uld be "utterly opposed" to any
system of emancipation without it. He firmly believed that the nearly
two hundred thousand blacks along with their descendants "could never
live in peace and harmony and equality with the residue of the
population" if they were free. He thought the expense of colonizing
should be borne by a fund from the labor of the liberated Negro
because he was the individual who secured the most benefit thereby.
The non-slaveholder should not be taxed for any share in the expense
and the slaveholder would have enough sacrifices to make without any
additional financial burdens. Clay figured that the average annual
hire of each slave would be about fifty dollars, or one hundred and
fifty dollars for the whole period of three years. One third of this
sum would be required for the transportation of the Negro to Africa
and the other two thirds would go towards a fund to establish him in
his new country.[433]

The persistence of Clay in his avowed convictions on the subject of
slavery and emancipation in Kentucky was kept up in spite of the fact
that within a few days after the publication of his plan of
emancipation throughout Kentucky the House of Representatives at
Frankfort by the unanimous vote of 93 to 0 declared that "we the
representatives of the people of Kentucky, are opposed to abolition or
emancipation of slavery in any shape or form whatever, except as now
provided by the laws and constitution of the state."[434] This was
their answer to the plea set forth by Clay and strange to say the same
group of men voted unanimously at the same session to return Clay for
six years more to the United States Senate.

A convention of the so-called "Friends of Constitutional Reform" had
been held at the State capital on February 5, 1849, and had drawn up a
series of twelve resolutions on the several questions which were to be
debated in the constitutional convention. They made mention
incidentally of the desired reforms in connection with slavery stating
"that we do not desire or contemplate any change in the relative
condition of master and slave in the new Constitution, and intend a
firm and decided resistance to any such change. We have no objection
to a proper provision for colonizing the present free blacks, and
those who shall hereafter be set free, but protest against abolition
or emancipation without the consent of the owner, unless upon full
compensation and colonization."[435]

This element domi