The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1864-07-15
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Slavery and PrOsperity.-Views of q
Congressman then Travelling In the
South.

We print below some interesting and valu.
| able extracts from series of letters written in
1888, describing journey through the south.
ern states. made at that time by Mr.. JAMES
BROOKS, now member of Congress from New
York. The first quotation is from q letter
dated:
WASHINGTON, March 8, 1833.-Slavery car
ries with it its own Affections, its own punish
ments. Itis dead drag to the body polite.
| 1t is impossible for any community to prosper
with it on its bosom. The afniction bears as
heavily upon the master as upon the slave. 1t
| endangers the peace and happiness of the mas
| ter, and robs the slave of his freedom and his
birthright. As to prosperity and accumula-
ton of property, it keeps the master in the
| rear of others in like situation exempt from
| this evil, and thus depresses him when it de-
presses his servant. It is demonstrabe in my
opinion, that that community of whites, taken
as whole, must be happier, more prosperous,
and richer, where slavery is prohibited, than
where it is allowed.
In Richmond, Mr. BRooKs had a converse
ton with member of the Virginia Legisla-
ture, which gives o singularly clear notion of
the condition of Virginia more than thirty
years ago. Mr. BRooKs writes under date.
Richmond, Va, March 26. 1888. The Virgin
ian said:
Twas raised and bred a Democrat. 90
| then for secession for when you attempt to
oppress US, when those big States-New York
| and Pennsylvania attempt to break US down,
we can secede. Secession is the salvation of
| the South. sir. We have slave property and
Yankees are opposed to it. We may be called
upon TO give up this, and then we can secede.
| sir, and the Union is worth more to you than
1t is to us; and If we secede you will do US
ms / I0uo fho vI1i0 hvx,,
| only way to save it. Virginia would have a
hard time as border state; but then we
| should grow rich, sir. The whole South would
be under US.
The general government has been ungrate-
full to Virginia. Sir, before the Revolution we
| were rich; we weIe gentlemen; every man
| had money enough. Now we have little or no
money. You Yankees come in troops to look ok
| at our country, and we. can't raise loose cash
enough to get across The Potomac. I own a
| large plantation and many slaves sir. and
cant get money enough to paint NV house.
,Ihe general government has been viper to
Virginia-she has stung her benefactor Now
you see now poor we are; you see everything
going 70 rqln-old houses, old fences, ragged
slaves. virginia has nothing left but her
norses and then her race horses do her more
hurt than good. They make her people idle
snd gamoing people. Sir, you Yankees are
700 cunning for ne; you keep q better look
ont than We do. You and the New Workers
ana Pennsylvanians got the old revo-
l0uonary debt for little or notning.
and made money at that, at our ex-
pense So In the late war you o0ugns the
debt for sixty cents on dollar, and made us
pay q full dollar. Now you have got an
American system, but thank God, Henry Clay's
heart ia opened. l0v6shims because he Is q
Virgiuian; and if he bad not gone to Kentucky
we would have made President OF him long