The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-09-17

An Entertaining Chsptof Prom
I. Antt-Slavery Records.

4 I
In 1885, sitting on the aftsrdeck Of
New Haven steamboat, / found myself
near IN old gentleman With whom I
entered into conversation. IL reQuiu-
ed but few minutes to show that /
bad made the acquaintance Of q gen.
tlen,an Of more than ordinary acquire.
ments and experience. Our conver.
sation was interesting and protracted.
When the subject Of slavery was in
troduced, the gentleman said that, re-
gxrding it IS . most important and
embarrassing, ~ we'll a. . most alarm
) ing question. be had devoted much
time and thought tn its consideration
adding that he had plan which. if it
conld be fairly presented BY the Presi-
dent or through Congress to the peo-
pie, would accomplish the gradual
emancipation Of slavery. I'VE have."
the gentleman proceeded, "extin-
guished the national debt with the
surplus proceeds Of the public domain.
The surplus, for which we have no
further use. is rapidly increasing-so
rapidly rs to occasion uneasiness at
Washington. The public domain
will prove an enduring and exhaust
tible source Of national welth. 1t be-
longs to the whole people and seems to
have been providentially reserved to
effect great and bene6cient purpose.
My plan is to ask the Legislature Of
border slave States to pass laws au-
thoriziug the purchase Of one DAYS
freedom in each week to all slaves,
their value to have been appraised by
disinterested tribunal; that Two
years after, another days freedom
should be purchased in like manner.
and that each following two years the
purchase should be repeated until
their full freedom should have been
effected. Congress, meanwhile. should
pass law appropriating 50 much Of
the surplus of the public domain as the
emancipation thus effected called for"
The gentleman believed that Della
ware, Maryland, and probably Ken
lucky, would promptly and cheerfully
eonse,t to sell their slaves at Q fair
valua. .On, and that Tennessee, Vir-
ginia and North Carolina would, ere
long, follow, and that ultimately the
Government would be able to offer
compensation liberal enough to tempt
even the cotton States. While this
process was going on, he proposed that
the Federal Government should
futher assist emancipation BY establish
ing commercial relations with Hayti
and st. Domingo, and in planting
colonies in Africa for the develop =
ment Of her gold dust. ivory and
other resources, Offering aid and facii-
ties to such freedmen - might choose
to accept it. Another and most in
Portant advantage in the scheme, VAS
that in It's progress partially reasoned
Slaves would grsdully learn the value
and uses Of freedom, 70 that after .,
twelve yeart of training they would be
better qualified to enter upon their
new life.
Ten years afterward I passed win
ter in the Danish West India Island
where this system was practically
working out emancipation. The King
Of Denmark had BY an ordnance made
al slaves free on Saturday. The or
dance created q tribunal to which
slaves could apply to 8x the amount
to Be paid for . second days freedom.
% that when, By working IN Saturday >
for wages, they should aceumulats the
amount required they become free
on Friday -. veil - q Saturday.
The scheme worked admiralty, The i
masters and slaves were equally de-
lighted With it.. Planters informed
me that their slaves became more in
telligent, diligent and cheerful and
that they did more work in Ave days;
then they had formerly done in SIX. +,
But the Queen, An earnest and impa- 80
tient opponent Of slavery, prevailed
with the King to set al slaves in the
Danish Islands upconditiopally,, freq.
Results have shown that gradual pro-
cess would have been better for all
parties. ''''' pc ''
The gentleman who conceived the
idea Of purchasing the freedom Of the
slaves with the surplus proceeds Of the
public domain, was Timothy Pitkin,
one Of the many distinguished sons Of
who rendered important
'ervice tn the country during the firss
half Of the present century. He was y
, native Of Pennington. born in 1766. 10
He was Eve years Speaker 0f the Cen III
eral Assembly Of Connecticut, and, :
served from 1906 to 1920 in Congress.
He was the author Of "a Statistical
View Of the Commercs Of the United
States" and a Political and Civil !,
History of the United States from
l768 to the close Of Washington's. !.
His plan for eman-
ci ,ation was broadly statesmanlike.
Il Vas alike just. wise and practical.
first mentioned it to Mr.. Seward,
whose warm approval confirmed my
own impressions. In the course Of my
with Mr.. Pitkin he sue-
gested Mr.. Clay as not only the best
man to introduce the subject to Con-
Erese, but the one who. from his known
,entiments and sympathies, would b
most likely to think favorably u it. / 8
availed myself Of IN early opportu- {.
nifty to submit Mr.. Pitkins PIN to
Mr.. Clay, who expressed his regret
that it had not been suggested sAefoss
the idea Of distributing the surplus 81.
found among the States had taken 3
guch strooe holl efthe public mind. i
| converted With Mr.. WehsGsr. SEN
ator Mangum. Of North Carolina .
Governor Clark, Of Kentucky, and
John n. Clsytoe, Of Delawsrs, each Of
whom. but for the reason assigned BY
NJ. Clay. would have given his ear.
nest support to, NJ. Pitkins project. -