The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-03

non Shareholder, TO secure every slave in
the land in everlasting bondage. But
this, and worse has been done, aud ovOry
day, multitudes of the free white citizens
of the Republic die "to defend the insti-
tions of the Southland Institution in
this State means African slavery. A
species of property ought to pos
sess immense value which demands
80 great an outlay to defend it--no less
an outlay in fact, than the dearest jewels
of State, her free white citizens. Has
slavery any such worth to us, that we
should pay so great price as this-the
depopulation of our State, the devasta-
ton of our homes, and the orphanage
poverty, and misery of it's children ? We
think not. We affirm that the lives Of
the brave, generous, but misguided Ten
nesseans, who having been murdered by
Moloch of war, sleep to-day in I'M
know graves, are worth more than all
the African bondsmen, who ever toiled
under a tropic sun even placing their
value at the slave dealers old estimate
of 800 for a good laborer. No pc
cuniary value can be placed upon the
life of good citizen. But have slaves
any value in Tennessee to-day? Few
will contend they have. There are q
source of anxiety and burden to their
owners Miserably clad, unshod, half
starved, idle, unrestrained, rowing at
large, carried off first by one army, and
then by the other, to work on roads, en-
trcnchments, and Notifications - who
does not see that the presence of such a
population is the direst calamity which
could befali us Instead of adding their
former reputed value TO the wealth of
the State, we have better reason to
double the sum of their estimated value,
and substract it from our aggregate
wealth. This is becoming generally un-
derstood, both by loyal and 4isloyal
slave owners, who express the same SEN
timents on this point, in different man
ner. Ask Union stakeholder what he
thinks of the prospects of slavery in
Tennessee, and he will reply that he re-
| CARDS it as doomed institution, and will
soon be thing of the past. Ask Sc
cessionist.the same question, and he will
reply CURLY that he thinks slavery is
going to the devil. The only difference
between the opinions of the two men is,
that the latter does not make the admis-
siye as cheerfully or with as good grace
as the former, who is ready to submit to
any pecuniary sacrifice for the sake of
his country. We think then that if
slave holders will calmly survey the field,
and watch the irresistible march of
events, they must conclude that slavery
has ceased to be profitable in this State,
and can hencefOrward be regarded
only as a burden and "A continual source
of irritation and peril. We know that
these will be unpleasant reflections to
men who are reluctant to give up the
semblance of that power which they have
long enjoyed in reality. The possession
of slaves frequently brings many COM
forts and luxuries to their possessor, at
the expense, however, of the growth,
prosperity, and intelligence of the Com
monwealth. If the poets axiom be true,
that "men, high minded men constitute a
State" far better would ii be TO supply
the places of hundred ignorant, de-
graded negroes, with hundred intelli-
gent white laborers. In the place OF one
customer, in the person of the slave
owner the merchant, the printer shoe
maker, physician, bookseller, tailor, and
blacksmith, would have a hundred Gus
toners in the white laborers, The day
has passed, however, when slaves possess
any real value with us. They are the
empty shadows of wealth and power, the
reality of which they represent as poorly
rs the straw crown and fanciful rags of
LEAR the lunatic, represent the pomp and
splendor Of LEAR the king. These, we
say, may be unpleasant reflections but
they are necessary ones, which we can
not avoid and the great question comes
up, whether it is our duty, or our interest
to squander our treasure and best blood
for system which is now both worth
less and perilous, or shall we prepare to
remove il from our midst? All men know
that by the laws of populatino, slavery,
never adapted to our climate and products,
must be some day removed from among
us shall we determine this matter our
selves, or shall we doom our children TO