The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-13
$. g. mEHoEIs, Editor.


IRON the S. Louis Democrat
Remarkable Testimony AH"inAa 'ho
Ordinance by "A SHAREHOLDERS OF
PIatte county.
We have already published the testi-
roonv of several leading citizens OF Mis-
souri against the Ordinance Of Gradual
Emancipation adopted by the late State
Convention, who had at frBt given ia
their adhesion to that measure. This
fact is no way to be wondered at. When
that ordinance was adopted, the people
Of Missouri were told by its authors and
advocates that IL was peace measure
that II would bring quiet and order TO
the State; and many who did not APP
prove Of its provisions-And few there
were that did--were willing TO accept
il and abide by it, if it were to be pro-
ductive Of that result. We did not from
the first believe il would thus operate %
We regarded II as cheat, aud locke d
for no good to come of knavery TO any
one, and so we stated Al the outset 9th
ers, rs we have said, disposed 20 be more
confding, were willing TO give the ordi-
nance a trial before they condemned, If
their judgments did not fully approved.
Well, the trial has been had--two
months have passed over our head since
the Ordinance assumed the shape of law,
and with what result? Who il to-day
insane enough 70 claim that II has
brought peace, or tended to peace, IN
this State Who will deny that Mis-
souri, Is to-day in more disturbed con-
dition, even with reference to the slave
ry question, than when the ordinance
was adopted? Its failure has been 30
signal and complete that no candid man
can longer claim that hope can be
based upon it.
The most remarkable testimony we
have yet seen against the ordinance ia
the following extract from the Plate
County Sentinel, whose editor is no Radi-
cal, but pro-slavery msn--one who says
he does not regard "slsvery asa sin per
se"-one of that school Of politicians
who have, almost without an exception,
given in their adhesion to the ordinance,
and who WAS ono of the first in the State
to come out in its approval
Says the editor of the Sentinel
"Since the adoption Of gradual sys-
tenn of emancipation by the late couyen-
ton; aud which, we believe, was done
with honest and praiseworthy intent,
upon The part of those who originated
and csrried that ordinance, we see labor
disappearing, at | asst from the border
counties, moro rapidly, perhaps, than il
an immediate system had been adopted
All the uprooting of the labor relations
of society, which we feared under an i'm
mediate system, is now being made mani
fest in our midst, under the gradual sys-
tenn. Would it not be well, as wise and
peaceably disposed men, for us TO volun-
tarily surrender rights guaranteed to us
by the constitution and laws? Especial
ly if itappears, by so doing, that the
safety and peace of the community at
large, will thereby be attained"
Every word which the author OF the
above has said about the operation of
the ordinance is true. 1t 10 measure
which helps no one-not even the slave
holder, for whose benefit it was prepared.
This fact the writer of the above has
discovered, and he has been candid
enough 10 say so. He has discovered,
likewise, which is an unquesticnable
fact that no law could TO -day be passed
in Missouri which would so materially
aid the interests of the shareholders es
an act of immediate emancipation.
The object of the ordinance was TO
delay emancipation 40 long as possible,
and thus TO secure to the owners OF
slaves their services for the longest Pc
riod attainAble. Hence the law was so
framed as TO leave the negroes Ia q state
Of servitude in all cases for thirteen
years, and In some cases yet longer
This purpose is so transparent in ths
law, that even the negroes perceive it,
and naturally enough seek TO escape the
operation Of statute which ia only cal
culated to postpone the period If their
deliveTance. Hence they fly at every
opportunity to the sell of States where
the ordinance cannot reach them. They
understand what some of our most pre.
tentious politicians seem utterly incapa-
BILE Of appreciating, that the ordinance
was designed to prolong, instead of TO
shorten, the duration of the institution
of slavery.
Had the Convention, instead of resort
ing 10 this shallow subteffuge of enact
ing apro-slavery ordinance in tho name
Of liberty, passed an act of immediate
emancipation, the very end at which the
Shareholders were aiming would have
been in great measure attained. The
negroes, feeling that they were free men /;
that they could no longer be sold like
cattle in the market, instead of flying t.
Kansas as an asylum Of liberty, would
have been content and glad to remain
where they were, either as Apprenti tees
for q short term without compensation,
or as hired laborers at reasonable paw.
In either case, the masters would now be
IN the certain enjoyment of their SER
vices at period when they can, least of
all times be Dispensed with, without
great detriment.
General Payne, Of Illinois, commands
brigade in the Army of the Cumber-
4 n