The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-20
LcOmmunicased.l
MEMPHIs, Tenn, July l9, /

gradual emancipation made in Memphis jour
nal, would have been received with terrible
outburst of indignation, and l, your humble
correspondent, one year since, Would likely
have joined in an effort toexpel from our midst
the publisher of such an unwelcome doctrine.
But times have radically changed, omens fill
our sky, and men now, even in our city, reflect
under Federal gunboats as we have never done
before. sm no enemy of our system of hu-
man bondage, but have always agreed with DR..
Breckenridge, that the rights of labor and the
interests of poor white men are moro sacred
than the rights OF capital, whether invested in
lands or Africans t &# # " Z
And, despising Abolitionists ard cotton
burning Rebels equally, l would, with John
son, and Drake of Missouri, and such men,
however, as the last resort, rather see gradual
emancipation, with compensation, take place,
shan the Federal Union of our fathers de-
stroyed. Our mistake, now see distinctly,
tion of slavery. And, although the cry of
abolition at the North may have precipitated
that state Of things, it would have been better
for our cause to have allowed a few fanatics to
have howled out their brief hour, and to have
relied upon the sober, staid conservatism of the
Northern masses.
We are not without our portion of original
responsibility also, for if 1 understand the
history of my country correctly, the slsvehold-
ing fathers of the Revolution Of 1916 regarded
the African slave trade as an evil, a d the in
stitution of domestic bondage equally so, and
charged the original crime on the King and
Parliament. No man ever denied this, and
never can. And suppose it is equally true
that Washington and the best men of Virginia
desired the time to hasten when gradual
emancipation coul take place is..a
A later class of Shareholders however, for
getting that which influenced such men as
Madison and his copatriots, viz; that, in JEFF
| fersons language, "Heaven's Justice could not
always slumber," attempted to change the
doctri1e that slavery was an evil into that
declaration that it was good and a patriarchal
institution. And this step once taken, there
was no retreat, or chance of return. For Gu
! pidity and avarice claimed, and who could
Withstand their reasoning. that il a good, it
should not be limited TO the original States
4 where the fathers claimed it belonged exclu-
| sively-but should be allowed the range of the
| Territories. Now as an old man | can remem-
Der very well in the days of Felix Grundy and
| Henry Clay, when such men made the trip to
| Washington city on horse back, how Clay used
| to say his body servant was a free man from
| the time he crossed the line of Kentucky, going
| North and such were the decisions of the
| Supreme Court Of the United States Making
it a local, not a national institution. But the
next step was, if it is good, instead of an evil
the product of its labor must have free trade and
| easy access to market, and hence notification oi
| the tariff laws. But blessed be the memory OF
| my old friead Andrew jackson, land how my
heart was panied the other day to see his
statue defaced in the park, he lived then to
tell South Carolina "The Federal Union
| must be preserved" But men said if good
it should be protected, and therefore many
took the view, that it must have guarantees
| of safety by the Federal Congress, and that
We know would have changed the whole orig
inal policy of the Government. And then 9
very few bold men, said and argued, if good
why not enjoy it at low figures, and 90 tC
Africa for our slaves, and cease to let Virgins
and Maryland have q monopoly in breeding
slaves. On this we differed among ourselves
and the whole North was against us. AnC
when the Confederacy was organized we dare
not risk the consequences of that doctrine will
the border States and England Others sale
if it be good it must be respected, and i
any one speaks about it in disrespectful man
ner let him be driven from the Southland
hence secret committees, tar and feathers, and
many good men of the North through mis-
take were unfortunately prosecuted, produc
ing much irritation. / admit that there seem
to be something plausible in the theory that W
men of the South are not allowed, Liberty
Equality and independence" in theTerritorie:
if our slaves ara excluded but then the truth
this aud At my time of life, and amid aelug
of blood allow me to say it to younger men VIII
may not remember the fsct. When the slav
holders of Virginia ceded the Northwest Ter
ritory to Congress- of which Ohio, Indians
illinois, &C., were made States, they demande
that thereafter States should be created froI
that territory, in which the people should en-
JOY the same measure of aLiberty, Eaualt
and Independence with citizens of all tn
States. andthen almost the next day, the sam
men of Virginia; in several cases, representa-
A the same sentiment voted for, the celebrate
ordinance of 1857, declaring that SLAYER
!. should forever be excluded from that sol
Admitting that it was not necessary that
man should be allowed to carry his slav,
there IN order to enjoy an equal share Of al
erty, Equality and Independence But tn,
these gifts were to be enjoyed in anation
:. sense, while the excluded system was locs
d But i am becoming tedious and may be heal
from again, if your critical eve, can favor Il
. publication ofsentiments of : -
A48 a1#ess sas SEVENTY SIX
THE INQUIRY into the loyalty of Ben. Wo,
~ H.. ,,r,,ya thta saSuiox, ~,