The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-12-06
From the london Tine. Eoycmls.-g o.
EsCL.-H ei'INiOS> IN THE UaKpFU.-
FERRY OUTBREAK.

November
E.EL.-ii ei'INiON> IN THE EtsKpEU..
FERRY OUTBREAK.
bt course, there can be but one issl. Ia
this foolish and wicked enterprise. The
Insurgents will by their fate, give warn
Ing to ali WHO may dream Of rcmedynr =
great soc'a! evil by all appeal to arms
Bat the state Of society which causes such
a scheme To be formed and carried ont is
not the less threatening. When a few Pap
I-t~ planned the blowing up Of the English
Parliament. the chances Of success wer9 dcs-
reratc bat the act showed that there exist.
ed elements of danger in the State. Nor
can 1t he doubted that with si:llful and
audaclous leadership, the colored people of
Virginia would be capable Of infctinr ter
rlbie caiamities on their masters. With
men who would set their lives on the cast.
and who cared for nothing, provided liter-
ty, or at least revenge, were gained, an
insurrection would be formidable. The
blacks of this part of the Union are more
instructed than further south, where slave
life Is one round of toll there are great
number Of mulattoes, many free negroes,
and a good many poor whites, some of whom
might be expected to take part in any out.
break. All this population has, by con-
tact with the more civilized region, acquired
knowledge and feelings which perhaps hard
ly exists in Alabama or Texas. They
know enough to become discontentcd with
their condition. but not enough to feel the
utter madness of struggle with the Ameri-
can people. Our correspondent expresses
probably that the plot was widespread and
that the premature outbreak had probably
saved the country from dclugc of blood
The insurgents, We can easily believe
thought that the seizure Of government es-
tabllshment, and the possession Of rifles and
cannon, would encourage the whole popula-
ton to rise against their masters. Forty
eight hours might have been enough to
make half the plantations in the State the
scenes If the foulest crimes The isolated
and unprcpared families in the country
districts might have been set upon by their
lnaddcned slaves, and the whole system o..
slayeholding been 50 shaken as to necessi-
tate some plan Of abolition.
/ This, at least, seems to have been the
desi gn of the leaders That they could
have expected to conquer the United States
Executive in 4 scrvilc war, and to turn
Virginia and Maryland into free States
through victories gained by rcbellious ne
groes. seems out of the question. Amcrl.
ca is not like one of our own island colo.
nies, where the negroes outnumbcr the
whites many fold in the districts where
this outbreak took place the whites are
probably superior III number to the colored
population They are all armed, and nc
customcd almost from childhood to the USE
of their weapons. The circumstances i.
which they are placed have given them al
aptitude for something like military organi
cation, and they have continually befor,
their eyes the necessity Of preserving orde
among the African race We may be sur,
that, after the first surprise, the white mel
in every American State would take promp
and effectual measures to crush rebellion
though probably not soon enough to preven
. the commission of many atrocities. Thi
fact adds much to the guilt of the men VIII
organized this scheme. Nothing but sicken
ing and bootless slaughter could come of
first, the slaugter of white families b
their slaves and then the bloody reveng
of the exaspcrated masters.
We will not affect to indulge the hop
that the Commonwealth Of Virginia an
Maryland will be moved by this event t
take into consideration the extinction {
Slavery, Putting aside the fact that sue
!. outbreaks generally steel the heart instea
Of softcning it. and that the yoke is likel
# to be pressed down more heavily than eve
on negro necks, there are the great induce
ments of gain and fear to support the sys
TEN. Cotton is produced now in waste
quantities than ever, and the value Of II,
gro labor is continually rising. The pric
Of negroes is nearly double what it ";
some years back, for the increase by breed
ing does not keep pace with the deman
$ for the ncwly-settled country, As long
: Virginia supplies the dealers of the Sou'
with prof, to herself, 50 long will owner
keep a firm grasp on their human propert