The national Republican., 1862-08-12
Tuesday, August u, Bo2.
CoMPnssArrOn rOR SLAVES.

COMPENSATION FOE SLAVES.
Il Il sometimes said that the Coostitution Of
The United States recognises propsrty In slaves.
II does no such thing. Il recognizes tho exist.
ing Isct Of the relation Of master and slave, and
protects in certain cases the claim Of the mas.
ter to the services Of the slave. But Il does
not recognize . slave % property, In the
ssnss In which horse is property. A slave
10 NO more property, becaase bis services
are due to q master, than are youth In
their minority, because their labsr, until hey
arrive at the age Of twenty.one years, be-
longs 10 their fathers. The most that can
be said 10 such cases, Is, that certain rsla-
tions exist between Glasses Of persons, and the
question isc whether the same law making
power which establishes thsss relations, may
not alter them under changed circumstances
and for good cause, without invading rights
OF property, or laying foundation for de-
msud for compensation from any quarter.
1t ought to be proper 10 presume, in respect
to any Christian community, that no relations
exist In II, which are not for the equal benefit
OF both parties, and none In which one side has
such an advantage as 70 amount 10 property
in the other side. This Is true Of the re-
lstions which the law sstsblishes between
father and children, master and apprentice.
On the one side there 10 service due. and on
the other side, and Intended q 0 full balance
to II, the obligation Of support, overnight, and
protection.
The apologists Of slavery in this country
almost always assume this Identical ground In
respect to slavery, that Il ID a. beneficial 10 the
slave III 70 the master. Slavsholden them
selvss have been whining for Q generation upon
the burden thrown upon them by slavery.
They have slwas expressed their willingness 70
give up their bondsmsu II they could be rid Of
them. Il Is only the other day, at Iudianapo-
lie. that Gov. Wicklihs, Of Ksatssky, declared
that he had devoted the sazninss Of iorty ysars
Of law practice 70 feeding sad clothing his
''nigges." Of o0nrss ~ s>AAsasas b falss,
but the fsct that be made Il, shown the manner
10 which the nigssr driven aad niggsr brssdsrs
have been accustomed to express themselves
TO take their avowed view Of The matter, il ID
no more true that mastsrs own their slaves
than that slaves own their masters. Really
they each have important claims upon tht
other, the one to service and the other to sup
port and II Christian community should no
tolerate the relation at all, II these two claim
are not u fair otfsst against each other. Slave
holders have always insisted that they were 30
aud II is good time to take them at thsi
word.
If any State should change its laws, a.
sometimes proposed, 10 q 10 make minorit
terminate at the age Of twenty yssrs instead Q
at the age of twenty one years, nobody woul'
say that this deprivation Of . years servic
was loss Of property To the father, 10 such
sense Is to sntitls him to compensation. An
yet, the thing lost 10 that supposed case
valuable, upon the same principles that th
right to the services Of q slave 10 valuable.
There has been one example Of compensate
emancipation In this country, and that ID h
recent enc In this District Of Columbia. Thl
feature Of the bill abolishing slavery here VI
repugnsnt to = large majority Of those wh
voted for 1t, and was only retained 10 order
concilists few votes which could not hs,
been had without it. There WAS no gener
sdmission Of It's justice. On the contrary,
was shown 10 the debate upon the bill, and d
attempted to be controvsrted, that slavery hl
no legal existence here, and was merely q lou
tolerated abuse II wss shown that, in MARI
iand, when that State csdsd this District, Il
law limited slavery 10 imported Africans 81
their immediate children; and this was real
lhs law existing here since, unaffected /
changes made by Maryland after the cession
this District. 1t was, thus. not because o.
right 70 compensation was admitted, that II VI
voted, but because, 10 the close balance Of ps
ties, the abolition Of slavery here could not
carried 10 any other form.
10 the resolution passed by Congress in Mar,
last, al the instance Of the President prouisil
Indemnity to such States rs would abolish sl
very before this war CLOSES, there 10 not sing
word about compromising the owners Of slsv,
That resolution pledged indemnify 10 hs &ate
tor the public and private Inconvenience whi
abolition might bs thought to occasion.
VIE expressly declared that the States shou
dispose "i this indemnity as they sa,o Ill., tn
might devote il 10 colonization, 70 works
public improvement, 10 the payment Of the
own debts, TO educating the liberated slsv,
Or to providing them with homsstssds. Th
might, to be sure, devote part OF Il 70 co
psnssting the owners Of slaves, but who /
lievss that single ons OF them would hs
done 30? What State 70 there, with ten, tive
ty, or thirty millions received into its trsssu
from the United States, and with the unfetts,
right to do Ne they please with II. which wo'
appropriate dollar TO any such purpose
The States will not have arrived at the C,
oiusion that they had better abolish slave
until they have also arrived at a view Of
whole subject Of slavery, which would
incline them altogether TO voting money
slsvohOlders,
It was not understood at all, when the MAJ
resolution i Congress wss passed, that
pledged compensation to slave. holders