Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1805-01-25

be vigorously executed, great and eft
!! feetual barrier will be at once establish
ed against the further introduction of
| slaves into the commonwealth. -Aecor-
ding to the contemplated system, no.
slave can pass the limits Of Virginia who
is not resident Of it, on the first Of Iu.
ly next, unless indeed he should come
from the county Of Alexandria in the ter
ritory Of Columbia, or unless he should
accompany his master in the capacity Of
waiting servant, and even in that cha.
racter he is not to remain awhole twelve
month upon our soil. s.~-
No man who recollects the real and
relative situation Of our Commonwealth,
can disapprove Of the provisions and the
policy of the contemplated law. Within
the limi's Of Virginia there already exist
too many Of that melancholy race OF men,
whose fate we may deplore, but cannot
redress. The number is alreaAiy too
great whether We consider the repose
Of the .tats, or the industry OF its citi-
zens; and lift cannot diminish, it ought
net at leas, to augment the evil. or to
view with indifference the prospect of an
increasing multitude. At the present
time, however, the poliey<of "a sister
state has multiplied the chances OF an exc
tended population, and our own rational
approximations. s. Carolina, by open.
ing her ports to all the negroes which are
imported from Africa and the West-In- !
dies, threatens to pour new tide of
population upon the surrounding states
and who can say whether the market of |
her own state, of Georgia, ". Carolina |
and the western states being once sup
piled, that We ourselves may not see
them pouring in upon Us the miserable !
victims OF their inhumaR traffic. Area
Sdy has their Internal industry displayed !
an unparalleled zeal, and collected VIC !!
Tins from every market Of slaves, Ex-
anime the Charleston papers, and Won !
will find their rolumns continually black, !
ened and d,sgracsd by advertisements of
auctions OF miserable Negroes ..
The " Times" Of Decr rber alst,
which is nov before me exhibits on its !
very FIRST column not less than four ad- |
refreshments OF slaves to be sold; some
are Gold-Coast slaves, some Windwsrd
slaves, others Congo Negroes, and the
iaHssh soTpS . shs. srash farce b. dis
mendatory tide. Whilst such abundant
Cargoes are hsw ked about the streets of
Charlie stem ard advertised in its .puilic
prints, is tsrre no danger, that the de-
preeiatrd Value of this property should
occasion their 5~nerS to 60 in search of
some more distantjand favourabis mar.
ket, a,ih tha. Virginia as wellas The sur
rounding states -hould partake Of the
dishoaourable traffic Yet thsseImpor-
tations are daily increasing and it il
yet uncertain whether the present legis-
latvre of South Carolina will have the
enlightened policy Of arreSting the traf-
hc. On the 9Th Of last month i motion
was made to prohibit it, and was lost by
a majority Of one only Is being for it
and II against it; and two members
were absent. II is true, resolution
was agreed to in the house Of repreSen-
tatives BY a eensiderabln majority on
subsequent day, the 14th December,
but il l. said ia a private letter from Co
lumbia that the session is too far advan-
ced for the Senate toresume its delibe-
rations on that subject.
- Thus will the merchants Of South Ca
rolina have another twelve month at least
to swell their imports and their Golfers
and who can say how many slaves IN that
time viii not cross tn. boundary Of Virs
tiaixa Il il not then q wise policy for
our Legislature at once to arrest their in-.
roads, and stop every legal avenue thro'
which the way sPecuiasor may attempt to
introduce tlrsm 10 annuuciate the law
that no expedient zShateusr shall sancti-
fly the visitation that no plea of med;-
lated removal should serve the inhabi-
tant of another state. and no plea OF de-
scent, marriage or deuiss, should screen
a Virginian from the penalties ofthe law,