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The Kentucky Gazette
Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
What is this article about?
A letter to opposers of emancipation argues against resolutions demanding upfront monetary compensation for slaveholders, as it prevents emancipation; urges support for equitable terms allowing flexible remuneration to achieve justice for all.
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YOU approve of the resolution, adopted at Bryan's, relative to slaves; because emancipation, without compensation, to the slave holders, would be injustice. If the resolution went no farther than to secure to the proprietors compensation, when their slaves are liberated, I would cheerfully acquiesce in its support-but the tenor of that resolution is not only that compensation shall be made, but that it shall be made in money ; and that, previous to such emancipation. You perceive with a moments reflection, that this amounts to an entire prohibition of emancipation; as the negro slaves will never be possessed of a sufficient quantity of specie to make the compensation,and the treasury of the commonwealth is also inadequate to the undertaking. The question before you then, is not whether you shall part with your property, or not, without compensation, but whether or not the legislature shall have the liberty to direct emancipation and remunerate the slave holders in such manner as may be convenient. Your love of justice and uprightness, teaches you to wish to avoid robbing the slave holder of his slave, and at the same time makes you averse to holding in slavery, a human being entitled to liberty. Then. in avoiding the one error, of doing injustice towards the slave holder, do not run into the opposite error, of injustice to the slave. In securing a compensation for emancipated slaves, do not say that the compensation shall be beforehand ; for that will prevent the slaves from obtaining their liberty altogether. But if you go no farther than to bind your legislatures to make compensation, emancipation may take place in time, as there are modes, by which ample and satisfactory compensation can be made without advancing the specie. Therefore in directing your choice of convention-men, who will support your own principles, if you only want to secure a compensation to slave holders, vote for good honest men, who are in favor of emancipation on equitable terms; but if you do not wish emancipation to take place at all, support the committee ticket,
An EMANCIPATOR.
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Letter to Editor Details
Author
An Emancipator.
Recipient
To The Opposers Of Emancipation.
Main Argument
the resolution requiring upfront monetary compensation for emancipated slaves effectively prohibits emancipation, as neither slaves nor the commonwealth treasury can afford it; instead, support legislatures' liberty to emancipate and provide compensation in convenient modes without advance specie to ensure justice for both slaveholders and slaves.
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