are we to do with them? The abolition party demand their immediate
emancipation. Is it practicable, safe, or proper? What would be the
consequences? What would be the consequence of turning loose upon
ourselves four millions of human beings, to prowl about like wild
beasts without restraint, or control, and commit depredations on the
white population? Four millions of human beings without property or
character, and utterly devoid of all sense of honor and shame, or any
other restraining motive or influence whatever! And they too, under
the ban of a prejudice, as firm, as fixed as the laws which govern the
material universe. In that event, is it not probable; is it not almost
certain, that there would be either a general massacre of the slaves,
or otherwise that the white population would be forced to abandon the
soil? Will any one pretend to deny that either entire extinction of
the African race would be likely to result from universal
emancipation, supposing the manumitted slaves should remain in our
midst, or that otherwise the consequences would be disastrous to the
white population? None, I presume. What then shall we do? The slaves
are among us; they must be governed and provided for, and is it not
our duty in making provisions for them, to act with reference to the
general welfare of all concerned--white and black? Is there an
intelligent man in this nation, who has reflected on the subject, that
really believes that the condition of the African race in the United
States, would be bettered or improved in any respect, by immediate
emancipation? I have clearly shown in the following pages that it
would not. Facts prove the contrary. Yes, stubborn undeniable facts,
that none but a knave or a fool will gainsay. We know that
improvidence, idleness, vagrancy, and crime, are the fruits of
emancipation; not only in the United States, but also in the West
Indies. We have already stated on good English authority, (Lord
Brougham), that the West India free negroes, are rapidly retrograding