The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-28
TUESDAY MORN1NG......FE FEBRUARY %, 1865.

in the Confederate States, which would
follow the overthrow of the Confederate
cause, would be an experiment in philan-
thropy, from the results of which the
United States would be as likely to
suffer as the people who are to be
robbed of their laborers.
When proud and high-spirited race,
like that which for four years has strug-
gled so heroically for its rights, shall be
deprived of liberty and independence,
their anguish and humiliation cannot be
increased or embittered by the loss of
property. When they can no longer
walk the earth as freemen, it would be
poor consolation that they could still be
permitted to retain an institution which
has ever been more valuable to their en-
emies than themselves, and which, even
if it gave them bare support, would H.
crease the wealth and greatness of their
oppressors. The reflection that he is
slave himself would not be mitigatcd in
the mind of the cotton planter by gra-
cious permission to have under him
slaves whose labor, guided by his intelli-
gence and experience, would render him
a more profitable chattel to his new mas
ters than he could otherwise become. It
may be safely averred that slavery, even
in the cotton States, has been q source
of greater profit to the North than the
South, which, with all its magnificent
productions, has had no large cities, no
colossal fortunes, no fourishing COM
merce and manufactures, but has been a
mere tributary to Lowell, New York and
the revenues of the General Government.
These have been the reservoirs into
which that vast, golden tide has been
poured, while the planter has lived in a
modest mansion, deriving little more
money from his princely possessions than
would enable him to feed and clothe the
white aud black members of his estab-
lishment. The legislation of the Gene
raj Government was always shaped to
produce this result, and the moderate
amount of work exacted Of the laborers
by their masters has borne no proper
ton to the outlay required for their sup
port.
So far as the negro is concerned, we
do not expect to be believed by fanatics
in the North when we aver that his ply
sical and moral condition can only be
ured,-hopelessly, we fear,-by the
successful Inauguration of universal abo-
lition. It took five hundred years to
qualify our white English forefathers for
the rights and responsibilities of free
men. We are not prepared to believe
that African slaves can be fitted for that
condition in an hour. Even the British
Government allowed some years for the
pupilage of its Jamaica serfs before con-
ferring upon them the boon OF liberty;
and the Northern States, when they abo-
lished the slavery of their handful of
chattels, were careful to make their legis-
lation prospective, and, in most cases,
made the period much longer than that
required by the British Government
Even with this gradual training for Ii
berty, the result was . complete failure,
so far as the moral elevation and COM
fort Of the negro was concerned. Yet
here they propose to liberate (and, Il
successful, will do IT'D four millions OF
Africans, without days preparation tor
the condition of freemen. 1t is easy to
see that the condition Of the blacks OF
St. Domingo will be the only result OF
emancipation in the South.
We are not 50 unsophisticated,' how
ever, as to imagine that the future vel
fare Of the negro population is : matter
Of the slightest concern to any one IN the
United States but few sincere fanatics
like Gerrit Smith. That which perplexes
Us in the Abolition policy about to b