The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-13
The Emancipation Proclamation In
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ing the emancipation policy of President
Lincoln. In hundreds Of instances, we
are Informed, they have given their slaves
emancipation papers, and hire them TO
remain and work on their farms. Num-
bers who had run of to Texas, have re-
turned with their slaves, and followed
this example. AS an indication Of the
change Of sentiment going on In the
minds of Southern men, we make the
following extract from the address of
Hon. E. W. CAN'T, to the people of Ar
kansas:
] am asked IL Mr. Lincoln's Emanci-
patton Proclamation will stand. If you
continue the struggle, certainly. He has
the physical force at his disposal to car
ry it out. If you cease now, you may
save all in your hands, or compromise on
graduSl emancipation. But let, beseeeh
you, the negro no longer stand in the way
of the happiness and safety of friends
and kindred.
The changes Of sentiment upon this
question in the South, have been curious.
Not many years since, it was by no
means unusual fer the press and public
men, rs well as for the people, general
ly, in the South, 10 concede that slavery
was an evil, and regret that it should
ever have existed; expressing no dispo-
sition or desire to be rid of it. Yet, q
few years more-the demand for cotton
having increased, the price of negroes
having advanced, and the agitation of
the slavery question having increased in
virulence-hnds US defending slavery rs
divine institution. DeBow's Review,
and other Southern papers and periodi-
Gals, with Senator Hammond of South
Carolina, were prominent in this de-
fense. Their object was 10 educate the
Southern mind TO this belief. Such q
course has been vital to the existence
of elavery; because, TO concede that ne
gro slavery was morally wrong, was
virtually to cGncede the whole argument
to the abolitiOnlsts. AS the controversy
warmed we became sensitive. And so
morbidly 80, that the North might have
threatened with impunity TO deprive us
of horses, or other property; yet the
whole South would be ablaze if some fa-
natic took = negro. Such was public
sentiment South, at the commencement
of this most unholy and bloody strug-
gle. But revolutions shake up mems
thoughts, and put them in different chan
nels. | have recently talked with South
ern shareholders from every State. They
are tired Of negro slavery, and believe
they could make more clear money, and
live more peAceably, without than with
it. AS for the Shareholder of the
South, / honestly thought the struggle
was for him more than for his wealthy
neighbor-that TO free the negro would
reduce to comparative slavery the poor
white man. now regret that instead Of
war to sustain slavery, 1t had not been
struggle ut the ballot-box to colonize
it, This will clearly be the next stTug-
gle.
l am Of opinion that, whether IL is q
divine institution or not, negro slavery
has accomplished its mission here. A
great mission IL had. A new and fertile
country had been discovered, and must
be made useful. The necessities of mau.
kind pre- ssed for its speedy development.
Negro slavery was the instrument to ef
ect this. 1t alone could open up the
fertile and miAsmatic regions Of the
South, solving the problem of their utili-
ty, which no theOrist could have reached.
1t was the magician which suddenly
revolutlonised the commerce Of the
world by the solution of this problem.
1t peopled and made Opulent the barren
hills of New England, and threw its
powerful influence across the great North
West Standing as q wall between the
two sections, it caught and rolled north
ward the wealth and population of the
old world; and held in their places the
restless adventurers OF New England, or
turned them along the great prairies and
valleys of the West Thus New Eng
land reached its climax, and the North
West was Overgrown Of its age, while
the South, with its negro lAborers, was
spArsely settled, and comparatively poor.
Thus slavery had done its utmost In
New England and the North West, and
was a weight upon the South, II, at
this point, its disappearance could have
clearly commenced, what untold suffering
and sorrow might have been avoided
LIS existence had become incompatible
with the existence Of the Government.
For, while il mad stood as a wall, daming
up the current and holding back the peo-
pie and lAborers of the North, il had, by
thus precluding free intercourse between
the sections, produced a marked change
in their manners, customs and seni
ments. And the two sections were
growing more divergent every day. Tlij
wall or the Government one, must give
way. The shock came, which was TO
settle the question. l thought that the
Government was divided, and negro sla-
very established forever. l erred. The
Government was stronger than slavery.
As l have said, the mission Of the latter
is accomplished. And, as his happiness
must always be subordinate to that Of
the white man, he must, ere long, de-
part ON the footprints Of the Red man,
whose mission being accomplished, is
fast fading from our midst.
While | think the mission of the me-
gro is accomplished here, am clearly of
the opinion that the time will come when
civilization aud learning shall light up
the dAlk Abodes OF the four hundred
million people in India, and when their
wants and necessities will put the pa
tient and hardy negro 10 toiling, and
opening up the great valley Of the fertile
but miasmatic Amazon. But such spec
ulaions are out Of place here.
Let us, fellow citizens, endeAvoT TO be
calm. Let as look these new ideas, aud
our novel position, squArely in the face,
We fought for negro slavery. We have