The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-03
- Conaleaom or slavery In Ken.
~ tQCky.

lahnr System Of Kentucky has been 70
much disturbed by the rebellion that i'm.
meliate emancipation has become . neces-
Nv 70 save the State from being dep0pula-
~ of Ito able bodied laborers, and left, be-
sidee, with the aged and the women and
children to support. We extract from its
description: as r
what 10 our case, and the pressure upon
usY In the central parts-the Blue Grass
region and the Green river countryside
heaviest slaveholding portions Of the State,
their condition is deplorable. Our system
Of labor 10 utterly demoralixed; no family
know when they rise in the morning
whether they have servant to prepare
breakfast for them or not. But this is by
no means the worst, for . family of any
industry may COntrive TO cook their own
break fast and dinner too, but many Of our
farmers are almost or quite deprived o1
their laboreYs. Some have lost one or two
hands, but some have lost q fourth or q
half and some all of their servants. The
important considerations here suggest
themselves, how are the farms Of such men
to b cultivated next season, and II not
cultivated where are our supplies of food
to come fromf These are practical ques-
tons for Kentucky planters and farmers
to meet. and they have nothing TO do with
the result OF the late election; they are con.
tingent solely upon the rushing tide OF un-
contro,lable events in the prosecution o1
the w1r 20 put down the rebellion.
The JoStsnal states that it Is ia receipt oi
numerous letters asking if something can.
not b Gone In shorter way than the pro-
cess required to amend the Constitution to
ret rid Of the emAnc:p patton prohibition, and
declaring that II that il the only remedy,
the patiSnt must die before it can take ef.
1ect. Torneet the case, it proposes imme.
diase cpNpensated emancipation by the
LaginlAtA The Constitution forbids the
LegislrA <e 10 emancipate without compen.
mti01y hot with compensation. The Jour
Maloohttnues the argument on the neces-
sitysof tho case:
The question now is, not how shall We
myDslavery, but how shall We raise our
broad, and bake it after we have raised it.
Where shall we get the labor? We have
now neither slavery nor freedom; We have
none Of the benefits of either system of la
bor, but are suffering the disadvantages oi
both, in the midst Of the decentralization
and anarchy that prevail around Us. Shall
W let events take theif course, and with
ont effort drift with the stream and land
wherever our urguided bark may bring
up9 IL this the part Of wiEd0ln, of states
manahip, or, better than either, Of common
. senssf No one can assert it. We say
again, let US meet this question practically;
lay aside all prejudices and look to our
at once by legislative act accompanied
with compensation, which, rs We have said
before, is perfectly constitutional, then
there is nothing lefi, 80 far rs We can see al
present, to prevent our laborers slowly, YET
wholly, leaving the State, but . solemn
expression Of the legislature Of Kentucky
at its meeting this winter, that the rebel
lied slavery in the State that its restoration
il beyond hope, and that We must acqui.
ooce in its termination. This would be out
the expression Of matter Of fact; it makes
no difference whom we blame or whom We
do mot blame, or whether we are pro-sla'
very or anti-slavery. This Is concrete
practical question; ITO be or not be''-tc
Shall We let things drift along ut their own
win, or shall we interpose our active efforts
to guide results3
The journal also makes the argument
that the vote ia the Presidential election
shows that the people Of Kentucky are di.
vided On the question Of slavery. That the
/, vote for Mr.. Lincoln turned on this ques.
ton, il shown by the fact that In the East.
ern and Western counties, where there are
few slaves, the vote against him was large
We copy ito statistical instances:
By reference to the Official returns OF the
Presidential election for our State, which
We publish this morning ~ far ~ received
It will be seen that the extreme eastern
and western counties have given large ma
iorities for Lincoln. In the counties Of Bal.
lard, Graves, Hickman, McCracken and
Fulton, OF 'Jacxson's Purchase" the vote
stands: Lincoln ,91i; Mcclellan 1917. In
the eastern sweep, from Lewis on the Ohio
river to Knox on the Tennessee border,
these two counties, with Estill. Greenup,
Laurel, Lewis, Pulaski, Owsley, Whitley,
and Rockcastle. gave lincoln 6,347. Nc
Clellan 2, ISL. by the census Of 1860 the
five western counties held s,62S slaves, and
Cracken and Ballard. the two counties al
the mouth Of the Ohio river, owned a.
many slayes AZ the entire deoignated ten
counties in the eastern part Of the State
We will not stop TO discuss the causes why
tho extremities Of or State are opposed Ia
IL central part. There are several differ
ent theories, but they all point to one GER
and the division Is becoming more appa-
rent eyery time an election is held.
1t is evident from the large Lincoln vote
that tho time has gone by when the discus
sion Of the interests Of Kentucky adverse
to slavery can be suppressed by violence
Or terror. This freedom Of opinion having
got to self-sustaining point, the difference
on this question will rapidly increase; and
= the he yoana ;o clearly pescsiye' g na there ere
slavery. And the people OF Kentucky can.
not afford to protect the agitation and do.
mestic hostility which difference of opin.
lon on this subject creates; nor can slavery
endure it.
The proposition to emancipate the slaves
10 order to save the labOrers OF the State, is
moro practical view Of this question than
has usually been taken by the political
supporters Of slavery. In the North they
have argued that to liberate the negroes
would give them y. A.general exodus to the
1reesStates, which would be Overrun with
worthless free negrose who would become
eburden to community.
In the South they have agreed that tc
give the negroes freedom would make
tnem idle vagabonds and ruin the indus
trial system Of the South. In view of the
/ realities of the case, the Journal at one
blow swept away all this fabric Of