Texas National Register. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1, Saturday, November 15, 1845 Page: 5 of 8
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November 15
TEXAS NATljON AL REGISTER.
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mercenary monopolists and s faciionisls
contending for office to be equal to the
occasion and fulfil the -expectations of
kit country.
GEO.McDUFFIE.
; SLAVERY DEFENDED.
The ediior of the Frankfort Common-
wealth (Thomas B'. Stevenson Esq.) in
writing from Cincinnati rebukes the ef-
forts of the Abolitionists there and con-
cludes with the following sensible re-
marks on the subject of domestic slavery :
The question whether slave holding be
a sin I think can be presented in an es-
say which may be read in half an hour.
Sin is the transgression of the law. If
there be no law there can be no sin.
Soch are ihebible definitions and decla-
rations. Slavery was established among
the Jews by Divine statute. The laws
of slavery as enacted by the supreme
Legislator Ruler and Judge of the world
of modified as well as absolute slavery
are l?id down as follows in the words of
the holy writ .Leviticus ch. 25: verses
9 54."
39. And if thy brot her that dwdleth by
thee be waxen poor and be sold unto
thee: thou shall not ccmpel him to serve
as a bond-servant :
40. But as a hired servant and as a
Sojourner he shall be with thee and shall
aerve thee unto the year of jubilee :
41. And then shall he depart from thee
hoth he and his children with him and
hall return unto his own family and un-
to the possession of bis fathers shall he
return.
42. For they arc my servants which
I brought forth out of the land of Egypt ;
they shall not be sold as bond-men.
43. Thou shall not rule over him with
rigour but sbalt fear thy God.
44. Both thy bond-men and thy bond-
maids which thou shalt have shall be of
the heathen that are round about you ; ot
them shall ye buy bond-men and bond-
maids t -
45. Moreover of the ckiidren of the
strangers that do soiourn among you of
them shall ye buy and ot their families
that are with you which they beget in
your land : and they shall be your pos-
session. 46. And ye shall take them as an in-
heritance for your children after you to
inherit them for a possession they shall
be your bond-men for ever; but over
your brethren the children of Israel ye
shall net rule one over another wilh rigor.
47. And if a sojourner or a stranger
wax rich by thee and thy brother that
dtccUcth by him wax poor and sell him-
self unto the stranger's family :
48. After that be is sold he may be
redeemed again ; one of his brethren may
redeem him :
49. Either his uncle or his uncle's
son may redeem him or any that is nigh
of kin unto him of his family may redeem
him ; or if he be able he may redeem
himself.
60. And he shall reckon with him
that bought him ftom the year that he
was sold to him unto the year of jubilee :
and the price of his sale shall be accord-
ing unto the the number of years accord-
ing to the time of a hired servant shall it
Be with him?
51. If there bt yet many years behind
according unto them he shall give again
the price of his redemption out of the
money that he was bought for.
52. And if there remain but few years
unto the year of jubilee then he shall
count with him and according unto bis
years shall be give him again the price of
(us redemption.
53.. And as a yearly hired servant
shall he be with him : and the other shall
not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.
64. And if he he not redeemed in
these years then he shall go .out in the
year of jubilee both he and his children
wilh him.
Now here is slavery both contingent
and absolute instituted by God himself.
Herewe find slavery 'authorized by God
as absolute and unmltigable as in the con-
futation of any slaveholding State in this
Union. The Jews ate permitted to make
slaves of the heathen roundabout; and
such slaves were to be an inheritance and
possession to them and their children
fcrcver. What could' be stronger?
Slavery is not so unrelaxingly established
by the constitution of Kentucky. Therei
is provision 'there for emancipation.
Well the Jews established slavery un-
der this divine permission : and it con-
tinued down to the time of the advent
of Jesus on earth whose mission was
to reprove the world of sin of righteous-
ness and of judgment. But he neither
reproved the Jews nor any other people
of the sin of slavery nor repealed the
law establishing it; but virtually re-enacted
it by requiring the slaves to be
obedient to their masters and the mast-
ers to be kind to their slaves as he did
both by his own personal teachings and
the inspired lessons of the Aposiles. Tht
passages in the New Testament recogni-
zing slaver' and enforcing the moral
and civil relations between the bond and
free the master and slave are numerous.
Nor can the abolitionist evade the force
of this by alleging the peculiarity of the
Jewish people and the peculiar privileges
allowed them of heaven for peculiar pur-
poses of Providence. The injuctions of
(he Apostles are general being divine
laws to all the world in all lime to Jews
Christians Turks to all. Some of them
indeed are especially addressed to chris-
tians under heathen governments whose
civil institutions slavery among the rest
they were required to support. The
epistle of Paul to Philemon was written
exclusively in regard to the relations be-
tween a master and his slave. Paul
found Onesimus in Rome a slave whom
he knew to be the property of Philemon
ari.emineul Christian of Colosse where
slavery was established by .civil law.
Did Paul like some of our modern Abo-
litionists in this city grown wiser and
belter than the bible counsel Onesimus
to remain in Rome or fly to Spain or
Canada or elsewhere beyond the reaeh
of his master ? Did be hide him from
the search of his master ? No such thing.
Paul understood the principles of Chris-
tianity and respected their obligations
too well to be guilty of such treacherous
behavior. Instead of secreting the fugi-
tive he sent him home to his master.
And if the Abolitionists here would imi-
tate this conduct they would proselyte
slave-holders ultimately to some practi-
cable scheme of emancipation instead of
exasperating them at their slave stealing
and abetting of slave stealing. But your
St. Baily's and St. Blanchnrd's are be-
come wiser and holier than St. Paul.
I am told here by intelligent men
that we pay too much attention to aboli
tionism in Kentucky for we thus serve
to give it more importance. Perhaps
this may be true. But sure-1 am that
too much encouragement is given to the
treasonable hersey here by men who de-
spise it. iney- persist in discussing
slavery although they are not responsi-
ble for its alleged evils and have no pow-
er to touch the question. I we tell them
they do not know how to treat the sub-
ject for want of practical acquaintance
even if they had any responsibility or
power over it they immediately become
excited .and indignant and falsely charge
us with denying to them the right of free
opinion ana dissuasion utterly aisre-
garatng me Distinction ueiween ine mere
existence of an abslact right and the ex-
pediency under any circumstances of
time and place of exercising it. So long
as this hostile spirit exists on this side
of the line an arrogant and impertinent
spirit I adhere to the conviction that
people of clave States even if disposed
will not and should not move a step to-
wards ultimate emancipation.
If there be sin in connexion with slave
ry it is not in the institution but in the
abuse of the relation between master and
slave. This is the .clear Bible doctrine.
If a master behave unkindly to his slave
in any sensehe is guilty of sin ; and if
the slave be disobedient or otherwise un
just to his master;' he also sins therein.'
Masters are required by the laws vol.
Christianity to treat their slaves with
kindness and humanity and so they are
by trie laws ofKentuckyi He who; dis-
regards this requisition incurs under the
divine law the guilt of sin and under
the civil the jenalty annexed. This
is the substance of all that can be said
on Bible authority on the subject.
fl
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CULTIVATION
OF
igoTTdN Iti
THE EAST INDIES.
The Manchester (English)' Guardian
reports the success which 'has attended
the attempt in Bengal 'Jo raise Cotton
ft says upon the rich and strong lands
and some other parts of the peninsula
the experiments bad been unsuccessful
owing partly to the plant running too
much to leaf and partly to the attacks of
insects; whilst on some drier soils;-the
plant had been nearly destroyed by' the
excessive droughts of the two first years
which at the same time very injuriously
affected the grain and other crops. It
appears however that in the neighbor-
hood of Coimbators in Southern India
better success has attended the experi-
ment; very good Cotton having been
grown though hitherto at a cost which
would render the cultivation un remune-
rative. It is thought however that
when grown by the natives who can car-
ry on the cultivation of their lands on
much more moderate terms than Europe-
ans it may be afforded at rates which
will bring it into consumption in this
country. It further continues :
""the part of India however which
pa pears best calculated for the growth
of the American varieties of the cotton
plant and where the cultivation has been
most extensively and successfully prose-
cuted is the cotton district lying in Cen-.
tral India to the East ward of Bombay
where the climate is favorable to the
plant being neither too dry nor too moist
and where experiments on a large scale
are still proceeding at the expense of the
East India .Company. These experi-
ments are under the direction of Mr.
Mercer one of the American planters sent
out a few year ago who last year had
three thousand acres under cultivation-
and expected to have this year about
twenty thousand acres planted with New
Orleans Cotton." ' " l
L - "-VW-'iV V":r'":5
i '.''- t'vrit- -
he engstedttn Americans wl
employed m superintending cotton estate
in inai section oi ine union lor several
mm . " r
They were 'well
Cultivation of American' cotton in India
Final overthrow of another Humbug.
Our readers will recollect that some two
or three years ago we had occasion to
combat the notion which sundry papers
were endeavoring to establish that
American Cotton could be successfully
cultivated in India and so much more
cheaply thanin the United States that
it would soon compel the Southern cot-
ton planters to turn their hands to some
other product. For want of the requi-
site facts we were at that time unable to
demolish the humbug so effectually astoj
force its advocates to surrender although
we believe we produced conviction in
unprejudiced minds. . Since that date
the experiments in progress in India un-
der the direction of experienced Ameri-
can colton-growert have been brought
to a concision and have resulted in an
utter failure. The particulars are slated
in the annexed extract of a letter from the
New-York .correspondent of the Wash-
ington Jnion-i-the same who has corres-
ponded for us extensively under the sig-
natures of Manhattan Benezette Put-
nam La Salle &c.
Nsw York Sept. 22 1845
The Zenobia which arrived at this
port on Saturday morning last from Cal-
cutta East Indies brought home one of
the American cotton planters who some
five years s'inca entered the service of
the Hon. r.ast India company as a
superintendent of cotton farms in their
extensive experiment made to grow
American cotton in that region and to
improve the cultivation of native cotton..
I have had much conversation with Mr.
T. who went from Mississippi; and
after having served the Government for
live years the term of his engagement
has returned as staled in the Zenobia.
He has communicated to me much valua-
ble and interesting information in relation
to India.
He estimates the experiment-has cost
the Government about $500000 and
that it has resulted in the most complete
and signal failure.
In 1340 an agent of the Government
came to the United States and repaired
to Louisiana and Mississippi where the
crowing of cotton has been carried to 'the
greatest state of perfection and where J
years iney were mjty recom
by the most respectable planters. They
icu wuu ine agent iormaiayia .tingiana
and took with them large qualities of
the best American cotton seed agricul-
tural implements cotton gins press-
es &c.
The plabters were engaged at an aver-
age salary of about 300. each with an al-
lowance for subsistence of 100. more.
Each entered into a contract to remain in
the service of the company five years and
to conduct the experiments in such parts
of India as the Government should point
out. Of the ten persons thus engaged
three after the first year returned home
being paid their salaries up to the time of
leaving but were left to bear their own ex-
penses home ; 'while according to agree-
ment those who remained five years were
to have all their expenses borne from
America to India and from thence at the
expiration of the service back to the Uni-
ted States. Seven of the party remained
to the end of their engagement one of
whom is Mr. T. who has just arrived in
the Zenobia.
He says on reaching India their party-
were distributed to different parts of the
Indian empire in order-that the experiment
intent be tested in reference to the different
soils and varieties of climate in the vast
empire.
One (Mr. T.) was placed at Calpee in
the district of Bundelcund. Another was
stationed at Goruckpore under the Napa!
hills; another at Dooab; another was loca-
ted in Soomapoore; another atHumepoore
in the province of Banda; another at
Raatch in Bundelpore; another in Coim
batore and at Surat on the western side of
the peninsula.
After experimenting a year or two at
each place without prospect ef success
they were changed to. other localities so
as to give every district in India as far asv
possible a trial. Mr. T. was changed
from Bundelcund to Rungpore Northern.
India ; near the base and in full view of
the Himmalah mountains which were
covered with perpetual snow. Others
were changed to Da h war in the southern
Mahratta country.
The American planter placed at Raatch
during a rebellion which commenced with
the Decoyls (robbers had his premjse
attacked his houses sacked and burnt
barely escaping .with his life and the
clothes he wore. ' l
In every part of India where the Amer-
icans tried the cultivation of cotton and
endeavored to instruct the natives in' the
best mode of culture they most signally
failed ! Those who remained used ever jr
possible exertion to succeed as they were
liberally paid having every facility grant-
ed that they could ask with the expecta-
tion of beinj handsomely rewarded if they
succeeded.
Mr. T. thinks the two great and insu-
perable difficulties in the way of Cultiva-
ting cotton in India are attributable to the
two great extremes of dry and wet wea-
ther either of which is peculiarly fatal te
cotton. During the continuance of the
rainy season the cotton plants begin to
grow with unwonted luxuriance and rapU
dity to be as suddenly checked and cut
off by the intense heat of the sun which
pours upon them during the succeeding
dry' season. When the dry weather sets
in the sun ripens the bowls prematurely
when apparently notmore than half grown
while the leaves of the plant are crisped
and burnt to a brown coler by the inten
sity of the solar heat.
In lower Bengal the rainy season com-
mences late in May and continues till Oc-
tober: In Central India' the rainy season
begins about the middle of July and lasts
till from the 1st to the 15th of September.
In lower Bengal as much as 76 inches
of rain usually falls in twelve months. In
Cantral India nocrops can be anticipated
with much less than 13 inches of rain.
Eleven inches never fails to result in a
famine which is dreadful in its effects"
upon the natives. "
In addition to the unconquerable diffi-
culties of the climate the cotton plant is
exposed to the fatal attack! of destructive
insects. There is one which lays an eg?
in the flower of the plant. Before the boll
matures the worm forms within it which
feeds upon the green and tender fibres of
the cotton eating out all the cotton-within
the bell before it matures ; leaving only a
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Texas National Register. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1, Saturday, November 15, 1845, newspaper, November 15, 1845; Washington, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80139/m1/5/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.