Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-04-18
The Future of slavery.

ne Future oil slavery.
What is TO be the effect of the war upol
slavery ? is question more easily aske'
than answered, but one which presents itsel
continually before the mind Of almost ever,
one. And naturally enough. The slavery
question has been SO much before the peo
pie of late years that not only those VIII
have made speciality of it, but every on,
at the North has had something TO say up
on it, and has come to recognize it as the
greatest question Of all which devolvel up
on the American people to settle. Ant
now when from the same quarter of the
land whence in past years have arisen po'
! ltical controversies based upon this ducs
ton, there has come up this tempest of re
bellion, having the same source, it would
be most extraordinary if we did not ask
ourselves what would be the effect of the
war upon the cause. No one can tell this
as yet, because it is not yet settled what
steps are to be taken against Slavery in
the prosecution of the war. If it is long
enough and embittered enough by defeats
on both sides, to lead our generals to de-
clare the slaves free as a military measure,
then, of course, the war will be utter des-
truction 10 'slavery, bringing it TO sudden
and violent end. And theR are those who
are impatient to have that course pursued,
because they desire the utter overthrow of
the system, and believe that such sudden
and violent destruction is the only way to
reach the evil. And there are those, too,
who argue that we can never establish a
firmly cemented Union again, unless Sla-
very is first utterly overthrow.
But let us suppose that no such measure
is adopted that the rebellion is subdued
be fore it has developed enough latent heat
to bring out the force necessar for its
adoption, and that without the passage of
any act of Congress declaring all slaves Of
the rebels free, without the issuing of a
proclamation by any Of our generals Civ
ing freedom to all within his Department,
the armed traitors are quelled, and their
leaders scattered in flight or in prison, and
the authority of the United States and the
laws of the Constitution again recognized
as before throughout rebeldom. Is it not
perfectly clear that even in that case, the
ruin of slavery, though not so speedy, is
just as certain? What would be the con-
dition of the system if the rebellion were
to be overthrow TO day. Over wide
tracts of country, which but few months
ago were titled by slaves alone, now no
masters authority is recognized, no over
seer's lash is authorized by law. The
South has lost more slaves in this one year
of rebellion. than in any ten preceding it,
But the loss of those who have ran away
is az nothing in its effects upon the system
compared with the effects of the recogni-
ton by the government Of those who re-
main behind in the Port Royal district and
around Fortress Monroe as free men, when
their rebel master fed, of schools set up for
these freed men by Government authority
and the teachers and missionaries provided
for them at Government expense. These
things cannot be limited in their effects TO
districts Immediately around them. They
will be felt throughout the utmost bounds
of slavery. They will lessen the value, as
slave, OF every one upon whom the yoke
OF servitude rests. They will lessen the
gulf which now for each one of them
yawns between a ehaitel aud a man.
But, besides The effects of the rebellion
upon the slave, its effect upon the slavehol-
ders will be also marked. The mere eff
icct OF their peeunary state can hardly be
appreciated. A year of such poverty, fol-
lowed by the inevitable destruction of all
business, which must follow with a people
who have lived upon credit which is sud-
denly and utterly destroyed, while there is
an entire lack oil money throughout their
land, will test the strength of their boosted
system of society severely. And with all
The tendencies of the system to encourage
there cannot fail TO be an opening of the
eyes of the Southern people upon several
points. They will see that they are no,
= the people, and that knowledge and all
other excelences do not :. die with them. -
Their rela'iva position il the country will
be great deal better understood by them.
Their arrogance viii have received a mos,
damaging blow ih-ir theories about the
comparative strength of free and slave So
ciety, will have shown themselves falla-
cious, and information upon many such
points cannot fail 10 have been driyen into
their minds-drivel in by hard knocks. no