The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-01-02


In his we'll known pamphlet entitled
conscience and the Constitution with
remarks on The speech Of Hon. Daniel
Webster in the United States Senate on the
subject of slavery. the late Prof. Stewart.
! Of Andover. asks the abolilionists some
hard questions which it is high time they
were prepared to answer. He said:
What shall we do? Il is fair question.
and would to God could answer it, to
my own or your satisfaction. 1t is i'm
measurably the most difficult problem ever
before this great nation. Universal and
immediate emancipation would be little
short of insanity. The blacks themselves
would be The first and most miserable vic-
Tins. Stealing. robbery. rapine. and other
evils would inevitably follow in the train
liberation. aud thousands of ignorant and
starving nien would seek their sustenance
in prey ing upon their former masters aud
upon the community. They could not all
be hired at the prices which they would
demand.
am. think. pretty fully aware of the
great difficulties that lie in the way. Sup
pose the black population were made fee;
then what is to be done with them after
this. especially in those States where they
are more numerous than whites; how are
they to live and prosper? They have no
money to buy land; and if they could buy
it. or have it given to them. most Of them
are too ignorant or shifsless. and adverse
to labor, TO manage land with any success.
Few Of them are sI,iticers; and but few
such could fad emplo, ment What, then.
| ask the Aboliiion,sts, land insist upon
some plain and direct answer what Is to
be done wiki such population? If you
say: Let their masters pay them for past
labor. and furnish them with means Of liv
ing | ask again: How long would these
wages more or less) last them? "A a
body. they would never do any more
work, until this sun was expended. Then
what next? Their masters have been, in
the cases supposed already impoverished d
by dividing among them their property
These cannot, with their habits. carry on
plantations at the expense OF hired labor
1t would reduce them speedily to absolute
poverty. And then, what is the next step.
sist upon it. now. that the Abolitionists
shall give sober. rational. practical An
swer to these questions This would be
worth ten thousand times more than all
their outcries about the sin Of bondage
and their demands Of immediate and uni.
versal emanci patton.
In such a great movement, where the
vsry frame work Of the Government and
the State is to be taken to pieces and re-
ceive aew shape. there must be a fore.
sight an II caution and prudence. One
would be apt TO think when he hears the
clamor for the negroes on all sides, tina
the rights and int rests Of the white pop
alation are matters Of lutte or no consid
Grafton or importance. But this must no
be so. At all events, il this movemen
should be successful and he blacks be ii
liberated al opce il will not be long before
the fair provinces of the South would be
desolste waste; and the blacks would b,
by far :he greatest sufferers Gradua
freedom is the only possible practical meas
ure. Three millions of people cannot bt
disposed Of and provided for, BY an Aboli
ton diatribe and decree on paper In ;
Northern closet, Nc can sit down ant
cOolly legislate for the South on matter.
that must tear in pieces the very frame
work Of their society. We are not affected
oy any Of their proposed measures. ane
then We c0olly wonder why they are q
concerned about them. Is this prudence
is it jnstice. is i. kindness. is it loving ou
neighbor as ourself.