The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-09

ships that traversed the seas. Whether 1t
has ceased since southern slavery was abol-
ished Is not known, but a telegram to The
Associated Press tells of Il cargo that was
recently wrecked off madagascar coast.
This much has been recorded to show to
the youths of this generation that neither
Georgia nor the south was responsible for
slavery nor the traffic in them across the
seas, for from 1776 down to the present,
there was but a single attempt made by
southern man to introduce African slaves
into a southern port, and that attempt
was a failure. The little yacht call
ed the "Wanderer," was seized and CON
demned and her officers pursued with unre-
lenting vigor by a southern man, General
Henry X. Jackson, who was then assist
ant attorney general of the United States.
But, after all, slavery was really the
provoking cause of the late unhappy war
between the states. Georgia seeded from
the union not because she desired to per-
petuate slavery but rather because she
could not maintain her rights under the
constitution. She desired an outlet in the
territories, an outlet for the negro Tor their
rapid increase was alarming. She believed
that it perous to emancipate and
still more perilous to await results. Her
white population who We're not slave own
ers were rapidly emigrating to the west.
The most thoughtful minds in Georgia and
especially those advanced in years. saw
and felt the peril of their situation-seces-
sion meant war and to remain in the union
was to be imprisoned by state lines with
an inferior race that might become a ter
ror. A few slaves had been manumtted
and sent to Siberia, but the result was
bad, very bad.
Major Waters, a wealthy planter of
Gwinnett county, had by will manumitted
thirty-scven slaves and his executor de
llvered them in Savannah to the colonization
society. They We're we'll provided with
clothing and each with $100 in gold and
sent to Siberia free of charge. Thirty of
them died within twelve months-the re-
naming seven escaped from their exile
and found passage in a merchant vessel to
Philadelphia. From there they made their
return to Georgia through the friendly aid
of Howell Cobb and Alex II. Stephens.
who furnished them with the means of
coming home. This case is fully reported
in one of the earlier volumes of our SUI
premc court reports, for the will of Ma or
Waters was attacked by bis heirs.
But the common people of the south,
the yeomanry, the toilers, were no lovers
of the negro They realized that he was
in their way. The masters owned the best
of the land and had the best stock and
while the toilerS had to take what they
could get--no wonder they were jealous of
the institution.
And yet these men, poor and struggling
for livelihood III the mountains of north
Georgia or down in the piney woods, did
hurry to their country's call My coun-
try-right or wrong was their motto.
Only one-seyenth of the taxpayers of the
state We're owners of slaves in 1860 and
not more than one soldier in ten was inter
estcd in slavery. In fact, some counties
in north Georgia sent more soldiers to the
field than there were slaves in the county.
Surely these men We're not fighting for
slavery or its perpctuation. They fought
IS their forefathers did who resisted
A, ;
sand drank it. The common idea was that
them fellers up north had been
kickin at us long time and if
old Joe Brown and Bob Toombs
and Howell Cobb said it was time to cut
loose from 'em and fight them it was all
right and they We're ready"
but anti-sayery was not u predominant
sentiment up north outside of New Eng
land. The cry Of the west and of most
of the north was the union-it must be
preserved General Grant, whom the
north idoIizcd and hOnorcd, was himself 4
slave owner and lived off of their hire in
St. Louis until freedom came. Some Of
Mrs. Lincoln's kindred in Kentucky were
SLAVE owners and her brother served as
staff officer in the confederate army. Mr..
Lincoln himself declared that he only signed
the emancipation proclamation as war
measure to suppress the rebellion as it
was called and to save the union. He re-
peatedly refused to take such a step though
urged by the members of his cabinet to do
so General Fremont. in August, 1861, is
sued q military order that emancipated the
slaves of rebels i'll Missouri. Mr.. Lincoln
promptly revoked this order In May,
1862, General Hunter issued q similar
der declaring all slaves in Georgia. South
Carolina and Florida forever free. SO
soon as Mr.. Lincoln heard of it he issued
a proclamation declaring it void and in
his letter to Horace Greeley in August 1862,
he said: My paramount object is to save
the union and not either to save or destroy
slavery If | could save the union without
freeing amy slave | would do it; if | could do
it by freeing all the slaves | would do it,
and if | could save it by freeing some and
leaving others alone | would do that" In
the minds of both Lincoln and Grant there
was but little sentiment concerning slavery
as an institution. but after emancipation
they very naturally accepted all the honor
that the north and England showered upon
them and entered heartily into plans for
the safe adjustment of the matters that
this sudden enfranchisement involved.
Such, my young friends, We're the causes
and consequences of the institution of slav-
cry in Georgia. For half a century it had
proved n blessing to both racCS-a blessing
to the negro because it had brought him
from Il savage state into that of sen1scvili-
cation and had elevated his pOSterity and
given them q chance to live as human be
ngs and TO worship God as Chrisians-a
blessing to the white race in clearing up the
forests and advancing agriculture and in
building our railroads. But as the years
rolled on it seemed to be manifested that the
institution had run its course and the time
was near at hand when it would cease to be
a blessing to either race. Before the late
war its doom was inevitable, for even had
secession succeeded and slavery continued
it could not have been maintained against
the convictions of the unfriendly north and
the nations that sympathized with her
Why this wonderful change in the status
of 100000 Of slaves had to be baptized in
blood and in tears to make it a reality is
known only to that Providence who doeth
all things well. We might as well ask why
Cain was permitted to kill Abel or why Ma
poleon was permitted to ravage Europe and
destroy millions of lives, and after all ac
complish no good that we can see.
But the negro was safe during all the
struggle. Whether he stayed or fled he was
in no danger. He seemed to have NO deep
concern about his freedom or a continuation
of his bondage. Thousands of them followed
their young masters in the war-many of
them We're captured, but would not stay.
"Gwnc back to Dixie was their song.
Never was such mutual affection shown be
tween master and servant; never such proof
that in the main the master Was kind and
the servant loyal. During all these bloody
wears when our men We're in the field and
wives and mothers and daughters were I'M