The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-09-10
JANsvILLE, IND. WEDNESDAY MORNING,


come to the North in any great numbers
in case of emancipation. We think they
would rather stay where they are if they
could enjoy the common right of man.
kind to life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness" the right to enjoy the pro
ceeds of their own labor, even if only a
pittance, in their own way. And we
also think that, so far from the Southern
negroes coming North, in the event
alluded to, many who now live in Canada
and our Free States, would go back to a
climate more suited to them, and where
they could live amongst their own rela-
tives and friends and feel at home. Il
Nor would there be any loss to the
Slave States in the event of emancipa-
ton, but positive gain. Disloyal own
ers would receive no compensation, but
loyal owners would. But even if the lat
ter should not be remunerated directly,
they would be indirectly, in consequence
of the rise in value of their real estate,
which would result from their States be-
coming free. Immigration would flow in,
property of all kinds would rise in value,
and those whose slaves had been
liberated would find themselves suddenly
richer than ever 1t has frequently been
demonstrated by figures that the Border
Slave States would make money by
emancipating all their slaves Henry
Clay thought so.
To the question, "What would become
of the slaves if emancipatedp we would
answer: Let them remain achere they
are, and let the former masters employ
them at their usual labor, and pay then,
such wages as they can afford
This is the solution of the vexed ques-
ton of slavery. This is the safe, simple
and equitable rule by which to deter
mine the future status of the enfran-
chised slaves. Surely no conscientious
man, as an abstract proposition, can
deny to the negroes the right to use and
enjoy the proceeds of their own labor in
their own way Every human being
has this right, and ought to exercise it.
Under such a system the negroes
would become obedient to all reasonable
directions; they would become content
ed, willing to work, ambitious to give
satisfaction to their employers, and thrifty
for their employers and themselves
! We believe there would be an advantage
to the masters in having willing, con-
tented, intelligent laborers, instead of
the discontented, stubborn, semi-brutes
that abound throughout the slaveholding
States. Work would be done better and
with more dispatch than under the pres
ent system. 1t would be the interest of
the negroes to give satisfaction to their
employers, and to do their work quickly
and well, as is now the case with white
laborers. Interest is the great controll-
ing lever of personal exertion, and in
this case would work out most satisfac-
tory results.
With freedom, the negro race would
become more intelligent, better behaved,
more ambitious to accomplish useful re-
suits, and thrifty to a degree now un-
known amongst them. Now they work
wholly for others; in case of emancipa-
ton, they would work partly for them
selves.
There would then be no more danger
of amalgamation and negro equali-
ty than there now is. There is no such
real danger The negroes, being a sep
arate race, would live by themselves as
now No agrarian or revolutionary
measures in Southern society need be
apprehended. The negroes would be
contented if they had their freedom, and
there would be no more running away
to Canada, nor fear of instructions, for
the mOtiUe would not exist that now leads
to these things. Give the negro his free
dom and he would be contented.
The arguments used by demagogues
to the effect that in case of emancipation
the negroes would all leave the South
and white men being unable to Ell
dure the effects of the hot climate, the
j land would become waste-are falla
cious, and in most instances are put
| forth purposely to deceive the people
Common sense teaches otherwise The
negroes would stay where they could dc
best, and that would be in the South
The negroes would gain freedom, thaf
great boon they all desire and pray for
The masters would be relieved of the
burden of maintaining them in youth anc
old age, and in sickness and disability
!, They would simply pay them aooges fol
what labor they might perform, the sam'
as northern employer now does witt
his employees. The negro would be sat
isfed with small wages and freedom
Southern society, after the first exuber
ant rejoicing of the freed negroes, woulc
move on as usual. The old habits of de
ference on the part of the negroes to tn
: superior race would continue In tn
course of time immigration from tn
Northern States would set in, prosperit
would reign, and the people of the Slav'
States would be more than compensate
for the loss of slavery. And better still
our beloved country would be relieved G
foul stigma and terrible blight, and re
sumo her former proud place amongs
! the nations of the earth. Yea, sh
,, would take higher stand than evel