Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-03-18

N-A4h~( ~ ~ - GA4-.N4NAO4NAl
tpre of It is somewhat Objectionable, for if
the Stateshould have to make the compen.
sation required by the Constitution, it
would Seem like injustice that he should
have 10 help PRyi (little as it would be) for
that which, so far from ever bene6ttipg
him. only wrought his injury by its pres
euce.s But the State will not need to make
the compensation. The General Govern.
nent will gladly make provision for all
such cases of voluntary emancipation. If
this were not true, and Compensation had
to be made by the State, even supposing
the csst were twenty times as great as It
will be, it would be but a partial view of
1t that would make the non-slaveholder
hostile to this proposition. The war has
already demonstrated that it is cheaper to
buy slavery than to fight it. AS matter
of abstract justice to both the slaves and
the non ,slaveholding whites we might sew.
er the lrelation by force; yet tnivieR of the
disturbance it would create and the oppo-
sltteH ~ would excite, our material pro.
gress would probably be retarded more
than if I'VE boughtpthem out. Slavery is
80 institution that is surrounded by crew
OF parasites and bangers-on, who seek to
make it a political derrick to hoist them
out Of deserved obscurity. Its not the in-
st1tu Jpn left to ITSELF that is so nnmauage-
ablei tits not the masters alone who are
so obstinate but it is the Villainous crew
of paudars and placemen and mischief
makers who bankion the capital they are
able to make out of it, aud who, by keep
ing up continual turmoil seek to rise on
its favor to political distinction. This has
been the feature-the political feature-of
the institution that has SO especially cursed
the. people of Western Virginia, where
slavery has existed onlynominalIy, only as
the corporation of these scoundreily specu-
lators in public,virtue. Ifin removing the
institution the people bauish this detesta-
BILE school of politicians, they will be about
as happily rid in the one case as in the
other, Such a result would be cheap at
any price.
There is tendency to magnify the i'm
iportance of this question. Slavery here is
in truth very small matter-though, like
some of the smaller portions of the ami
mate creation, a very troublesome one. If
II tlwere anything else involving only the
same material interests, it would not be
allowed to stand in the path of the new
State moment. It is this privileged in
itefest only, like the spoiled child, that
must be-Petted and favored to the last.
There are but few slaves amongst US, and
The number is rapidly diminishing. Their
contiguity to the free States renders COM
P9ratiyely yalueless those that remain.
they are not, in truth, valuable if they
were ever so secure. There is no adapta-
ton 10 eur circumstances to this kind of
labor and unless master depends on
breeding slaves for the Southern market
(and even that exists no longer) the more
~
ren and.proftless as this property is, its
simple presence, if it is to have the pro-
lection essential to its existence, renders
necSssary a system of laws odious and op-
pFessive to every other interest-s system
which not only keeps out labor aud capt..
al from abroad, but actually drives away
the little that grows up amonst us.
Ii every slave within the new State were
to be taken from the master by force to.
morrow, and tbs, laws which sustain the re-
1atfon as suddenly a6bifsh ed aad sncceed-'
ed by such system as now proposed, the
property of the new State would be worth
ia tAe aggregate fifty millions more the
next day than it was the day before. The
grand result would be benifcent, bnt iudi-
vidual injury land perhaps wrong) would
be inflicted. So the spoiled child must be
denied nothing, even with the death rattle
in its throat. The owners of this prop
erty are favored far beyond their de-
serts. The institution is to be removed
with the gentlest hand compatible with
thel entire success of the MEASURE
The individual interests of the owners
are carefully provided for, aud they are in.
sured against the loss of farthing, while
the great mass of the MISUNDERSTANDING
Fpeople have to stand by and wait, with
hands of, till the work is accomplished
Ii any wrong is done it is to them. They
have right to demand the greatest good
to the greatest number. Yet 1t is not thew
who complain. They are willing to give
time, and money too if need be to secure
these men against possible loss, but they
require that at some specified and fixed
time this odious aud oppressive privilege
shall be irreversably given up. The pro-
position is liberal beyond justice. But let
this privileged class be warned in time,-
There is point beyond which forbearance
ceases to be virtue. If this question is
not settled now, the final settlement NAV
be on different priuciples-when the long
| pent up cry for justice will be repressed no
| longer-when q aWhirlwiud of wrath andin-
4 diguation will sweep the curse from our
soil and politically glbbet every man who
has ever been or dares to be its apologist
! Coutemplate if you please, West Virginia
Jas the peFpstuator of ft6isipstitution-Rith.
out adaptation of soil or climate-with free
States on two sides, and only river on
the one hand and an air line on the other
to separate her from them-mountaiu bar
riers and wilderness for her southern bor-
der-her rivers flowing and her commerce
\ lofnecessity following to the north and north
west-with the minerals aud water power
to make great manufacturing people-yet
destroying every interest -rePuIsing every
profered beneft-driYing out home-enter&
prise-aud damming up every channel of
prosperity by an odious system, that can at
best to the supposed benefit OF a priv
| ileged few. 1t would be maduess and sui
eide. The future could only repeat the