Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-05
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.

earnestly entreat that before such proposals
are hearkened unto your Excellency will con-
slider our situation and avoid the sngers and
bad consequences such liberty would be TO US
for many reasons:
First. The nearness of the Spapiards. who
proclaim freedom TO all slaves who run from
their masters, makes tt i'm possible for us to
keep them without more labor in watching
them, than we would be at, to do their work
Second. We are labOriOus, and knowu tiiNt
the white man may by the year be more ,tuaa-
fully employed than the negro. s,tns,,
Thlrd. We are not rich. and becoming debit
ors for slaves in case of their running aW{ly
or dying, would inevitably ruin the poor
master, who would become greater slave TO
the negro merchant than the slave he bought
could be to him hnsd
Fourth. IL would oblige us to keep sguard
duty aG least as severe as when we oxDncted
a daily invasion, and if that WAS the Case,
how miserable would 1t be TO us, our Wives
ana children, to have an enemy without, ana
u more dangerous one within our bos0m.e.y
Fifth. 1t is shocking to human nature tfAt
any race OF mankind and their postegHE
should be doomed to perpetual slavery, nprin
justice can we think otherwise of it than That
they are thrown among us to he our scburBe
one DAY or other for our sins. aud as freedom
to them must be as dear as to us. wliath
scene of horror must it bring about, ind as
long as IL 10 uneXecuted the bloody scene must
De the greater. We. therefore, for our own
sakes, our wives, our children and our pos
terlty, beg your consideration aud entreat
that, instead Of Introducing slaves. you will
put us III the way 10 get some OF our country
men, who, with their labor in time of peace,
and our vigilance If we are invaded with
thosel will render It a difficult thing TO hurt
us or that part Of the province we possess.
We Will forever praf, etc.
john McINTOsH MORE.
John MORE MCLNTOSH,)
EXCLUDED FROM THE COLONY.
While slavery mad been admitted into
all the other colonies both North and
South, under such protest 1t was posi-
lively prohibited blythe colony of Georgia.
Rum and negroes were excluded from the
colony, the former because experience
had proved it to be the bane of the colo
nists and the destruction of his neighbor,
the Indian. The latter, as "a matter of pol
icy, to stimulate the col0nisJs To personal
eXertions to provide home for the poor
and starving population Of the mother
country, TO create "A colony densely colo
mated with whites to serve as barrier
against incursions from the Spanish set
Elements in Florida, and to promote the
cultivation of silk and wine, to which 1t
was deemed the negro was not adapted.
White labOrers were iEdented by the trus-
tees for tile colony, as in their judgment
they were better adapted to its wants.
This restriction was not removed until
l749, after struggle of more than fit
teen years. At this time Georgia only num-
bered 800 inhabitants. Her climate md
soil seemed to demand negro laborers, and
as her resources began to be developed
this demand was supplied. When more
than quarter OF a century afterwards
the constitution of the United States was
adopted, although it was deemed wise TO
put a limit to the introduction of negroes,
their importation had been so profitable,
and there was so much capital embarked
in t1e enterprise, that those engaged
therein refused to permit that the pro-
hibition should take Immediate effect. and
agreed upon its adoption only upon the
condition that it should not take effect
until the year 1908.
SLAVE TRADE PROHIBITED.
Georgia, at the adoption of her State
constitution, in 1913, incorporated into
her organic law the immediate and a5so-
Lutte prohibition of the slave trade, and
an act was passed by her Legislature
making it a felony to bring slave from
another state within her borders for the
purpose of being sold. An examination
Of her statute books will show that every
act necessary to give full and ample pro-
lection to the lives and safety and happi-
ness of these people was in force, and her
judicial proceedings show how rigidly
they were enforced. The action of the
convention of the State of Georgia in
1898, Incorporating into her organic law
a prohibition of the slave trade, was ten
years anterior to the same prohibition by
the constitution of the United States, and
eighteen years in advance OF the British
government, and only after a struggle OF
nearly 90 years, in 1907, did British
philanthropy rise to the point which
Georgia attained in 179S.
While IN reviewing the past we may
with just pride rehearse the conduct Of
the master of the slave, let us be just in
considering that of the slave to his mas
ter During the entire existence OF a war,
waged as they were instructed to secure
their freedom, not a single act Of violence
or outrage has been recorded against any
one of them.
CONDUCT OF THE SLAVES.
Wives and children committed to their
care, whilst their husbands and fathers
had gone to the field of battle, were care
fully and faithfully guarded, and they
were ever true to the sacred trust repOsed
in them by their masters; and the tie
which to-day binds IN affectonate remem-
brauce the Southern white man and black
man, cannot be sundered by the sickly
whiningsot the fanatic or the mad rawlings
of the demagogue. By the calumny and
falsehOOds of the vandal horde that over
ran our State Immediately after the war,
who cajOled and deceived one race that
they might the better plumber and rob the
OLQef IWOIdcb5 were LOT aWnlie eStfauQe0.
But this could not last and has passed
away never to return. The white man
and the black man, now protected by the
same constitution. realized the fact that
in acknowledging and respecting the well
defined rights Of ach, can the pros perity
OF both alone be secured.
Immediately after the year 1908, when
by the natural increase OF the negroes
brought before that time to this country,
there was no longer any profit TO be de-
rived from the traffic, essays, lectures
and sermons were no more heard ex plain
ing, expounding and enforcing the test,
81 will give thee the heather for an inheri-
tance," but every eastern breeze came to
US laden with meanings over "man's in
humanity TO man."
THE STRUGGLE APPROACHING.
AS time advanced, in the schools, in the
churches, on the hastings, IN the legisla-
tive halls and the court rooms OF one sec
ton OF our country, slavery was every
where denounced as crime. In the
other section where it was secured and
protected by the constitution, IL was re-
garded as blessing TO be loved and cher
ished. There the white men believed and
claimed that be not only had a right to
own them, but that IT. was his sacred duty
10 protect and defend them. The school
boy would lay aside bis satchel 10 engage
In a hand-to-hand fight with some boy
who had wantOnly abused or insulted his
sable companion: and in maturar life