Keowee Courier

EMANCIPATION IN KENTUCKY.

The Kentucky papers inform us that

the late Convention of the Friends of

Emancipation in that State, which as-

sembled at Frankfort on the 25th ultimo,

was presided over by Col. Henry Clay,

of Bourbon county, assisted by Henry

Wingate as Vice President, and Frank

Ballinger as Secretary.

The Lexington Observer gives the fol-

lowing as the plan of action resolved on

by the Convention.

"This Convention, composed of citi-

zens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky,

and representing the opinions and wishes

of a large number of their fellow citizens

throughout the Commonwealth, met in

the capitol on the 25th April, 1849, to

consider what course it becomes those

who are opposed to the increase and to the

perpetuity of slavery in this State to pur-

sue, in the approaching canvass for mem-

bers of the Convention called to amend

the constitution, adopts the propositions

which follow, as expressing its judgment

in the premises:

"1. Believing that involuntary hered-

itary slavery, as it exists by law in this

State, is adverse to the prosperity of the

Commonwealth, inconsistent with the

fundamental principles of free govern-

ment, contrary to the natural rights of

mankind, and injurious to a pure state of

morals, we are of opinion that it ought not

to be increased, and that it ought not to

be perpetuated in this Commonwealth.

"2. That no attempt ought to be made

now, or at any time, to set slaves free by

compulsory emancipation, without just

compensation, after rights of property

have been allowed to vest in them; but

that every scheme for the compulsory ex-

tinction of slavery in Kentucky ought to

begin with those born after the com-

mencement of the scheme, and that the

removal of the liberated slaves ought to

form a part of every such plan.

"3. That we recommend the following

points as those to be insisted on in the

new constitution, and that candidates be

run in every county in the State favora-

ble to these or similar constitutional pro-

visions: 1. The absolute prohibition of

the importation of any more slaves into

Kentucky; 2. The complete power in

the people of Kentucky to enforce and

perfect, in or under the new constitution,

a system of gradual prospective emanci-

pation of slaves.

"4. This Convention confines its re-

commendation to the question of negro

slavery, and makes no expression of opin-

ion on any other topic."

The Convention (the Observer remarks)

was not very numerously attended, but

twenty-three out of the one hundred and

three counties in the State being repre-

sented and by about one hundred and

fifty delegates. There was, nevertheless,

much respectability and talent in the Con-

vention, and three-fourths of the body

are reported to have been slave-holders.

The principal speakers in the Convention

were Judge Nicholas, Rev. Dr. William

L. Breckinridge, Hon. Wm. P. Thom-

son, Rev. Dr. R. J. Breckinridge, Samuel

Shy, Esq., Rev. John C. Young, C. M.

Clay, Esq., and Rev. S. Robinson.

The Editor of the Observer protests

against the platform adopted by the

Convention as indicating that the eman-

cipation question is to be made a promin-

ent issue in the election of Delegates to

the Convention to revise the Constitution,

and, professing to know something of the

public feeling on the subject of slavery,

asserts that "no body of men, however

lofty their names or dear to the hearts of

the people they may be, will be able to

change the settled convictions of the

people in regard to it."