Cañon City record., 1910-08-25
Interesting Story of the Beginning
-of african Jla0ery--
BY JUDGE nIcDoUGAL

against the further importation OF
slaves, that trade continued up to the
civil war, beginning in 1861.
Born and reared among the slaves
of Virginia and their owners, spending
much time since 1861 among the peo-
pie OF all our states in the south, I
know that away back in slavery days
the whites of that section of our coun-
try did not regard as an unmixed
blessing or evil the institution re-
other slaves were handed down like
other personal property, and thous-
ands inherited their blacks who hated
slavery. But what could they do?
Laws provided, and justly SO too, that
If and when an owner freed q slave,
then that the property of the former
owner was bound for the future con-
duct of the manumitted slave; he
| must give bond that the slave should
not become a public charge; while
the former slave in most cases could
not and would not properly care for
his future. In that day slaves were
worth on the market from a few dol
lars up into the thousands of dollars
and therefore self interest, IL not hu-
manity. required and demanded their
fair and humane treatment. So that
in most instances the negro was better
off then than now. II sick, the mas
ter fed, clothed and doctored him and
looked after, cared and thought for
him in both sickness and health.
Business interests and dollars. not
sentiment, dominated the earlier set
tiers of America and the people were
not long in learning that neither cot
ton nor sugar cane could be grown
at profit in the far northern states
and for that reason alone it did not
pay TO there own and work negro
slaves, and slavery was abolished
prospectively. Our God-fearing north
erner did not emancipate and thus
free his slaves, but enacted laws pro-
yiding that on and after a certain
date, slavery should not be lawful in
the particular state, and then between
the date of the passage OF the act and
its going into effect. piously and
prayerfully sold their slaves on auc-
tion blocks down south. That iswhy
and how the institution of slavery
ceased to exist in our northern states
When our big war commenced by
the firing on Fort Sumter on April
L. 1861. slavery was not only lawful
but actually existed. as l now recall
history in Is OF our southern states.
but only II OF those states seeded
from the federal union-Missouri,
Kentucky. Maryland and Delaware re-
tanning their slave property and re-
maining in the union
The emancipation proclamation up
on its face and by its express language
effected only the slaves in those states
and parts o Estates which at its date
on January /. 1868, Were in actual
rebellion against the United States
So that II did not touch slave porperty
in Missouri, Kentucky. Delaware. Ma
| ryland. nor in that which is now West
Virginia. certain parishes in Louis
lana. etc In all these border
slave states that institution remain
ed lawful until within their respec-
tive sovereiEnties slavery was abol-
ished. beginning with the state Of
Maryland on the first day of Novem-
ber, 1864. followed by Missouri on
January IL. 1865, while freedom did
not come TO all the slaves of all our
states until the adoption of the 18th
amendment TO the constitution OF the
United States on December is. 1865.
Now. IL you will study and make all
this your own. you will know more
about the history Of the slavery ques-
ton than most of the present gene
ration ever dreamed OF knowing
Adios.
H c. McD.
E.1s,s rg,x NJ