Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-06-06
Written fer the Delaware Gazette.
Those COntrabands If freed what is to be done
with themF

No :.
Those Contrabands II freed what is to be done
with theml
With many this has long been a vexed
tqnestion. For ourselves, however, we confess
that our inability 10 see either the number or
sathc magnitude of the difficulties involved. All
that is wanting is 4 little candor, little good
feeling and willingness TO yield to inevitable
d necessity Looking at this question just as it
is, and there is only one OF three things that
I can be done with the colorcd people Of this
4 country. The first is to get behind them on
= the North and West and push them at the
point of the bayonet into the Atlantic ocean
I and let them perish there. The second is to
4 leave them in their present condition till they
have multiplied TO that degree and increased
5 to that strength that they will take the work
\ OF freedom into their own hands and drown
Y their oppression in blood. The third and last
q is to act the part Of wisdom, justice, humanity
n and religion and free them and let them re-
4 main right where they are. BY the first Of
/ these modes OF disposing of them. no one can
T bear the thought OF the second no ono can
l cherish wish and consequently the third is
2 the only one that Is left us or in any way prac-
!. tical. You may say that you do not want
\ either of these. Our simple reply is that the
| question before us is not what we would like,
but what we must have. The case is as it was
with David, when one of three evils, famine,
| fight, or pesilence was set before him and be
could choose between them. To say that we
will not choose either may be but to bring the
three upon us.
Much, first and last, has been said of colon
ization but these we oonsi'cr to the veriest
ctlimera that ever held the thought or bare
away the judgement Of a wise or good man.
Colonizc the blacks of this country-where
pray? We have no place. territory, mountain,
swamp, bill or valley, where we could do it
and have them by themselves. nor can we ac-
quire any. And then if we had the territory,
the work of removing them and the necessary
provisions would exceed, for years 10 come,
the entire strength of the army, navy and ship
ping of the Uuiied States. And then to throw
them, en- masse, upon the coast Of Africa, or
elsewhere, would be wore Than pushing them
into the Gulf of Mexico. In the latter case
they would perish at once. In the former
they would cniy be preserved for day in or
der to rot alive. That d lcces,ful colony Of
blacks may DC established in any one of the /
many localities often named, we do not doubt (
This is one thing. But to free this country
from item by colonization is another aud a /
very d fltfent thing. The one is TO open /
fountain and allow il to flow on. widening and /
deepening as il goes The other is an attempt /
10 drain the Mississippi with thimbIe cup
The one is the planting cf seed and watch |
l., ..Y,l a., a.
and wiiens out into Il forest Tue other is .
taking the forest already grown on the banks .
of the Ohio, and transferring it, uubrokcn, to
the slopes of the Pacific coast. The one is
ea+y-Ihe other impossible.
But suppose it were otherwise: suppose that I
the dream of colonization was a thing possible ,
what would be the CONSEQUENCES OF il to this
country, aud especially to the South? 1t would .
be one Of the greatest mistorluncs that could
possibly happen. II would denude the land Of
It's appropriate labors, stop its productions,
aDnihilatc its commerce and make il waste
to lie re-cccupird hy ghO-ily savages and mon
Stcr aEgators. The thu Il is that tie slaves
of Ills country are wanted as laborerS, right
where they are and unless you would destroy
the entire business of the country. you could
NNS ANiAiOhO lhCilA NAut'ul htllcT Id
borers to supply their places. But TO attempt
10 do this would be but to throw another i'm
possibility on our hands. Or To worse the
of the thing. what would be
gained by the exchange? Nothing; while al
most everything would be lost. RansacI
Europe, Asia and even Africa itself, to supply
the place of the laboriug many at tho South,
and when you have done this you have only
got the lowest dregs of the world, class OF
poulaiiOn ten or hundred fold more objec-
tiUnable than the present. You may talk Of
emigration from the more Northern States
This unqncstionably will be great, should
peace ever be restored on conditions that would
admit Of it. Northern omigrdnts may even
hect me the dominant and leading class, recon
s'ructing and rejuvinatin@ the entire of the
population. But this emigration will never ,
be sufficient to do the past, present, or future ,
work OF the South.
The Thing then, and the only thing that can ,
be done with The slaves is to free them, deliv-
er them over TO the care of humane. be-
revolent and christian teachers, and then leave !
hcm and employ them ight where they are.
COMMON SESsE. r