whites che had 393, ,944 colored, making an excess
of the latter class of ll4,3Sl. Mississippi ut the
same time had slave population exceeding the
free by IA, l60 There is reason to believe that
the disproportion between these classes has large.
ly increased since the last census Louisiana had
only lO.6S2 more free whites than slaves, and
CHASING the colored population slave and free to-
gethor, they outnumbered the whites BY ,76O.
Taxing the seven contiguous States of North and
South Carolina, Georgia. Alabama, Mississippi
Louisiana, and Florida, ON the Atlantic coast to-
gether, in 1850 they contained 2 435 024 free white
persons, to 1891 995 slaves with 6O,943 free coli
ored persons. Thus we see they had but 443, ,O39
more free persons than slaves, and only 32l, ,143
more whites, than slaves and free coored persons
together. So oppressed the nominally free col.
ored persons by unequal legislation in consider,
ing this question they may properly be classed
with the slaves With so small preponderapce
of the white race and this constantly decreasing.
it we're manifestly impossible long to continue the
system OF slavery, without external assistance of
some sort, in power operating from without the
bounds of the slave owning sovereignties.
By sagacity in the accomplishment of their
III,
the slave'owners succeeded in concentrating the
whole pecuniary, physical and moral power Of this
contederacy, in their support, against any effort
Of their victims to obtain their freedom either by
Hight or resistance. 1t matters not that the ar
rangements agreed to by the Northern delegates
who assisted to frame the Federal Constitution.
may have been adopted by them in Wow of diff.
erent purpose. The fact as herein stated exists,
IS consequence Of the terms Of that compact.
md this no person can successfully dispute. What,
ever other objects may have been sought BY aty
IF the parties, in the conditions of the bargains
they made it is certain that it also provided for
The employment Of the whole power of the whole
people, to keep the slaves in their chains, SO long
rs tho opprcssor demands it, and the agreement
should be faithfully kept by them who entered in
TO it, and all of their successors.
1t may be urged in opposition to the idea that
his was result Intentionally sought, that the
number Of slaves, compared with the free popula-
ion, at the time the constitution was framed, was
lot sufficient to be likely to force the subject upon
he attention of those about to create national in
itutions, and compel them to provide for the con.
ingency which has since occurred. Let us see
low the facts in the will appear. AT the first
census, under tho Constitution, in 1890, three
,ears after its adoption, the slaves numbered 694.
80, in population of 3,929328, being more than
me sixth Of the whole. How they were distribut.
ID throughout the general population there are
10 data 20 exhibit previously to the census of 1920
nly thirty'three years after the adoption of the
Constitution. At that time South Carolina had
N excess of slave population above the free of
1865. Mississippi had an excess of only 10000
rec persons above the slaves. Georgia had but
n excess of 9O,G3O of white population. North
'arolina had q white population of Ala 564 to col
red 224. .433, an excess of only l9O,l3l. Virsi
ia had colored population of 462, ,042 being
early half million. In this connection it must
e borne in mind that rapid increase of the
lave population, through means of the African
lave trade, in addition to tLeir natural increase.
,as anticipated by South Carolina, and Georgia,
'hich States refused to come into the confederacy
'ithout constitutional guarantee Of that trade
or twenty years. Again, besides the menacing
ondtion of affairs produced by this great and
apidy enlarging servie population. there were
he past in Greece, and Rome and even on our
wn continent. likely to be held in vivid rememb
ance by those interested, to augment the feelings
( insecurity from its existence, aud to sharpen
he anxiety Of the astute politicians who we're
hal ing natural institutions, to provide every pos.
b!e safeguard. In ancient annals are registered
ne deeds of Drimacos, of Eunus, of Spartacus,
nd their followers, sending down from the censu,
les long past. warning against the probable con-
equence of such oppression. And in 174l when
10 city of New York contained but 5000 inhabi.
.nts, about one sixth of whom were slaves, a
anic originated through fear of servis insur- {
sction, of which there was no reasonable ground '
f apprehension, except in that conscience which
said to make towards Of US all. With no evi. 8
ence or with very slight testimony indeed, of an
tendency upon the part of the 8
aves, during the prevalence of the alarm, Is :
oor victims were burned at the stake, Is were
anged, and II transported beyond the bounds of d
'e colony. a