New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-07
rur FUTURE OF SLAVERY.

=
debate, but the kindred problem o'<the p0ssi'
bui}1rof setting this grim Dagon again firmly
upon bis pedestal, is discussed by other jour-
nal, in such manner as to call for comment.
"W. L. B." in Tho World argues that
There are cosen reasons for saying that the labor system
Of the sou,b has heretofore existed 40 ,mpo,:ibty
make It uDwise to attempt Its restoration"
--We certainly hope this is true, though not
for the reasons assigned by "W. L. B." He
holds that, since the invention Of the Cotton
Gin, on irresistible tendency to concentration
has developed itself-tbe working Of slaves in
large gangs on spacious plantations having been
proved far moro profitable than the old system,
under which nearly every white family had its
two or three negroes employed ip the labors
Of the farm or the household. Thus while
slaves increase, Shareholders do mott the mar
ket value of slaves rises; only the rich con
buy or afford to hold them; the great mass Of
the whites experience the evils of the system
without its benedtsj they naturally grow i'm
patient and dissatisfed so that Slavery must
have speedily been ovcrthrOwn, had no rebel
lion been fomentcd; and, having been terribly
shaken and shattered BY the Union War, 1t
will hardly DO possible to reestablsh it in any
case, aud utterly impracticabIe to rerpetunte
it, utterly irrespective OF all philanthrOpc or
ethical considerations.
So far wv. L. D." Let US briefly indicate
bis miscalculations: -
1. That every wrong is Improbable, we oil
know but 10 nh0m No one doubts that
gambling, for example, is fearful evil; few
doubt that it ought TO be, so far as possible,
suppressed by law; but lie who should there
fore expect tie gamblers TO move for or unite
In its suppression would erieyously mistake.
Never on earth WIS q social evil suppressed
by the unprompted volition of the class on
which il conferred consequence wealth md
power. The current babble Of tho North
" selling It's slaves to the South, and then
abolshiDg Slavery" is as ialsc az ialsehood
can be. The slayetradcrs Of Rhode Island, the
Shareholders OF New-York, as a class, resisted
stoutly the overthrow Of their institution"
had the matter been left 10 their choice, they
to this day. Penalties" hunted them out Of
their DEAR old ways, and were as heartily
cursed for il as their successors are Of this
hour.
II. Tie relative number Of the Shareholders
may be diminished without o. oil reducing the
pOner Of the class. For INSTANCE; Hero IL
one Of tho Sea Islands down the Southern
coast, with total population Of somc Two or
Three Thousand, whereof but three arc regis.
tered shareholders. Here, Slavery, according
to "W. L, D." is pyramid on It's apex,
nnd must soon topic over. But look more
closely and You discern your mistake, 0fihat
population, two.tLiris ore saTes-benishled,
imbruied, cowed, timorous--of 20 more &C.
count politically than bogs or horses. Then
there 10 . lawyer. a doctor, . priest, one or
two merchants. perhaps While whtelwrisht
or blacksmith, o miller, &C., with their re.
'peciive fumilie;-all backing 10 the smiles Of
the three great planters, living by their patron.
age, obsequiOus TO their wI'hes, You see that
those three planters WELD al ihc power there
is on that island-take turns IN going to the
Legislature. or send tue lawyer as their mere
toOl-so that Slavery is actually stronger there,
save against an armed raid or black iasurrec.
ton, thas u there were q hundred ,laychold.
efs 10 stead Of barely three.
Ill. The economies Of concentration do not
extend TO slaye-breeding Slaves are cheapest
grown on smnl farms. in o billy, healthy
country like upland yirginia; and for those 80
grown there is constant demand 10 stock
Cotton and Sugar plantations in the more fer.
tile but sickly South-Weas Il was tho slave.
breeding interest, with its horrd array Of nc.
gro.traders. auctOneer', jailors, &C., &C.. TINT
gave Virginia to the Rebellion. WIN It DO
easy 10 convince these breeders-too generally
ndolent and proHigste-tbat they may better
grow corn by their own labor than have q
family Of negroes to produce their food, with
a "boy" to sell every few years for twelve to
fifteen hundred dolars1 We doubt 1t.
We have heard Of evils that " cured them
Selves" and, in the long run, this is probably
80. All wrong Is suicidnl-contains the germs
Of its own overthrow. But Shareholders, as o
class, will never abolish Slavery while they
can grow negroes at an impcrceptible cost aud
cell them at sixteen for thousand dollars or
over; and if Slavery shall. emerge from this
War not materially crippled we deem it quite
likely to live through several generations
more. Admit that 1t is shaken end shattered
with the guarantees Of the Union and the
active support of the Democratic party, Its in.
Huence may be even greater for Its obvious
peril. We caunot doubt that the true interest
of North and South alike require that Slavery
should die utterly and die forthwith.