The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-17

Published.
Hon. JAMES 5. Rollins, Of Missouri,
long known as strong pro.slsvery but
Of late, an avowed Emancipationst not
long ago made a speech in which he read
the following private letter of Mr.. CLAY
10 bis relative and lifelong supporter,
Col WM. n, RUSSELL Of Missouri which,
as casting light on most Important
point, we reproduce AS follows:
ASHLAND, July IS, 1885.
NJ DEAR Smi $ have also,
my dear Sir, to make my ackno wledg.
men,s 10 Mrs. Russell and yourself for
the honor done me in bestowing my
name on your infant May he live to be
useful to his country and blessing V
his parents.
You speak Of the probability of a
| Convention, in which you suppose a
leading question that will be agited is
| that Of Emancipation, aud you ask my
opinion Of it. As TO Immediate Eman.
! cipalion, / think il wholly ont of the
question. II could not be adopted Justly
without compensation; and 1t could not
be, safely, considering the want Of
qualification in the slaves either to enjoy
freedom or provide comfortably for them
selves.
Gradual emancipation, that is eman-
cipation ut certain age, of all born
after limited period, is a very different
question. Thirty seven years ago, this
question was made in Kentucky when
we were about to reform our Constitution.
I was then 10 favor of it, but we were In
the minority, and were defeated.
1t is a question, think, which de-
ponds upon the relative numbers of the
white and black races. Where the black
preponderates, or Is nearly equal, | would
not be in favor Of ii; but where the
whites prepOnderate, as in Missouri it
appears to me it may be safely adopted.
The proportion of slaves to the whites
with you is as twenty-five to ninety.
seven, or little more than one. fifth. In
such relative condition of the two
races, there is no danger Of the African
ever acquiring the ascendency.
That slavery is unjust and is a great
evil, are undsputed axioms. The diff.
Guilty always has been how to get rid of
it, In States where they are compare
lively few, that difficulty is less And in
Pennsy lvania and other Northern States,
they have gotten rid Of slavery almost
without struggle.
As to compensation, supposiDg that you
weie to put off the commencement of the
period to the year, say 1850, holding all
to be slaves for life born prior to tina,
year, and all subsequent to be free at Il 0
age of twenty eight there would be
very little,lf any, diminutiOn in the value
Of slave property. The measure would
operate only on I efsmale; and how mt CHI
less would female slave be worth, wuo
being herself slave for life, her offspring
after 1850 are to be liberated? If there
were no prohibition of the removal of
slaves prior 10 1850, there would he no
depreciation in the value.
The effect of the measure would be TO
allow you slave labor in the infancy of
your State, when il is most wanted, and
10 substitute ultimately free labor for i,
when free labor would be abundant. And
you would thus gently and gradually free
yourselves from what has not been In ac-
curately characterized great curse.
These are my views communicated for
yeur own satisfaction, at your request,
and not for publication.
When Missouri tUdS admitted into the
Union, / said to her delegate, Mr. Scott, $50
home, enter Tie Convention Of your State and
tTe7t yourself to establish a system of G,adu
al Emancipation similar to that tChich Dir.
Franklin prevailed upon Pennsg lpaRa 10
adopt in 1879"
l do not conceive that your State could
be justly Chargeable with violating any
pledge TO emigrants by adopting the prin-
ciple OF Gradual Emancipation. The
State has never declared that slavery
should be perpetual. 1t tolerated slave.
ry, but retained the power possessed by
all the slave States to abolish it when
the good of the Common wealth required.
Emisrants went to your State knowing
Of this power, and knowing that a ma
jority must govern. In making up that
majority, they have their voice, p or
en-.
In Kentucky there is not the usual ex-
element attending the present elections.
There is, perhaps, too much apathy pre-
vailing
With great regard, am your friend
and obedient servant, II. CLAY.
Col. WILLIAM HENRY RUSSELL.
The important points in this letter are
the continued opposition of Mr.. clay 10
slavery; instead of thinking it "a vital
institution of the country" he regarded
it as "a great curse" his ardent desire
that Missouri should, as soon as possible
after her admission as a State, be agi-
tated by the discussion of the Enamel
patton question, and made free State;
and finally his opinion that there was no
danger in freeing slaves in States where
the whites were 60 largely in the as
cendant as in Missouri, or as they now
I ara In Tappose.a