A PEACE CENTENARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16564, 30 May 1914, Page 7

A PEACE CENTENARY.

SLAVERY AND SECESSION

(By Paeanaki)

Slavery had existed in tbo States almost since their colonisation. About tho year 1611 tobacco, which was growing wild in tho colony of Virginia, began to be cultivated. Very soon the whole of that State was given over to its cultivation and capital and labour were, attracted from England. Most of tho labourers, nominally freemen. wore really slaves. They were called servants, and many of them were so poor that they sold their labour to pay their passage to Virginia. Other unfortunate individuals were stolen from their homes and sold to the planters. In 1019 the first shipment of negro slaves was brought to Virginia, by a Dutchman. There were only twenty of them, and the Virginians bought them all. Tho negro was not so efficient Ji worker as the white num. and it was

not until more than twenty years had passed that slavery macio any material difference in tho life of tho colony. Gradually the practice got a firm foothold south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, and it had become so strong in 1787 that the Southern' colonies. ' now States, threatened they would "not bo parties to the Union' 1 if any attempt was made to limit slavery. " In May, 1787. the- Inderal Convention met at Philadelphia, and it was here that John Madison, of Virginia, drew up the plan which was adopted as tho basis of the new Constitution. There was much wrangling on the question of representation, and it was finallv agreed that each State, irrespective of size or population, should send two members to the Senate. Tho question of representation in thoHouso of Representatives was not go easily settled. Franklin proposed that members of tho House of Representatives should be apportioned to population. Hub tho difficulty then arose, should tho slaves who had'no voto count, as part of the population? At length a compromise was arrived at that slaves should bo counted at three-fifths of their real number. This agreement pave the Southern Stater, a representation in Congress out of all proportion to their voting numbers. It was agreed, also, at the same Convontion that Congress could not prohibit tho slavo trado until 3808. Washington, Jefferson and others had been opposed to slavery, and though they could not prohibit it in Virginia,

they were enabled by an Ordinanco of 1787 to prevent it spreading to tho tjorth-west. Whitney's invention of tho cotton gin in 1793, however, gave a, great impetus to slavery, making slavo labour vastly more profitable, and destroying all hopes for a peaceful settlement in tho south. In IS2O, Maine and Missouri petitioned Congress to admit them as States. The Northerners objected strongly to admitting Missouri becausn the settlers of tho proposed State were slave-hold-ers. Originally tho thirteen States) comprising the' Union had sanctioned slavery but by 1819 all tho States north of Maryland "had abolished tho traffic. Theso free States were growing much faster than the slavo States and thenmajority in the Houso of Representatives promised to keep on increasing. The Southerners feared this and would not consent to tho admission of Maine as a free Stato unless Missouri was also admitted as a slave State. Finally it was agreed that both Maine and Missouri would bo admitted —ono as i free State, tbo other as a slave State. It was further agreed ■ that all the territory north of the southern boundary of the Missouri would be free forever. This agreement was known as the Missouri Compromiso and it had the effect of putting off for twenty-five years the inevitable struggle over slavery.

A movement in favour of tho abolition of slavery began about 1830. the leader being William Lloyd Garrison., a fearless outspoken man. In IS3I he established "the "Liberator," whoso motto was: "Our country is tho world —our countrymen all mankind." _ An address to the public in the first issue of tho new journal contained the following: "I am in earnest—l will not equivocate—l will not excuse—l will not retreat a single inch—and I will be heard." For somo time Garrison laboured alone. Ho called for the immediate abolition of tho slave-traffic without compensation to the owners. With the aid of others, in 1833 he formed the Anti-Slavery Society/ The mission of the Abolitionists was to forco the peoplo to think on the question. They were bitterly opposed but in spite of riots, persecution and imprisonment they succeeded in arousing public opinion in the North against tho trade. Two years before a slave rebellion had broken out in Virginia and though it was easily put down • the Southerners became alarmed and called

upon tho Government- to forbid the sending of tho "Liberator" and other incendiary publications through tho mails.

Although tho status of slaves in the tt-ritories had been settled ui and that of slavery in the States had been settled by the Constitution, the Abolitionists persisted in petitioning Congress to pass various measures for tho amelioration of negroes. _ John Quincy Adams, formerly president of tho United States, was foremost in handing in these petitions, which Southern representatives looked upon as insulting to slave-owners. Theso happenings, however, produced a change of feeling in the North. Tho truth was that slavery was out of harmony with tho economic conditions that were working'in the North and West, and 'were passing tho South entirely by. Growth, of population and wealth in tho_ North gave the Northern States a majority ir. Congress, and it was evident, that North and South were drifting farther and farther apart as regards the question of slavery. tip to 1830 Texas had been part of the Republic of Mexico, but in that year she seceded and formed a separate republic. The majority of the settlors in Texas were immigrants from tho United States and they asked that the Republic of Texas should Ivo admitted to tho Union as one of the ! United States. Tho Southern politicians welcomed this proposal for many reasons, the chief being that it would widen the area of slavery, for although slavery was forbidden in Texas by Mexican law, tho territory was admirably suited for the cultivation of cotton. Its territory, too, could he divided into several States, and this would increase, the Southern party in the Senate. The Northerners were either indifferent or hostile to the inclusion of Texas. The matter became the most important issue of the Presidential election of 3.844, and with tho election of James K. Polk to tho Presidency, Texas was admitted to tho Union. Tho Mexicans had never acknowledged the independence of Texas, and they protested against its admission to the United States. Disputes arose over tho southern boundary of the new State, and United States troops were ordered to occupy tho disputed territory. War was declared against Mexico in 1846. One division of the American army, under Zachary Taylor, crossed tho Rio Grande, and in February, 1847, decisively defeated a Mexican army at Buena Vista, Tho other division, under General Scott, landed at Vera Cruz, defeated tho Mexicans in three pitched battles and entered tho City of Mexico on September 14, 1847. A treaty of peace was signed with Mexico in' 1848, by which that country abandoned her claims to Texas, and ceded California, New Mexico, Ne-

vada, Utah and Colorado to the United States. Tho United States,o« her part, paid Mexico fifteen million dollars as compensation, and she assumed also some throo million dollars of debts due by Mexico to American citizens. Of tho new territories added to the United States by tho Mexican war, California, was developing the fastest, and in 1849 there were eighty thousand white peoplo in the territory. Lawlessness was rampant, and in November, 1849, a convention drew up a, constitution and demanded admission into tho Union as a free State. This incensed the Southerners, who expected California to declare in favour of slavery. Tho country was much divided on the question of slavery, many Abolitionists desiring a free republic in the North, while many loyal Northerners wanted slavery confined to the States where it existed. The Southerners on their part wished to have slavery in the territories. Indeed, it seemed ns if tho Union was on tho verge of dissolution. A compromiso was arrived at in 1850, by which the Southerners werq to agree to the admission of California as a freo State. The Northerners on tho other hand were to allow slavery in the District of Columbia. Tho territories of New Mexico and Utah were to be organised without any provision for or against slavery, and a severe Fugitive Slave Act was proposed. Anti-slavery feeling in tho North was -stimulated by the severity of this Act, and it led to redoubled efforts on the part of Abolitionists to help slaves to escape to Canada. A regular system, called the " Underground Railway,'' was devised to assist negroes to escnpe. " Uncle Tom's Cabin " was published at this

I time, revealing both the pleasant and ', the unpleasant, sides of slavery, and while the Southerners liked its pictures of the bright side of slavery, the Northerners were incensed by the sufferings of Uncle Tom. In 1854 Senator Douglas introduced n_ Bill to bring the two territories of Kansas and Nebraska into the Union as i'reo or slave States, as the settlers. of the proposed States desired. This was in conflict with the Missouri Compromise, of 1820, which declared all territory north of the Southern boundary cf the Missouri to bo free for ever. The Abolitionists in the North attacked the Bill fiercely, but in spito of their efforts it passed Congress and was signed by President Pierce. Directly the Act 'was passed, armed men from Missouri crossed into Kansas' and formed tho town of Atchison. To counteract this movement armed settlers from the north and east formed tho towns of Lawrence and Topeka. In the elections which followed hundreds of men came across from Missouri and outvoted the freemen of Kansas and then wens back to their homes. The Legislature thus elected adopted tho slave laws of Missouri, and it seemed as if Kansas would become a slave State. Tho free Stato mon now petitioned tho House of Representatives to admit Kansas ns a free State, and the House voted es it bad been petitioned. The Senate, however, would not agree to anything of the kind. Matters now came to a head in Kansas, and civil war broke out. The Supreme Court of tho United States in 1857 gave a decision in the case of Dred Scott, a negro, which put all end to the hopes of a peaceful settlement of the slave case. _ They declared the Missouri Compromise unlawful, and stated that a slave-owner had the right to carry his slaves into I tho territories. J

In 1850, John Brown, an immigrant, from New York who had settled in Kansas, conceived a. boid plan of liberating slaves. He proposed to seize a strong place in the mountains of the South, and protect fugitive slaves, With a small body of men ho seized Harper's Ferry, and occupied the United States arsenal at that place. Brown, however, and bis nineteen men were soon captured. He was sentenced io death as a traitor and a murderer, and was executed by the Virginian authorities. The leaders in tho North characterised this execution as the "gravest of crimes." while the Southern leaders felt that the time had como to secede from tho Union and establish a Confederacy.

With Lincoln's election to the Presidency in IS6'O, South Carolina called a convention to consider tho question of seceding from the Union. On December 17, 1S(';0, it adopted a declaration "that tho Union now subsisting behveen South Carolina and other States under the name of the United States of America is hereby dissolved." South Carolina was joined by six other States, and steps were taken to join these soven States into a Confederation. Delegates met at Montgomery, Alabama', and a constitution was drawn up that of the United States, but great . care was taken that slavery should be protected Hi every way. (To be continued.)

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