The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-11-11
= - q Porrrr. seers..rz q s.s.e.
The Emancipation Proclamation.

JA1A1 d IDAlhhi St~4eN@iy ~ ~e~%-s
The Emancipation Proclamation.
CopperheAds will Sometimes make themselves
eloquent ia describing the mOurLiul results which
are 10 follow from the fol carrying out Of Ii,
Presidents Emancipation Proclamation They
can sec uothn Z but run TO the white man, ana
evil u the black man. They seem 10 themselves
to escry millions vi neg oes idle, lazy, 10 olen,
insubor din4le, wandering from place TO place
unNilling to work, defy ing ell laws ard ordinHn
ees, incapable OF improvement, and OILY KEEP
from open violence by an amy Of Peheemen Of
soldiers.
No doubt a picture can be drawn with such
features as these bsI 10 such picture IS ~ar
raDted by the present character OF the black
man, or by his past history. The ne-ro has nev
err been al sggressor upon the white man. IN,
black race possessed two-tfhds 81 Ahlca io'
8 600 wears, ard never made single hostile DC
monst, alton on the white nations. When o.,
two races fret cane ia contact III Northern An
ca, we're the ba ks endeaso'ing TO suijaga''
the white peoplrs MOI For most OF TIE nm.
during the last 500 years blacks have been s4le
as slaves in the mar ets OF Egypt.
About 800 years siuce, the whites commenced
ensaving the negroes Of Western Africa. VIVA.
did the latter do. Did they kill ch the crew OF
every vessel that visited their coazIs No. They
stretched out their hands aud feet TO have the
irons put upon them. $1,000 slaves were cur
ried Of annual most o. them being in the prime
of life. Here we're numbers and physical force
enough, not only TO have decided Africa, but
10 have invaded Europe
On the plantations of America, as slaves. how
have they conducted themselves They have
done Just what they were ordered to do. Not
withs.anding the enormous wrongs heayed upon
them, Instructions am ng them have been rare,
and not very formidable. In Brazil, three mil
lions Of them are al work to-day, peaceablc and
unresising. Mrs. Stowe has well expressed the
relations OF the Two races in single sentence ::
eyes Massa,' has been the response Of the
colored man for ages, to all the demands made
upon him by the white man"
Now that this fierce civil war between the
white people is raging in the very centre Of the
slave population, what does the slave do, Now
that The rebel masters are gone to war, 90 the
slaves unite together, and assert and viudicate
their freedom, and il necessary defend il to the
last extreme by FIRE aud sword. No such idea
enters their minds. The rebel newspapers COM
plain only that in some places, they riU not
tsork. This, with some exceptions, is all the
use the negroes make OF the opportunity which
Providence has given them to strike successfully
for freedom. And We know thaat large planla
tons 10 Tennessee have been cultivated during
the absence Of rebel owners, under the direction
of the white women and these delicate ladies'
have laid bets with each other which could raise
the greatest crops out the labor Of their sturdy
negroes The black man, apart from the white
man, is disposed Of himself TO do nothing for
his own freedom or advancement Within the
rebel lines, the slaves serve peaeeaby in the ar
my in eli capacities, az they are required. More
than SO, 600, besides soldiers are connected with
the Federal armies; and yet they have never
been known to make any disturbance. AS SOL
diers under the direction Of white officers, it Is
admitted that they arc more docile, pesceable
and obedient than the same humber Of white
men.
As slaves, the colored race have been forbear,
ing, patient and submissive to the white man, to
aiaulL How has it been after they have been
set free' In Mexico, Colombia, and other Amer
lean States, they we're hberated Internationally.
and yet we have never read Of any disoidery
soOdueE on their part growing out of their sud-
den change OF circumstances.
But We will take the case Of TIE British West
Indies. as being more analogous to the slavery Of
our osn country. In these islands, the planta
tons we're large, the whites were few, the slaves
we're numerous, and the discipline severe Here
was total population ], LES, 900, OF whom were
whites only ISL 900, being about ons.ninfh part
OF the whole. On the fret Of August, 1884. the
slaves. 100000 in number, all became free in
one day; but in part Of the islands thew were
retained as apprentices for four years. but the
apprenticeship then ceased entirely. With so
small a proportion of white people, on such a.
occasion, We might reasonably expect thar al
the excessive traits Of the negro character would
be stimulated into the widest excitement Yet
nothing disastrous occurred. The Governor OF
Jamaica in his speech TO the Assembly, Oct 81.
lsss, said:
The conduct Of the lsbOring population, who
were the Objects Of your liberal ard enlig htei ed
policy, erii'iss hem to the HIGHEST rRAisE. ard
proves hos ven they deserve the boon OF Tree
dom trust there Is every pro.pect
Of agricultural prosperity"
To this speech the assembly replied
bearing testimony TO the psae,f.l ,,a,n.-
In ~hich the laboring popuia,ion have co,dnc,.5
themselves In a state Of freedom
Queen Victoria. in her speech to Parliamer,
Feb S, 1889, stated that throughout all the
West India Colonies, " the transition from the
temporary system Of apprenticeship to entire
freedom, has taken place rithOat any disturb
s"es Of P"blie order and trs-9sility
These islands we're visited iron 1856 to ls4o
y soirge, Harvey and Quincy, British travel.