, 1862-02-26
Faulkner on the 1,txeaae.

Hon. Charles james Faulkner, late Efnbas-
sador to the Court Of the Tuileries, ex- -Whie,
ex-Democrat, and now avoWed rebel, having
been arrested as traitor By our Government,
and exchanged fer the Hon. Alfred Ely, was
young and to!erably honest member Of that
Virginia Legislature Of 1882 which took up the
subject Of slavery, {under the spur of the Nat
Turner Instruction. and very nearly resolved
on its abolition. In his speech On that occa-
sion, Mr.. Faulkner said:
1T am gratifed to perceive that no gentle
man has get risen in this Hall the ayoWed ad-
aocate Of slavery. The day has gone by when
such voice could be listened to with
patience, or even with forbearance. even
regret that there should be one among US,
who enters the Lists as its aloozogist, except
on the ground Of uncomfortable necessity.
Let me request him to compare the slave
holding portion of this Commonwealth, har-
rcn, desolatc, scared as it were By the ayen.-
ing hand Of Heaven, with the descriptions
Which Ee have Of thls same country from
is this change ascribable? Solely to the with
ering and blasting effects Of slavery. # this
does not satisfy him, let me request him to
travel to the Northern States, and contrast
the contcntmcnt and happiness which prevail
tnT9ash9at tann ~ The FnSss{ segR IL TIC 5g e6ss5
growth Of their population, their means and
institutions Of education, their skill and pro-
fciency in useful arts, their enterprise and
public spirit, the. monuments Of their COM
meTcial and manufacturing industry, and,
above all, their devoted attachment to
the Government from which they derive
pTotcction-let lim compare al these with
Tic division, discomfort, indolence, and
poverty OF the Southern country. To what Is
this ascribable? 1t is to that vice in the Or
sanization Of society, by which one half Of it
inhabitants are arrayed in interest and feeling
against the. other half; to that unfortunate
state Of society, in which freemcn regard labor
as dissraceful, and slaves shrink from it as 4
burden tyrannically imposed upon them; to
that condition Of things, in which half 8 mil
lion OF your population can feel no sympathy
with the society. in the prosperity Of which
they are forbidden to participate. aud no at
tachncnt to government at whose hands
they receive nothing but Injustice.
IF the incrcd11ous inquirer should suggest
that this manifest contrast might be tEa1ed to
difference Of climate, OF to other causes dis
tiDct from slavery ITSELF permit me to refer
him to the two States Of Kentucky and Ohio.
NO difference OF soil or climate, NO diyersit;
in The original settlement Of those two States,
can be adduced to account for the remarkable
dispropOrtion in their advancement. Separat-
ed by river alone, they eeem to have been
purposely and proEiaentia1ly designed to ex-
Q1D1t IN t1e1f 1utQfe llSLOf1e6 inc al1ttfe0cc
which necessarily results from country af-
Hicted with the cuf8e Of slavery, and q country
that is free from 1t. The saule may be said Of
the two States Of Missouri md Illinois,
"S.aye1y is al Institution which presses
heavily On the best interests Of the State. It
banishes free white labor. 1t extefniuates
mechanics, ar:isaDs, manufacturers. Il de-
prizes them Of occupation; it depEiyes them
'of bread. It converts the energy ofa comma
nifty into Incidence, its power into iu1beelity,
its efficiency. into weakness. Being thus in
ia!7ioas, ,haee Tt net right to demand its szte,i-
zdtion? Shall society suffer, that the sgasc-
ho7de!' may continue to gather his Tigiutial
crop Of human flesh? What is his mere pecu-
mary c,aim compared with the great interests oI
| the common acfa15 Must the country lsngnish
and die that the Shareholder may flourish? Shall
all interests be subseryient to o7c3 Shall al
rights be subordinate to the interests OF the
s'a7c6ozze-7 Has not the mechanic rights
Have not the middle classes their rights :
rights Incompatible with the existence oi
SlaveEy:"
+. Mr.. Faulkner is now fighting with the
rebels, whose ayowed purpose it is to extend
over the whole country the system he de.
serires IS 60 rlinous to the welfare and pros.
/ peaity Of States: His concluding questions
| have great significance At this time. We ad.
rise the people to ponder thcra well.