The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-12-06
of men and it cannot without CONFUSION, be
hushed forever, with the passing of one genera

stitution of the United States:
Resolved, BY the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, two-thirds of both Houses
concurring, that the following articles be pro-
posed to the Legislatures or Conventions of the
several States, all, or anv of which articles
when ratified by three-fourths of the said Legis
latures or Conventions to be valid as part OF
parts of the said Constitution, namely:
~ COMPENSATED EMANCIPATION. s
ARTICLE -. Every State wherein slavery
now exists, which shall abolish the same therein
| at any time or times before the first of January,
in the year of our Lord 1900, shall receive com.
pensation from the United States, bearing in
terest at the rate Of -, for each slave shown
to have been therein by the eighth census Of the
United States, said bonds to be delivered to such
States, by installmeHts, or in one parcel, at the
completion of the adjustment, accordingly as
the same shall have been gradual or at one time
within such State, and interest shall begin to
run upon any such bond Only from the prope
time of its delivery as aforesaid and afterwards.
Any State, having received bonds as aforesaid,
and afterwards introducing or tolerating slave-
ry therein, shall refund to the United States the
bonds 40 received or the value thereof, and all
interest paid thereon.
OF SLAVES FREED BY THE WAR.
ARTICLE =. All slaves who shall have en-
joyed actual freedom by the chances of war at
any time before the end of the rebellion, shall
be for ever free; but all owners of such who
shall not have been disloyal, shall be compen-
stated for them at the same rates as is provided
for States adopting adjustment of slavery, but
in such way that no slave shall be twice &C.
counted for.
VOLUNTARY COLONIZATION IN THE o. 8.
m TO mr. on
or otherwise to provide for colonizing free col
ored persons, with their own consent, at any
place or places within the United States.
TIE ARGUMENTS THEREOF.
beg indulgence to discuss these proposed ar.
ticles at some length. Without slavery the re-
bellion should never have existed; without sla-
very it could not continue. Among the friends
Of the Union there is great diversity of sentiment
and policy in regard to slavery and the African
race amongst US Some would abolish it sud
denly and without compensation, and some wod
abolish it gradually and with compensation
Some wonld remove the free people from US, and
some would retain them with US, and there are
yet other minor diversities Because of these
diversities we waste much strength in struggles
amongst ourselves. By mutual concession we
should harmonic and act together. This would
De compromise among the friends and not with
intended to embody plan of such mutual con-
cession. If the plan shall be adopted, it is as
sumed that emancipation will follow, at least in
several of the States.
HARMoNIZING DIFFERENCES.
In the first article the main points are: First,
The emancipation. Second, The length of time
for concentrating, in years; and, Third, The
The emancipation will be unsatisfactory to
the advocates of perpetual slavery, but the length
of time should greatly mitigate their dissatisfac
ton. The time saves both races from the evils
of sudden arrangement, while most of those
whose habitual course of thought will be dis
turbed by the measure, will have passed away
before its consummation. They will never see
il. Another class will hail the prospect of
emancipation, but will deprecate the length of
time. They will feel that it gives too little to
the now living slaves, but it really gives them
much. 1t saves them from the vagrant destitu-
ton which must largely attend immediate eman-
cipation in localities where the numbers are very
great and it gives the inspiriting assurance that
their posterity shall be free forever.
The plan leaves to each State choosing to act
under 1t to abolish slavery now, or at the end of
the century, or at any intermediate time, or by
degrees extending over the whole or any part OF
that period; and it obliges no two States to pro.
coed alike. 1t also provides for compensation,
and generally the mode of making it. This, it
would seem, must further mitigate the dissatis
faction of those who favor perpetual slavery,
those who are to receive compensa-
ton. --%
E.. So WHY COMPENSATE.
Doubtless some of those who are to pay and
not to receive will object to it. That the meas
ure is both ust and economical is certain The
shor soy, ~ ho eli Sc he
perry acquired by descent or by purchase, the
same as any other property. 1t is no less true
for having been often said, that the people of
the South are no more responsible for the intro
duction of this property than are the people of
the North and when it is remembered how un-
hesitatingly we all use cotton and sugar, and
share the profits of dealing in them, it may not
be quite safe to say that the South has been
more responsible than the North for its continu
ance. 1t, then, for a common object, this pro-
perry is to be sacrificed, is it not just that it be
done at q common charge? And if with less
money, or money more easily paid, We can pre-.
serve the benefits of the Union by this means,
than we can by the war alone, is it not econom-
ical to do it? 1a1'r- VIA %
AN KCoNoN1CAL VIEW.
Let us consider it then let US ascertain the
sum we have expended in the war since compen.
sateu eWauclpauon WAS proposed last March,
and consider whether, if that measure bad been
promptly accepted by even some of the Slave
States, the same sum would have not done more
to close the war than has been otherwise done
II go, the measure would save money; and 10
that view, would be prudent and economical
measure, certainly.
1t lis not SO easy to pay something as it is to
pay nothing but it is easier to pay large sum
than larger one. =.
The aggregate sum necessary for compensated
emancipation of course would be large, but it
would require no ready cash nor bonds any fas-
ter than the emancipation progresses.
SHARING THE BURDEN WITH PosTERITY,
This might not and probably would not close
before the end of the thirty-seven years. At
that time We shall probably have 100, OOO, 600
people to share the burden instead of 81, 600.
900 as now, and not only 80, but the increase Of
our population may be expected to continue for
long time after the period as rapidly as before,
because our territories will not have become
full. do not state this inconsiderately. At the
same ratio Of increase which we have maintain.
ed on the average from our first national census
in 1890 until 1860, We should in 1900 have "a
H.