This subject of apprenticeship was never
canvassed in my county; it was not the issue.
But I am very well assured that the good
sense of our people would have guided them
to the same conclusion that now controls me;
that they would have said that there is no
harm whatever to result to the slave by placing
him when freed in a condition where he will
be impressed with habits of industry, and be
reared up accustomed to labor, and thereby
be better prepared when be arrives at matu-
rity to go forth in the world upon his own
resources, self-reliant.
I do not swerve one moment in a backward
tendency in this matter. The remarks of my
friend from Baltimore city (Mr. Cushing)
certainly do not apply to me. We are not
undoing what we have already done, but we
let that stand as imperishable as marble, and
as immovable as the rocks of Gibraltar. I
consider that there is no violation of that
principle in advocating this doctrine of ap-
prenticeship, whereby we retain the negro
in the hands of his master, if the orphans'
court should consider him a judicious and
proper person to be the custodian of the slave,
if not, then some other one, who will impress
him with like habits of industry. I shall
therefore vote with great cheerfulness for the
principles contained in the proposition of the
gentleman from Caroline (Mr. Todd, ) because
I think the proposition is a good one; I think
the principle is correct, and one which will
ameliorate the condition of the negro, and
there is no corresponding injury to the
master.
Mr., TODD. I should have preferred that
this convention should have voted upon this
proposition without discussion, for the simple
reason that I did not desire the time of the
convention to be taken up in debate upon it. I
thought the proposition had been long enough
before them for every gentleman to under-
stand it, and to make up his mind in regard
to how he would act upon it. And I thought
there was no necessity for a any member of
this convention to attempt to throw additional
light upon the subject. But from remarks
that have fallen from the lips of gentlemen
here, I feel constrained to utter a few words
in defence of the proposition I have submitted
to the convention.
Some gentlemen have said they are pledged
to go against every such proposition. Of
course I would not for a moment think of
asking any gentleman to violate the pledges
which he has made to his people. But I
pledged myself to go for such a proposition,
and the people whom I in part represent ex-
pect it of me. I go for it, not merely because
I pledged myself to do so, but because I be-
lieve it to be right and proper. .It has been
said by the gentleman from Frederick (Mr.
Schley) that the adoption of a proposition of
this sort would be but the reduction of all
these minors to a state of slavery. I do not |
so regard it. If that proposition be a correct
one, then we ought to make it obligatory
upon the legislature to blot out every parti
de of statutory law upon our books in rela-
tion to apprenticeship of any kind. For if
this apprenticeship which I am advocating to-
day is slavery, then all apprenticeship in
slavery.
There is but one single difference between
the proposition I have offered, and the law
regarding apprenticeship as it exists upon
our statute book. That difference is that the
proposition which I have had the honor to
submit makes it obligatory upon the orphans'
court, when in their judgment the former
owners of those minors are proper persons to
have charge of them, to give to them the
preference over other people. That is the one
and only difference between the proposition
1 advocate here to-day, and the statute as it
exists upon your statute book. •
Now I am very far from doing, or desiring
to do, anything that would look like remand-
ing these negroes into astate of slavery. The
one of my acts for which I expect always to be
the proudest, is that act by which I cast my in-
fluence and my vote for the unconditional
emancipation of all who have hitherto been
held in bondage in this State. I shall ever
look back to that period of my life with
pride, whatever maty be the consequences,
whether this constitution be adopted by the
people or not. I shall always glory in the po-
sition I then took, and by it I expect to stand
or fall.
But it does seem to me that it is desirable
that this convention should incorporate some
such provision as this, which I have offered,
in our organic law, for the purpose of pro-
tecting society. That is one reason I have
for offering this proposition. If we throw
out loose upon society the immense number
of helpless minors who will be emancipated
by the adoption of this constitution, we do
not know to what extent society may suffer
from it. It seems to me rather that we should
take them into our arms, and throw around
them this security, and in that way secure
society. That we should provide for their
interest by the adoption of a proposition of
this character, as the gentleman from Wor-
cester (Mr. Purnell, ) has very well said, when
they are apprenticed to suitable persons—and
this proposition gives to the orphans' court
the power to choose to whom to apprentice
them—they will be taught principles of in-
dustry, they will be taught to labor, so that
when they arrive at maturity they will be bet-
ter prepared to go forth and earn their liveli-
hood and become good and useful members of
society, than if left to run wild at large, with
none to protect them, and with no power to
protect themselves, no disposition to take care
of themselves, and prepare themselves fora
state of freedom. So that it is not only de-
sirable as a protection to society, but also de- |
