that so? Will they be benefited by the
change? Will they not rather become pau-
pers and outcasts from society and an incubus
upon the State that years will not enable us
to rid ourselves of? Are they capable of self-
government? Have they any governmental
capacity ?
Mr. President, I may well ask are we capa-
ble of self-government? I had thought, un-
til these troubles came upon us, that the long-
muted problem had been solved and exempli-
fied in the complete success and perfection of
our institutions as applicable to a state of
freedom. But the experience of the last four
years has, in my mind, settled the problem
forever. I now am convinced, sad as must
be the reflection to all intelligent minds, that
the white man with all his higher mental or-
ganization, created so by the great I Am in
the economy of nature, is utterly unfit for
self-government. What then must be the
condition of the black man in a state of free-
dom, when you consider his inferior mental
organization? What has been and is now
the condition of the black man in every State
and country in which he has been freed?
Instead of improving his moral and mental
condition, he has, in all cases, sunk lower and
lower in the scale of degeneration, until be
has become an outcast and a burden upon the
government in which he lives.
Is it for the true interest of the slave that
the gentlemen on the other side so zealously
urge the passage of this measure? A meas-
ure, which, if passed, will result in more
harm, both to the master and slave, than can
now be conceived of. Are they prompted
by the interest they feel in the future condi-
tion of the slaves? I deny that they feel the
interest which their course here would indi-
cate. It is a catch-word. It is thought now
to be popular and will lead to peace. They
have been caught up in the whirlpool of fa-
naticism which is now making desolate our
land. And it would be as well for the gen-
tlemen to re-fleet for a moment upon the fu-
ture condition of this race, A general, who
was engaged recruiting negro soldiers in my
section of the State, was asked by a gentle-
man in my county, how many negro recruits
have you in your camp? He answered about
ten thousand. How many died whilst in
camp? About a thousand. How many do
you suppose would have died had they re-
mained home with their masters pursuing
their usual course of life? I suppose from
forty to fifty, and added that these inquiries
were of very little consideration, the war
would result in the abolition of slavery; it
was necessary that they should take part to
bring about this result even if the race was
exterminated. This is the interest which you
gentlemen feel in the welfare of the slaves,
and it is only carrying out the manifest des-
tiny doctrine of Mr. Seward that the two
races cannot exist together. |
Have not their condition been improved by
their intercourse with the white man although
they have lived here in a state of slavery ?
Were they not brought from a land where
savage barbarity prevailed? Where civiliza-
tion and Christianity bad never been able to
penetrate and raise them abcove a state of
savage nature? Have not their minds been
enlightened here by the teachings of civiliza-
tion and religion in their intercourse with in-
telligent beings? Have we not had in them
many examples of true Christian piety, al-
though an inferior and inappreciative race?
We are told by some naturalists, that the dog
in his natural state cannot bark, but whines,
and they only learn to bark from being
brought in contact with human beings. If
this is so of the dog, bow much more so can
this principle of imitation be applied to the
African race who are human beings and are
admitted to have a low order of intellect? I
insist then that they have been benefited by
having been brought among us; they have
been civilized and christianized, and afforded
all the lights of the Gospel, and their inter-
course with the white race has elevated their
minds and made them more intelligent. It
was a step under the direction of the Control-
ler of the universe which they were brought
into a state of civilization and within the
pale of religion, and He now looks down ap-
provingly upon the institution and the success
attending the change in their condition. It
has done more, sir. It is well known that
many of those who were found to be capable
of receiving mental culture have been con-
verted here and received into the churches,
and afterwards sent back to their native land
to try and civilize and give religious and
mental instructions to those living there in a
savage state, it is well known that Mary-
land has for years past appropriated large
sums of money in support of a colony there,
and offered many inducements to those who
became free here to return to their native land
and take part in this great work of civiliza-
tion, but up to this time all efforts in this
behalf have failed of success. No practical
good has resulted from it, and the last Legis-
lature of the State, composed as it was of a
large majority of the boasted friends of this
race, many of whom are now members of this
Convention, refused to make further appro-
priation for the purpose.
Mr. SCOTT. Will the gentleman allow me
to make an inquiry? I should like to know
by what process they are brought to a knowl-
edge of the Gospel when they are denied the
means of instruction.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Sir, it is
a foul slander upon slavery as an institution
to make such a charge.
Mr. SCOTT. There is scarcely a slave State
in which slavery has not forbidden the teach-
ing of persons to read in Sunday Schools. I
know in Virginia, men have been sent to the |
