The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-29

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| isfy the demands Of those two sinners who had
repented. He reiterated that the war was
prosecuted only for reestablishing Constitution
| al authority, contrasted the Government Of the
United States, with Continental Europe, where
a multiplicity of languages are spoken in ter
ritory covering not~half the area of some OF our
States, remarking that we were not only one
| in language and customs, but must remain
| under one flag.
WHAT A COLORED MAN THINKS
SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE
A colcred man of Cincinnati writing to the
Gazette, gives his views of the best mode Of
| disposing Of slavery, in communication from
which We make an extract or two:
Those in the North opposed to emancipation
may tie divided into two classes; one class op-
roses it from blind unreasoning prejudice
| against the negro; thev give no reasons, have
| none to give; they can only assert, with q We
| hemence which borders on brutality, that the
| bondage Of the black man lie right, and that the
Union is founded upon his enslaSement. Such
men, wherever found in the North, are deeply
| tinctursd with the doctrines of Secession, and
cannot be implicitly relied upon to serve the
Republic in her present trial--since their aleai-
ance is modified by the implied condition that
they serve the Union because Slavery is safer
in it than out OF it. Another and more numer-
Gus class urge objections against emancipa-
ton, that the master class would be utterly
ruined-that in consequence their purchases Of
Northern produce and manufactured goods would
cease, and widespread ruin result.
The freed men, they assert, would leave the
South and crowd the North, where already the
means of subsistence for colored men are great
ly straitened Failing to obtain employment
they would sink into paupers, and the people
of tie North, already suffering from commercial
ruin, be compelled to support them. To speak
| to such men of emancipation, fills their minds
with pictures Of mendicant negroes on every
Northern doorstep, soliciting aims Many per-
sons who have arraigued themselves among the
emaacipationists, entertain these objections, but
| for the sake Of crippling the South they are
willing to brave these to them, terrible conse.
quences.
The gradual emancipation proposed by the
President is Of all plans the one best suited to
realize these fears, while il proper method Of
| emancipation be adopted they are groundless.
II the slaves are emancipated on the soil which
they have titled, and are kept employed upon
that SOIL they will not desert the South for the
North, and where one vessel now goes South
loaded with the products of Northern workshops
dozen will be needed to supply the demand
created by the growing wants of the freed la.
borers of the South.
| The policy of gradual emancipation has been
fully tried in this country, and in every case has
been productive Of great and unmerited suffer-
| ing to the emancpated class, leading, as one
historian alleges, to their determination. The
advocates OF gradual emancipation urge, that
by this process the slave becomes prepared for
freedom. But experience shows that the pre-
paration is never made. If it is provided that
all born after a certain date are to be free, the
education never takes place, for the master will
not assume the care and expense of their educa-
ton, and the parents cannot, for the masters
control forbids the performance of those duties
arising from the parental relation. If it is pro.
yided that they are to be free after reaching q
certain age, that they will not be as thoroughly
trained as ordinary slaves, for the master will
refuse to give that care to them which the ex-
pectation Of lifelong service would prompt him
| to -bestow. Immediate emancipation will find
them as fully prepared for freedom as any grad
ual system that can be adopted Gradual eman-
cipation will have the effect of throwing upon
the country large number Of unemployed labor
ers in this wise:
A man owning ten slaves finds by the opera
ton of the gradual emancipation laws that on
the first of January three Of them are free. He
submits to the law, allows them to go forth, but
c0mpels the remaining seven to do the work of
| ten. The emancipated three find all places of
employment in the neighborhood working on
the same plan, seven men doing the work of ten.
Dismissed empty handed, denied employment
there is no escape from pauperism except thu O.
crime. At best they settle on the waste lands
of the vicinity, and found those desolate villages
| which in several States of the North, have for
long time furnished arguments against emanci-
patton To the enterprising, there is one other
resort, come to Tie northern States in search of
employment. How they will be received can be
| gathered from the black codes OF Illinois. Indi
ana, and other Northern States. All of the
States would probably pass similar laws, and
then denied footing anywhere, the poor crea
lures would present spectacle which for sad
ness could find no historical parallel
| As for the foolish proposition to colonze them
aside from the pecuniary impossibility of the
project, it needs but moments reflection to
| perceive that the repatriation Of such large
number of able bodied iaborers, would be
piece of folly, in comparison with which the
casting OF oil the gold and silver of the country
into the ocean would be wisdom A nation NAV
under circumstances requiring it, part with its
wealth cheerfnlly, but to part with its laborers.
the producers Of its wealth. is suicide These
aborers, swhom ID is proposed to ship to
parts unknown, are the men who have produced
the hundreds Of millions annually of cotton, gu.
gar, rice and tobacco, which has enabled us to
preserve the balance of trade with Europe.
Freedom will not paralyze muscle or shrivel a
| limb OF these men. Properly treated and wise.
| ly organized, arguses of their producing will
continue to burden the ocean, and Manchester.
Lawrence and Lyons may add more thousands to
their myriads of spindles; for they who now on.
| ly produce, will then become consumers. Not
| cotton but the negro who produces it is king.
| Immediate emancipation it, then, the conrce
which a regard for justice and humanity dictates
L I do sav nj ~.
here may have the misfortune to differ with the
mass OF my people, and with those noble men
who have so long, and under sucn adyers circup
| stances, protested against our enslavement. |
think, however, the friends of the slave can thank
fully accept a scheme of conditional emancina.
ton, if, while it restricts, in some measure. his
locomotion, and compes him to labor in the
production OF those articles of commerce upon
which the prosperity Of the country SO largely
depends, it shall at the same time protect bis
| person from violence, compel his EMPLOYER 10
| pay him remunerative rate Of wages enable
him, II industrious, to remove his wife ard child.
rem frcm the ted, and place the latter under the
eleyating influences Of home and the school
where they will be fitted to appreciate the priys
ileges OF American citizens, which the progress
sivc movement of any just scheme would nl,i.
mately confer.
The apprenticeship system adopted by the
EnSusn Wnen the slaves OF their colonies were
emancipated, affords hint whichit win be we'll
to accept The defect Of that system was tha,
II compelled the laborer to work several DAYS in
the week for their former owners without com.
pensation. This was unjust, and the system
deserved to fail, as it did.
The plan which commeads itself 10 nv iuao.
ment is to let the slave GO free at once-frea +,
control his wife and children, free 10 control bs
wages, free to educate his children to the er
tent Of his means, provided the State system Of
schools does not satisfy him free, in short to
develop himself to the extent of his canac;ty
OF restraints, let US be willing that each labor.
er between the ages of l6 and so, residing IN
any Southern State district, shall be lated nv
the magistrates of those districts, and forbidasD
to go out OF the bounds except by permission.
and be compelled to labor for any one desiring
to employ them; provided always that ths
same magistrates shall have the power 10 on.
force ine payment Of the wages thus earned
Care should be taken in appointing these maria. |
trstes that they shall be IS little under the in5;n
ence OF the slave holding class Is possible The
office might finally be made elective, the eiec.
A-s.- Al