The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-03
NO 2O2

in certain stage of human progress,
some abuses may have their temporary
use, and for this, under Gods economy,
may have been suffered to continue yet
all abuses have but a limited life. The
right only is eternal.
The rebellion, teacher and orator as
well as scourge and destroyer, by sternly
laying bare the imminent dangers of
| Slavery has created the constitutionality
| OF emancipation. 1t has done more. IL
has made emancipation a bounden polit-
cal duty, as well as strictly constitu-
tional right,
Can we, in declaring emancipation,
| legally avoid the payment, say of two
| hundred millions, in the shape of COM
pensation to loyal shareholders?
Not if a Shareholders right to service
and labor from his slaves, when not for
feited by treason, is legal. On humans
tartan grounds the legality of that right
| has been denied. But construction Of
the constitution adverse TO such denial,
and acquiesced in by the nation through
out more than two generations, is held
by most men to be reason sufficient why
the right in question should be regarded
as private property. If it be private
property, then, except by violating the
fifth article of the amendments to the
| Constitution, il cannot be taken for pub
lie use without just compensation. To
violate any articles of the Constitution
is a revolutionary act but such acts cost
a nation more than q few hundred mill
| ions of dollars.
The risk that future decision of the
Supreme Court might declare emancipa-
zion without compensation TO be uncon-
stitutional is, of itself, sufficient iustiii-
cation of the Presidents policy, &C re
spending TO the above suggestions, in
| this matter.
Such compensation will be unpopular
with many. Wise and just acts, when
they involve sacrifices, frequently are.
A wrong long tolerated commonly entails
a penalty, which is seldom cheerfully
paid. Yet, even on other grounds, we
ought not, in this case, TO begrudge the
| money. Who deserve better of their
country than those brave men who, in
the border and other slave States, have
chung to their loyalty through all the
dark hours of peril even TO life ?
Precautions naturally suggest them
selves against false pretenses of loyalty.
1t seems eXpedient that he who shall
have proved that he is the legal owner of
certain slaves and also that he has ever
been loyal TO the Union, should receive
a certificate of indebtedness by the Gov
eminent, not transferable, to be paid at
some fixed time subsequent TO the ter
minatiOn of the war; payment being
made contingent on the fact that The
claimant shall not, meanwhile, have lap
sed from his loyalty.
Every such claimant, once recognized,
would feel himself TO be, by his own act,
the citizen of free State; one of us,
detached forever from the Southern
League. A Government stakeholder, he
would become pecuniarily interested in
the support Of the Government and the
restoration of peace.
Even if the Legislatures of the Border
States should not initiate such policy,
the 10y al men of these States will accent IL.
Such measure does not involve expense
in conveying the liberated negro to other
countries 1t has hitherto, indeed, been
the usual policy in slave States to dis
courage, as dangerous, the residence there
Of free blacks, and hence an idea that
colonization should be the concOmitant
of emancipation. OF general emancipa-
tim, there is no need whatever that it
should be. Those who take up such an
idea forget that the jealousy witLSwhich
Shareholders regard the presence Of free
negroes springs out of the dread that
/ these may infect with desire for free
dom the slaves around them, thus render
ing them insubordinate. But when all
are free there will be no slaves to incte,
nor any chains to be broken by resort to
instruction.
1t is no business Of ours either to de-
eide, for the liberated negro, where he
Pshall dwell or TO furnish his travelling ex-
penses. Freemen, black OF white, should
select their own dwelling place and pay
their own way.
As to the fears of competition in la
Dor sought TO be excited in the minds of
the Northern working man, they have
foundation only in case emancipation be
refused; for such refusal would flood the
North with fugitiyes. If, on the con-
trary, emancipation be carried out, tho
strong local attachments Of the negro
will induce him. with rarest exceptions,
TO remain as hired labOrer where he
worked as a slave. Thus humane mas
ters will not lack sufficient working
hands, of which colonization would de-
prive them. And it, Notwithstanding
the probable rise Of Southern staples,
profits at first should be less, the secu-
rity Of the planter will be greater. lie
will no longer lie down at night uncer-
tain whether the mornings news may
not be that his slaves have risen against
him,
This is the paper view of the ques-
ton. But all edicts, all proclamatlons,
how wise and righteous soever, are but
idle announcements now If we lack