The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-12-12


tlHseveral States, as Amendments to the Cor
stitution of the United states. all or anv !
which Articles, when ratified by threelfourth
OF the said Legislatures or Conventions, to b
valid, as part or parts Of the said Constitution
viz: .4ats-Y4 -, .,.5,..s., s.
Article--Every State, wherein Slavery now
exists, which shall abolish the same at any
time or times before before the first day OF Jan
uary IN the year Of our Lord, one thousand
nine hundred, shall receive compensation frou
the United States, as follows, to wit: The Pres.
ident of the United States shall deliver to ever.
y such State. bonds of the u. S. bearing inter.
est at tlie 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
State by installmen, or in one parcel at the
aoollshmen, accordingly as 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 proper time of tsdeIivery as afore-
said and afterwards. Any state having recciy-
ed bonds as rforesaid, and afterwards introdu.
eng and tolerating slavery therein, shall refund
to the United States all the bonds so received.
or the value thereof, and allnterests paid there
on, s
Article-All slaves who shall have enioyed
actual freedom, by the chances of the war. at
any time, before the end of the rebellion shall
be forever free, but all ownersof such, who shall
not have been disloyal, shall be compensated
Tor them at the same rates as is poovided for
States adopting abolishment of Slavery, but in
such way that no slave shall be twice ac--
counted for. .; ,-,s.,...
Article---Consress may appropriate money
anu o'nerwise provide for eolonizing free color
Gu PERSONS with their own consent, III any
place or places without the United States 4
! peg induigenes to discuss thsse proposed srti-'
cles at some length. Without slavery. tbe rebell.
ion could never have existed without slavery II
could not continue. Among the friends of the q.
mon there is great diversity of sentiment AM Of
policy IN regard TO slavery and the African race a.
mongst US. Some would abolish it suddenly--andl
without compensation, some would abolish it grad
nally and with compensation, some would remove
The freed people from us, and some would retain
lhem with US, and there are yet other minor divi--
slons. Because Of these diversties We waste much
strength in struggles among ourselves, by mutual
concessions we should barmonize and act together.
nis would be compromise among the friends and
lot with the enemies Of the Union These articles
ire Intended to srDbody plsn of such mutual con-
sessions. II the plan shall be adopted, it 10 assu-
ned that the emancipation will follow, at least in
eys5a Of the States. As to the first article the
actory to the advocates of perpetual sIay.rv ,<xs.
ne length OF time should greatly mitigate fheibut
MI. &c Inc time spares beth races from shs
ty Of any deanssmea whilst mott 6p@ shs neesss
,abitual Of thought will be disturbed BY the
measures will have passed away before its consume
nation. They will never see IL. ~ isteA IiHi
Another class win hail the prospect Of emans
,ipation, but viii deprecate the loss Of tine. 10
They will feel that it gives too little TO the now
willing slaves. But it really gives them much.
It saves them from the vagrant destitution which
must largely attend immediate emancipation in
localities where their numbers are very great,
and it gives them the inspiring assurance that
their posterity shall be free forever. The plan
leaves it to each State choosing to act under
it, to abolish slavery now or at the end of the
century, or al any other intermediate time, or
by degrees, extending over the whole or any
part Of the period, and it obliges no two States
to proceed alike. 1t also provides for compen-
sation and generally the mode Of making it.
This, it would seem, must further mitigate
the dissatisfaction of those who favor perpet-.
ual slavery, aud especially of those who are to
receive the compensation. Doubtless some Of
those who are to pay and not to receive will
object, yet the measure is both just and eco
nomical. In certain sense the liberation Of
slaves is the destruction Of property property
acquired by descent or by purchase, the same
as any other property. 1t is no less true for
having been SO often said that the people Of the
South are not more responsible for the original
introduction of this property than are the peo-
pie of the North, and when it is remembered
how unhesitatingIywe 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 beeu
more responsible than the North for its contin-
nance. If then. for common objsct, the prop
ertys to be sacrificed is it not just that it should
be done at common chargef 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 econom1
ical to do soi
Let us consider it then, Let us ascertain the
sum we have expended in, the war since the
emancipation was proposed last
March, and consider whether if that measure
had been promptly accepted, by even some Of
the Slave States, the same would have done
more to close the war than has been done oth-
erwise. If SO, the measure would save money
and in that view would be prudent and eco.
nomical measure. Certainly it il not 80 easy 10
pay something as to pay nothing, but il is easi-
er TO pay large sum than it is to pay a larger
one. And it is. easier to pay any sum when;
we are able than it is to pay it before we are !,
BILE. The law. requires large sums andnequises
them at once, The aggregate sum necessary
for compensation Of course would be large, but
but it would require no ready cash, nor the
bonds even, any faster than the emancipation
aoos., yqerals,o csi aDaT .n,s8s
This might not and probably would notcloss
before the end of the thirty-seyen ycarx At
that time we shall probably have q hundred
millions of people to share the burden instead
Of the thirty.one millions as now. And nos
only 50, but the increase Of our population n'n1Ay