Gazette and sentinel., 1860-10-27
Correspondence of the Gazette & Sentinel.
Are Slaves Property?

HI. lOl StCllUldl, III NV SN'c~ N"~ ~ 1900
spoken of, for then slavery was universal, ex-
isting in every state Of the Confederation but
one, and existing under every civilized Gov
eminent under the sum-. None then doubts
that slaves were property, for they entered
into the Of all nations as merchan.
dize-were bought and sold, devised and in.
as parts Of estates and formed no
exceptional species Of property. II, since
many of the States of this Union have seen tit
to prohibit the holding of slaves as property,
it proves nothing initiates not a jot or title
against the right Of the citizens OF other States
to hold them as property, nor does it prove
that the institution is local, not national, any
more than that the manufacture of cotton
goods, confined to New England, proves that
the manufacturing interests are exception
al-local. not national.
Slavery exists in only fourteen States OF
the Union, and the manufacturing States are
not near SO numerous as the Slave States
Under such a theory the raising OF corn, and
the manufacture of corn whlskey would he the
only national institution and interest, for ev-
cry State produces it, except perhaps one ow
two of the extreme Northwestern States.
Cotton, upon which the whole commercial
operations of the North are founded, would be
sectional; sugar, very sectional, whilst the
manufacture OF pumpkin pies, wooden nut
megs and clam bakes' extremely so.
But there is another large influential and
fourishing interest, the shipping interest OF
the North, which is sectional, not national.
We sum up: Non ship holding Stdts-Mich-
igan, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas,
Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, OHIO, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, North
Carolina. South Carolina, Georgia, Florida.
Louisiana. California, Oregon-2l out of S3
States. Many Of the States above named do
not Hy a rag upon the ocean. The fact is
nearly the whole Of the shipping interests Of
the Union are held by the six new England
States. This then, is a far more local, not
national exceptional, institution than slavery,
existing in IA slaveholding States. Nor can
the Northern States boast in a Puritan sense
their humanity in abolishing il. They held
slaves as long as they were profitable. They
carried on the slave trade as long as the Con.
s~titution and laws of the Union allowed them;
and are the only States now engaged in carry
ing them to Cuba or smuggling them in upon
the coasts of Florida. Nor did they pay a cent
for ahoIishing it. They abolished slavery by
selling their slaves to the South to raise cotton
and sugar, and putting the money INTO their
pockets-a cute Yankee trick, it must be
confessed.
Away then with all such 6emagogicsl idea
that slavery is sectional not national, or that
| other expression Of Mr.. Stewards coined for
the occasion that
ut never can be wise 10 perSeyere ~voluntar
lily in extend ing or foitiiying an institution,
that is founded on the rights OF human nature"
But let us proceed to prove that slaves are
property. We do not propose to 90 behind
! the revolution to establish that our forefathers
erected a Government Of their own, based on
their o,on institutions, suiting it to their opn
necessities. We will confine ourselves to slav.
cry under the Constitution, and within the
Union, and for this purpose we will cite the
Declaration Of Independence, so often not only
mi.quoted but miscoustrued. We will show
that its declarations were never intended to
apply to the negrOes-that it was a white
mans government, made for white, only and
we will show this by what was included as
well as that which was purposely excluded
The Declaration sets out by declaring that al
men are created equal-not free and equal
as often misquoas1. mark %you-thst they are
endowed by their Creator with certain Inherent
and alienable rights; that among them are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness That
to secure theses rights, Government are insti'
tuted among men, deriving their just power
from the consent Of the governed. That when
ever any Government becomes destructive o
the ends, it is the right Of the people, to alte'
or abolish ito institute a new Government
laying its foundation on such principles, ant
organizing its powers in such form as, Il
them. shall seem most likely to effect Mei
safety and happiness. 1t then sets forth tn
prejudices and sufferings Of the colonies
WEST BATON ROUGE.
[Continued in our next.l
st. Charles Hotel.
On q late visit to this establishment, W