Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-07-07
RnnncIpatIon In nli.souri.


Emancipation in missouri.
We observe that some Of the snti-slsv-
cry journals Of the country are utttering
congratulations over the action Of the
State Convention of Missouri in passing
an emancipation ordinance. The facts do
not warrant any special congratulations.
The ordinance is not adequate to the de-
mands Of the hour. 1t processes to eman-
eipste sll slaves in Missouri in 1870, but
then provides that no slaves shall be lib
Grated at that time. All slaves who are
then forty years old or upward shall still
continue in slavery all their HUes; those
under twelve years of age, until twenty
three years old, or eleven years at least,
and all between the ages Of twelve and
forty, until July 4th, 1876, or six years
after they Ostensibly gain their freedom.
True, the ordinance states that they shall
continue in the capacity of servants, but it
also provides that those who were their own
ers at the time Of their emancipation shall
have the same authority and control over
the freedmen, FOR the purpose Of securing
the possessions and services Of the same,
that are now held absolutely by the master
in the respect Of slaves" What is this bat
continued slavery? Not single slave, it
will be seen, can be set free until THIRTzzE
YEARS from the passage of the ordinance.
But the ordinance does not even guar
antee to the slaves their freedom at this
remote period. The managers of the Con-
ventiOn we're thoroughly in the interest
Of the slave power. But they saw that
the people Of the State were fully con-
WINGED that the day for their freedom from
the curse had come. They must do some
thing to satisfy that people. A pretension
was made Of emancipation, with the sub
stance left out. The Convention re-
fused to submit the ordinance to the people
for ratification. tbs intended to force it
upon the people for the time, to quiet the
agitation, anG then, before the time comes
to carry it into effect, the prO-slavery man
ayers hope 10 either secure decision Of
the Supreme Court that the ordinance is
illegal, or kill it of on some other and less
official manner. Before that time, the reb-
els now in the Southern armies will have
returned and the slave power of the entire
South will lend its aid to fasten the sys-
TEN upon the fruitful State of Missouri.
The strife will be the Kansas war upon
Missouri soil, and Hborder rufianism"
will have full sway upon its own side of
TIE State line.
The bill has some good provisions. One
OF these provides that all slaves hereafter
brought into the State shall be free. and
another, that any slave belonging to a
citizen of Missouri who is taken by his
master into any State which has passed
an ordinance Of secession, and then brought
back into Missouri, shall thereupon be free.
But to Offset these are the provisions that
the Legislature shall at no time pass laws
10 emsncipate slaves rith0ut the consent of
their oloners, and that slaves shall be here
after be exempt from all taxes. Under
the stimulus Of the last provision, slave
breeding will be a profitable business, and
Missouri may rival Virginia in the vigOr
with which the supply will be kept up to
the demand.
There is but little to hope for from this
ordinance, and the emancipatiOnists of St. |
Louis, who are such in intention IS we'll |
ss profession, have issued call for meet
ing on Wednesday, the Sth inst, to con-
suit as to the best means Of remedying the
evils which the ordinance is calculated to
bring upon the State.
Governor Gamble was one Of the most
earnest supporters of the ordinance which
Ess adopted, and what he is the closing
sentence Of the letter in which he with
draw his resignation best shows:
al withdraw my resignation
10 be an officer of the State, above all party
influences, and careless Of every thing but the
ntsTests Of the Stats"
He has already repeatedly shown that
be is "oareless of the interests of the na-
ion or the Government and he thus
pledges that he will be equally careless "
hereafter.