Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-05-22

outweigh their patriotism.
HThe Breckinridgers are bowling
about abolition, about the Presidents
emancipation scheme. and the law
abolishing slavery in the District Of
Columbia, and indeed, about any and
everything calculated to embarrass the
Administration, put down the rebellion
and bring peace to our distracted coun-
try.
Their papers are now busy endeavor-
ing to alarm and mislesd the thought
less as web as the lsboring white class,
that we shall be over-run with niggers,
that our glorious State will be African
lied, aud that ''refugee niggers" will
Gil up every branch Of labor. This
game bids fair to be strongly played off
by the Breckinridgers in view Of the
October elections. tits simply an elec-
tieneering scheme. They imagine by
thus playing on the credulity Of the
people, they can reinstate themselves
in local Offices, and by stale abuse of
abolitionists, draw the unwary but
honest citizens into their scheme of
saving that Union they have and still
are striving to destroy.
To show the utter want Of any
foundation for their charges, take the
case of Virginia as she stands. Look
at the census of 1860, and it will be
seen she had population Of 1899, 900.
Of whom $4,000 were free blacks, and
495, 1000 slaves. Thus it will be seen
that so per cent or one half Of the en-
tire population of the grand old State
Of Virginia, were, in 1850. "Diggers."
By the same census, Maryland had
population of 731 900, of whom 10000
were free blacks, and IS, 900 slaves,
making 80 per cent. Of the people Of
Maryland negroes. So we might 60
on with every Southern State, and in
many, the proportion Of blacks would
be still stronger.
Now, how stands the case with the
Northern States. By the same census,
Pennsylvania had 9.9l6.OoO people, of
whom $4,000, orless than two per cent,
we're negroes. Ohio, by the same
census is found to contain 2,343, ,739
people, Of whom 34,849 are negroes,
or less than two per cent.
Now does any one, not willfully
blind to the truth of these statistics, be-
lieve that the negro population of Viz
ginia, If emancipated, would migrate
en- naasse to Ohio? 1t is entirely the re-
verse. Ask the negro population here
now, and they will tell you, that if they
could be free, they would much prefer
to live in the South.
The emancipation law of Congress
liberating the slaves, has, as was pre-
dicted, verified this assertion.
The negroes do not emigrate, but al
most all remain with their masters for
hire. 1t cannot be otherwise. Their
masters, accustomed to servants, cannot
do without them. The negroes, accus-
toned to their masters. prefer remain
ing with them to going among strangers,
if SO be, that they are free and in re-
ceipt of wages Were it otherwise, the
lazy whites would stsrve. But thou
sands Of our brave soldiers will settle
on the abandoned lands Of Virginia and
the South. They will infuse new life
into the "sacred sile." The truth is,
shareholders have more to fear from
free men than slaUss. They know while
slavery lasts, freemen will not come
among them. But let slavery once be
removed, and its blighting curse ban
ished from the "sunny South" and in
a few years the hardy sons of toll from
the free North, will make that which is
now a "waste bowling Wilderness"
blossom as the rose.
Reader, when you hear a man talk
Of being over-run with emancipated
negroes, ask him which wing Of the
Democracy he belongs to, and if he
gives candid answer it will be, that he
sympathizes with JEFF Davis, and is an
admirer of the polished traitor Breck.
inridge.