Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-04-24

10 develop their capacity Tor freedom than
anywhere else in the United States. Here
they perform many Of the duties necessary
to be performed in all civilized society,"
Hero they are the laborers, the hackmen,
the seryants,i and do great deal Of good,
and are Of great service. Ilhave never ex-
amined the criminal statistics here :; but 90
far as my observation has gone, / feel bound
to say that the free negroes of this District
have behaved themselves very well. They
are useful good citizens; alI of them, 50
far as l know, loyal, faithful, willing and
ready,to do the duties that devolve on them
i'm their calIings and business. lam willing
to give the free negroes here the highest
possible development Here they do not
interfere with the peculiar prejudioes that
will always mark them as q degraded caste
in other communities. In States they must
always be held on lower level. Here they
can have rights, and those rights are more
respected than in any portion Of the United
States. ! am willing to give them the ad-
vantage OF their position. 's,h 80 lodi !
I CONSENT OF MARYLAND. q a'. {
Mr.. President, until within the last year
or two, If the question had been put to nae,
are you in favor Of the abolition of slavery
in the District of Coiumbia? / should have
answered, and perhaps did answer in the
other House, that was opposed to it for the
present. And why? Because / Believed
that the abolition Of slavery here would be
Injurious to Maryland that as this territory
was received from Maryland as free ,gift
tor the seat Of Government, I Thought we
ought not to interfere with slavery in this
District without the consent of Maryland.
but, sir, it seems to me the course Of events
has changed that position. Maryland her
self, as her Senator has proclaimed .upon
this floor. must look to emancipation. It
is matter Of social necessity. She will
look to emancipation and if she adopts
that policy with or without the aid Of the
General Government, I have no doubt the
resources Of Maryland will be largely in
creased. l know that there is o strong dis
position in Maryland to try the experiment
Of emanci ipation. 1t would be for her in
terest to try it. The addition of a small
number to the free negroes of this District
and the relieving of few slaves from their
bondage cannot operate injuriously TO the
State of Maryland, and therefore feel re-
lieyed from all obligation to respect the
wishes OF the people Of Maryland exclusive
ly on this matter, but take broader view
Of the subject, and look at its effect through
out the United States. 81, i.,,4...j
If the State Of Maryland will but try the
experiment that has been tried in. other
States they will End the benefits Of the
policy Of emancipation. There was in the
State Of Ohio very large portion of the
State set aside for Virginians, called the
Virginia Military District. Nearly all of
the people Of that portion Of the State Of
Ohio are the descendants of Virginians.
They have gone there with their slaves. =, I
have often heard from the earlier settlers
Of Ohio about large families from Virginia
and Maryland coming to the State to settle
on the lands granted to them for services in
the revolutionary war, and bringing their
slaves with them. Their slaves became free
under the operation Of the laws of Ohio
They have settled upon their lands, divided
according to the laws Of Virginia, and the
lands alone are worth, threefold what they
would have been if they had held the ne
groes still as slaves. That part of Ohio is
now among the most intelligent, enlighten-
ed, and enterprising portions of the State,
rich in all resources, ltembraces the Sciota
valley and some Of the very best lands, in
cur State, held under Virginia titles, under
Virginia laws. Some Of the negroes car
ried by Virginians into Ohio are still there,
entitled to the rights of freedom. believe
that if Maryland and Virginia this day
would proclaim emancipation by some grad
ual system that would not break too much
on the prejudices Of their people, the mere
value Of their lands would be enhanced twice
the amount Of all the nominal value of their
slaves. M. .s't.
These reasons are sufficient to induce me
te vote for any bill providing for the aboli-
ton Of slavery in this District. q, .l
.ed NODE OF EMANCIPATION. .i
The question now occurs, what is the best
mode Of emancipationY If the duty had
been imposed upon me to frame q bill for
the abolition Of slavery in this District,
should have provided for gradual emanci-
|pation. should have taken that famous
law'of the State Of Penhsylvania referred to
yesterday, framed by Franklin and his asso-
ciates. / Ishould have declared that all chill
dren born after the 18th day Of April, 1851
E--the day when the rebels fred upon the
flag at Fort Sumter--sh be ffes.n /
would establish it asa permanent record on
the statute-books of my country that the
first sound Of the cannon against the flag of
our country was the signal Of fthe emancipa-
tien Of the slaves in this District. II think
there would have been q poeticjustioe in 1t.
Then ]. should have provided BY somo gen
eral provisions similar to the statute ol
Pennsylvania for the guardianship and ap-
tprcnticeship ofiminof children, aud also fbi
che iberation'of slayes who ateh0w under
the age OF twenty one, when they arrive al
1'the age Of twenty eight, Or some provision
4 Of that kindyhI Il would have given no com.
tpeasation, because, as the legislative powet
Al. A.