The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-12


relief and primer /eifn; and, funder age, of the
whole of his eftate during infancy And then,
as Sir Thomas Smith very feelirgly complains,
"when he came TO his own, after he wa out of
" SvGr1!N;p, his woods decayed, houles fallen
down, flock waited and gone, lands let forth
!" and plouged to be barrsn," to reduce him itill
farther, he was yet to pay half years profit as
a. fine orfuing out his iuery; and ALTO the price
and value of his marriage, if he refuled fuch
wife as his lord and guardian had bartered for,
and impoied upon him, OF twice that value, if
he married another woman. Add to this, the
untimely and expenfve honor of knigbtbood, to
make his poverty more completely fplendid.
And when by theie deductions, his fortune was
70 fhattered and ruined, that perhaps he was o.
bliged to fell his patrinlony, he had not even
that poor privilege allowed him, without paying
an exorbitant fine for Eeenc of alienation."-
This being the fituation of the nobility and gem
try of England, where the feudal fyftem was
mild, compared with its bloody ferocity, and
tern rigour, on the continent of Europe, to
what mifery and degradation muft the lower or
ders in fociety have been reduced According
ly, we fhail find that the fufferings of the nobi-
hty and gentry were light indeed, compared to
the brutal debafement to which the unhappy
peaiantry were reduced. There never has been
lmpofed by the policy or harbarity of man,
iavery 70 complicated and degrading as that
which aroie out of the feudal fyftem. The con-
dition of our negroes is infinitely hyperion to the
vilein, or bondfman of Europe. They were
the property of their lords, and either attached
to the foil ofthe barony, the perfon of the ba-
ron; they were transferable in like manner as
our flaves if they ran away, or were folen,
they were recoverable in the fame way: they
were incapable of acquiring property of giving
teftimony againlt freeman were Obliged to
ihave their heads, as a mark of fervitude and
although in England rape and murder were the
only excet1es to which the lord of the manor
could not carry his power, yet on the continent
baron might violate the perfon of his female
fave, with impunity;it was indeed one of their
privileges, (and this was ALTO the cafe in Scot
land) to have the frft nights enjoyment whence
yer their bondfwomen mariied.* But although
the baron of England, had not the power of
numbering his vaifals, it was otherwife in MANY
parts OF the continent [; and particularly in
France. In fome diitri6ts, they were ufed in
carriages, infead of cattle were compelled to
pats whole nights in preventing the frogs from
diiturbing the fleep of their lords; were obliged
to. feed and maintain his dogs and, tn certain
eanfon5, after the PORTS ftbe cbaje, the baron
bad the privilege dripping open the bellies of bis
Na1e5, to battle bis feet in their reeing bozyeIt
Such was the condition of the lower cafies in
France, previous to the Revolution. Incapable
Oh acquiring or poieiing property; deprived by
the cruel deftiny of their birth, of the beffings
of liberty the honor of their females, and the
f1es of all were equally at the difpofal of the
baron
In concluhon, it will be fufficient TO obferve,
that at one mighty fweep this old and terrible
fabric ofiervitude, miiery and death, was efFac-
ed from the civil inftitutions OF France. Her
territory is &c liberated from feudal bondage''
and her agriculture is unfettered by ecceiiaf-
teal mpofts." Every man in France isa free
cItizen; all the property is held in fee Gmple,
as with us 6annaIiteJ, frane5fet5, eOrVees, CRU
erieJ, and main mortes are abolifhed. Contri-
buttons are levied in an equitable proportion;
the administration of iuficc is no longer venal
and, notwithstanding fome of the wanton and
capricious freaks which ever follow in the train
OF abfolute power, peyjonal ./atsty and private
properly are much more fate than before. IT
Richmond, SEPTEMBER 7, 1904.