New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-04-17
VOLUME XIII.
Neh Orleans laiIg Grestsrt,
TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL II. 1860.
THE LAWS OF EMIGRATION.


THE LAWS OF EMIGRATION.
Black Republican paper, published at Roehes-
ter, in the State Of New York, speaking Of the
operations Of the underground railroad, declares
as follows:
We cannot, in mercy to the poor blacks, feel
that they are bettering their condition by going
| northward. Canada is not congenial place for
them. Its climate Is against them, and it does not
offer profitable field for their industry. The
young negro who crossed over yesterday will be
fortunate If able to earn better living than he
had at Baltimore, or secure any more Of the real
| blessings of freedom than were afforded him in
serVitude. AS for the poor old man, he will fare
hard in Canada, and will sigh for Louisiana home
to die in before he has spent year in Canada.
This is undoubtedly true. Nothing is better es-
tablished than the fact that the condition Of the
free blacks in Canada is Of misery, destitution'
and wretchedness, compared with which a life
upon Southern plantation is almost absolute hap
piness What Is true Of Canada is also true Of the
Northern States and cities generally. Occasion
ally we may find negro, or one of mixed blood,
in a condition of comfort and ease; but, as gem
eral thing, this class, all through the North live in
poverty, social disgrace and abject misery.
The laws Of emigration are fixed and certain,
and cannot be violated with impunity. Take any
man, white or black, who has been born and reared
under tropical sun, and carry him to hyperbo-
rean region-and he droops and dies. The effect
of climate upon physical health and development
is everywhere known and felt. A negro born in
Louisiana or Florida can no more flourish, physi-
calIy, among the ice and SHOWS Of Canada, than a
native Of Southern France or Itaiy could in the
rugged mountains of Northern Russia or Siberia.
The stealing of Southern slaves by our Northern
brethren is, therefore, not only crime against
the laws of property, but it is oense offered to
the laws of nature herself.
The general law of emigration is from east to
west-always has been, and always will be. OF
course, there are individual exceptions, partcu-
larly among such restless race as our own. But,
from the first dawn of civilization to the present
time, the general rule has been, in Europe as in
America, to follow the parallels of latitude from
east to west. Thus the Northern and Middle States
of the Union were settled mainly by English,
Scotch and Dutch. The Southern States were
settled principally by emigrants from France and
Spain.
So, also, in our own country, emigrants have
usually followed the parallels of latitude. Virgin
ians settled Kentucky-and Kentuckians in turn,
were the principal pioneers in Missouri. Tennes-
see was, originally, sort Of colony of North Caro-
lima. The Northwestern States TEEN with emf
grants from New England.
It is remarkable, however that while emigration
from North to South develops the very highest
physical and intellectual excellence in many in
stances, the reverse is rarely, if ever, the case.
No Southern man can 10 far North and flourish.
The stealing Of Southern slaves, then, and the
running them off to Canada is, as we said above,
violation not only of the rights of property but the
laws of Heaven 1t is an offense against that very
g higher law which Seward urges as his jusica-
ton for it. 1t thus becomes double crime. The
Black Republican editor we have quoted above
admits that It is wrong in physical sense. Let
him complete the record of his honesty now, by
declaring also the moral enormity and guilt of nm
dergronnd railroadisn
The truth is-and the North is becoming better
satisfied Of the fact every year-there is no class
of mental aborers in the world better off, in res
peet of physical comfort, than the slaves of the
South. A Southern negro would starve upon what
ekes out the miserable existence of negro in
Canada The latter is constantly beset by the two
greatest enemies to the happiness of the African
raee-to-wit: cold and hunger. No wonder, then,
this Rochester editor predicts that the "poor old
man. who has just passed over into Canada, will
soon sigh for a Louisiana plantation upon which
to die.
We trust, then, that if Northern negro-stealers
cannot be convinced of the moral turpitude of
their conduct, they will be Influenced by consider
atoms of humanity at least. They will not eneour-
age the emigration of race which pines and dies
beneath the rigors Of q Northern climate. They
will not take away the African from the Southern
sun in which he delights TO bask, aud expose him
to the chilling frosts Of a country in which Provi-
dence never intended him to live. If the abduc-
tion of Southern slaves be diversion absolutely
necessary to the peace of mind of Northern Abo-
litionists, let them station feet upon Southern
coast, and run the slaves off to Mexico some of
the Central American States, where they will perish
neither from cold nor from starvation.