Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-12-10

4 zion. Ia this view, ] recommend Il
II adoption, of the following resolution al
st articles. amendatory to the Constitute
Is OF the United States = ....... .... I
1 ResOly. J. By the Senate and House
Repre-.-u ltives of America in Congre
assemb. .. two thirds of both Houses col
, curing. that the following articles. |
!, proposed To the Legislatures or Conyel
n tons of the several States, a. amendmenI
A to the Constitution of the United State
| all or anv Of which articles when rattle
o by three-fourths of the said Legislature
- or Conventions. to be valid rs part or parl
of the said Constitution, namely:
Article.-Every State wherein SLAYER
f now exists, which shall abolish the sam
therein at any time or times before TIA
first day of January in the year of ou
Lord 1900, shall receive compensation
, from the United States as follows, to wit
The President of the United States shal
, deliver to every such State, bonds of thi
United States, bearing at the rate o
-, for each slave shown to have beer
Therein by the eighth census of the Uni
4 ted States said bonds to be delivered K
such State by installmentS or in one par
eel ut the completion of the abolishment
as the same shall have been gradual or al
one time within such State and interest
shall begin to run upon any such bond
only from the proper time for its delivery,
as aforesaid, and afterwards any State hay
ing received bonds as aforesaid, and after
wards Introducing or tolerating slavery
therein shall refund to the United States
the bonds so received or the value there
of and all interest paid thereon
Article.-All slaves who shall have en-
jOyed actual freedom by the chances of
the war at any time before the end OF the
rebellion shall be forever free, but all
owners of such, who shall not have been
diSloyal shall be compensated for them at
the same rate as is provided for states
adopting aholishment of slavery, but IN
such way that no slave shall be twice ac-
counted for. o. -'l
Article.-Congress may appropriate
money and otherwise provide for coloniz-
ing free colored person with their own
consent at any place or places without
the United States
| beg indulgence To- discuss these pro
posed articles at some length. Without
slavery the rebellion would never have
existed Without slavery it could not
continue. Among the friends of the I'm
ion there is great diversity OF sentiment
and policy in regard to slavery and the
African race amongst us. Some would
abolish it suddenly and without compen-
sAtion. Some would abolish it gradually
and with compensation Some would re-
move the free people from Us, and some
would retain them with us and there
are yet other minor diyersities Because
OF these diversities we waste much strength
in struggles amongst ourselves. By mu-
tual concession we should harmonic and
act together This would be a compro-
mise among the friends and not with the
enemies of the Union
These articles are intended to embody |
a plan of such mutual concession. If the |
plan shall be adopted, it is assumed that |
emancipation will follow, at least in sever
al of the States In the first article the |
main points are {: first, the emancipation
second the length Of time. for consuma-
ting-37 years and third, the compensa-
ton The emancipation will be unsatis-
factory to the advocate of perpetual slave i,
ry, but the length of time sIQSld greatly
their dissatisfaction. The time [
saves both races from the evils of sudden
6erangement; in fact from the necessity
Of any arrangement while most of those
whose habitual course of thought will |
be disturbed BY the measure viii have |
passed away before its consumation. They |
will never see it. ,....., -.I. .r
,u Another class will hail the prospect of
but will deprecate the
length of time. They will feel that it
gives toO little to the now willing slaves, /
but it really gives them much.g 1t saves
them from the vagrant destitution which /
must largely attend Immediate emlnci-
patton in localities where their numbers
are very great. and il gives the inspiriting
assurance thu their posterity shall be
free forever. The plan leaves to each
State, choosing to act under it, to abolish
slavery now or at the end of the century,
or at any intermediate time, or ny degrees,
over the whole or any part of
that period, and it obliges no two States
10 proceed alike. 1t also provides for
and generally the mode of
making it. s e. 81 20. - .-su
This it would seem must further miti-
gate the dissatisfaction of those who fav-
or perpetual slavery, and especially those
who are to receive compensation. Doubt
less some of those who are to pay, and
not to receive, will object. Yet that the
measure is both just and economical is
certain. The liberation of the slave is
the destruction of property acquired by i
descent and by purchase, the same as any
other property 1t is no less true for hay-
ing been often said that the people of the
South are no more responsible for the in
PRODUCTION of this property than are the
people of the North, and when it is re-
how unhesitatingly we all have
used cotton and sugar, and share the prof
its of dealing in them, it may not be quite
safe to say that the South has been more
than the North for its contin-
lanee. II, then, for common object,
this property is to be sacrificed, is it not
Just that it be done at a common charge?
And if with less money, or money more
easily paid, we can preserve the benefits
of the Union by this means than we can Z
By the war alone, is it not economical to h
do it? it i---
let US consider it then. Let us ascer-
tain the sum we have expended in the
war since compensated emancipation was
proposed last March, and consider wheth-
er if that measure had been promptly ac-
cepted by even some of the Slave States,
the same sum would not have done more
TO close the war than has been otherwise
done. If so, the measure would save
and in that view would be pru-
lent and economical measure certainly.
It is not 50 easy 10 pay something as it is
10 pay nothing, but it is easier to pay
large sum than it is to pay larger one,
md it is easier to pay any sum when We
lre able than it is to pay it before we are
able. The war requires them at once
The aggregate sum necessary for compen-
sated emancipation of course would be
large, but it would require no ready cash
nor bondsmen any faster than the enan-
cipation progresses. This might not, and
would not, close before the end
of the thirty seven years. At that time
we shall probably have 100, ,OOO, 900 people
10 share the burden. instead of $1,000, 600
Is now and not only so, but the increase
of our population may he expected to
continue for a long time alter the period
rs rapidly as before, because our terrific {
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