Smyrna times., 1863-01-29

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by insisting upon the acquiescence of the
majority, subordinate the welfare of the
State to the success of political organiza-
ton, which, in the end, rebounds to the
benefit of a few individuals, leaving the
mass of the community to suffer for their
advantage.
submit whether this is not the only
cause why the State of Delaware has not
heretofore freed herself from slavery, long
felt as an INCUBUS upon her prosperity.
Now that there is a disposition to dsre-
gard the ties Of tormerpolitical associations,
and men are searching for the crue princi-
plies of government it seems to me peculiar
lv meet to call the attention of the people to
this subject, and relying upon their intelli-
gcnce to appreciate and finally to approve
the suggestion, earnestly recommend the
adoption of such measures rs will relieve
them of burthen that hinders their social
and material advancement.
Nor should there be any delicacy in the
consideration Of this question 1t is mat
ter OF merely municipal regulation. The
status of tbs negro, whether bond or free,
rests in the determination Of the laws Of the
State of Delaware. That he is the subject
of property here, is the result of our own
local usage, liable to be altered, as auy other
common law custom, by the enactment of
our own Legislature. No other authority
has any jurisdiction over the matter. Others
may suggest reasOns-may offer induce
mcnts-but whether it shall be done, and
the tine and mode Of doing it, are for our
own people to decide, i'll view Of all circum-
stances of benefit or injury.
In consideration of the subject, two Gues-
tions are presented: The interest of the
State-the rights of the master
If the State has any interest in favor of
slavery, it can only be because that species
Of population is valuable as an element Of
labor This is to be determined by their
number and the character of the labor they
perform.
The whole population of the State, as
shown by the last census, is I2,2I6. Of
this number 90,589 are whites and 21, ,627
negroes Of the latter, 19, $50 are free and
1873 slaves, so that there is a total free pop
ulation of llO,4I9 and 1898 slave. The
latter are distributed among the several
counties i'll the following numbers: New
Castle, 254 Kent, 203 Sussex, 1871 :;
while the aggregate free population Of New
Castle is 81, ,543 Kent, 27,G0l Sussex
! 23,,274; being i'll New Castle, l slave to
l75 free Kent, slayeto l3l free, and Sus-
sex, slave to u free; and in the aggrc-
gate, slave to 81 free persons in the State
This calculation is based upon the census
enumeration, in which the slaves are count
ed as for life, whereas in fact large por-
ton are manumitted, to whom, under the
laws of this State, the right to freedom, ac-
cording to the act of manumission, attaches.
and who ought, therefore, for the purpose
OF this discussion, to be considered free
the question now being, whether the State
shall be declared free by an emancipation
policy, present or rospective-imnediat
or gradual. There are no means of asccr-
tanning with certainty how may are held as
manuInitted servants, but l do not think
that one-third would be an over estimate.
and the above figures should be correspond
| ingly reduced.
! by our statute, the childred of manumit-
ted slaves, born after the act of manumis.
sion, are not slaves for life, but for a limited
period only, and, therefore, the aggregate
is subject to another abatement
OF the residue, considerable number are
children and decrcpit persons, unable tc
work, and, in an inquiry as to their pro-
ductive value, are also to be deducted.
1t appears, then, that very small por-
ton OF the labor of the State is dependent
upon the slave population
The kind OF labor they perform is merely
agricultural and domestic and whatever may
be the question as to the necessity of slave
labor Ill the cotton States, no one will pre
tend that, Ill this State, there is any specie.
OF work that cannot he as well perforlncC
by freeman as a Slave--by white man a
/. negro.
, If it can be, the sole question remains
will it be done ~ well. This is solved b,
determining whether paid or unpaid labo
Is best Observation-Disclosures wages are AM
incentive to the laborer-whcther a maj
will work az well without pay as for it.
and this, irrespective of whether the labore
be white or black. .......s..
| am not reduced to run parallel be
tween a free negro and a slave, but if
were, the general rule would be amply vim
dicated
But every slave. does the work that
white man can perform, and if he were no
slave, the white man would have tn
chance to compete for the performance O
the labor and for the receipt of the none
that it requires to keep the slave. Bein!
superior to the negro, he would be preferred
but the master being compelled to maintai
his slave, is'forced to employ him, notwth
standing his labor is inferior. The whit
man is sdefrauded, because the slave perform
the labor which he oughtto dosnd receive
the pay, in his subsistence, thapought to q
towards the comfortable support of him AM
Il his family. ssfto.'s e.s# -.tt-
: Such is the necessary quality of slavery
and where it most labounds, the lot of tn
labering white man is the most miserable
: The white race constitutes the State, an,
it is to secure their interest that legislatiol
ssould be primarily direeted.a 1t is no
necessary 70 oppress any other race, bu
y AeaA&f = W. s'Nf ~ &.- -f.fF '-'hsfil'aI 2
fsss ~ - 81