Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-19
CONGRESS-.
...............
ortsd for the National Inteiiigencer.
DEBATE IN ittiE SEN ATE,
ON THE MISSOURI QUESTION.
THURSDAY, J4NUdRY 10
TMR MfcoN, IN CONTINUATION ]

ON THE MISSOURI QUESTION.
THURSDAY. J4NUARY no.
TMR MtcoN, IN CONTINUATION
The owner ran make more free in con-
| versaiion with ms slave, and he more
| easy IN his company, than The sch man,
where there Is no slave, with the white
, hlreling vito drives his carriage. He has
no expectation that The slave will, for
that tree and easy conversation, expect
To call him fellow citizen, or act impro-
| perry.
Massachusetts, PENNSYLVANIA and Vir
GINA, have been often mentioned in Tie
| debaie--and il has frequently been said,
that the two first had emancipa,ed their
slaves from which an inference seemed
| TO be drawn, that the other might have
done so A: emancipation, 10 these gentle
men, seems TO be quite an easy task IL
is so where there are but very few and
would be- more easy, il The color did not
every where place the blacks in degrad
ed state. Where they enjoy The most
freedom, they are there degraded. The
respectable whites do not permit them To
associate with them, or To be of their
company when they have parties. But
II II be SO easy a task, how happens ii
that IN Virginia, which before the revolu-
ton endeavored 10 put an end to lie
African slave trade, has not attempted TO
emancIpaie? II will not be pretended,
that The great men of other states were
superior, or greater lovers ofliberiy, than
her Randolph, the first President of the
first Congress, her Washington, her Henry,
her Jefferson or her Nelson. None of
these ever made The attempi-anh their
names ought TO convince ever one, that
II Is not AN easy task in that state. And
Is IL not wonderful, that, If the declare
ton of independence gave authority 10
emancipate, that the patriots who made
1t, never proposed any plan TO carry il
INTO execution? This motion, whatever
may be pretended by IFS friends, must
lead 10 II. And is il not equally wonder
iui that VI the constitution gives the au
thority, this Is the first attempt ever made
under either, by the federal government,
10 exercise II? For If, under either, the
power Is given, Is il not still more won
deriul that II rs not given in direct terms Z?
The gentlemen would not be put TO the
trouble OF searching the confederation,
the constitution aud The laws, for sen
| tence or word TO form few doubts. If
the words of the declaration of imdepen-
| dence, be taken as part of the cousiiiu
ton, and that they are no part Of il is as
trse as that they are no part of any other
Dook-what VIII be the condition of the
southern country when tins shall be car
| RED into execution Take the most iavo
rable which can be supposed, that 10
CONFUSION epsue, that nothing like
massacre or war Of determination take
place as in ST Domingo but that The
whites and blacks do not marry and pro-
tuce mulatto states. Will not the whites
he compelled 10 move and leave their
land and houses, and leave the county
TO the blacks? and are you willing TO have
black members at Congress But if the
scenes OF Sf.Domingo should be re acted,
would not the tomaliawk and scalping
knife be mercy
But before the question be taken on The
motion, | should be very much obliged 10
any one OF tile gentlemen from the non
slave holding states, who would frankly
state the condition of the blacks in the
state he represents, especially their con
dltIon IN the large cities whether the
whites and the blacks intermarry. II they
do, whether the whites are moi degraded
by it-whether the blacks are III the
learned professions of law and pbysic,
and whether they are not degraded. Ii
they be degraded. where Ihere are so few,
what will be the consequence when they
whites Every one will decide This for
himself. II may be stated, without fear
OF contradiction, that there is no place
Tor The free blacks IN the United States
no place where they are not degraded. II
there was such place, The society for
cOlOnlzIDg them would not have been
formed their benevolent design never
known. A country wanting inhabitants,
and society formed to cOlonize part
OF them, prove there is no place for them
Some OF the arguments used IN The pre-
sent debate convey 20 my mind The i'm
preston, that II was thought Tie owning
OF slaves eDervaieh and enleeblpd Tie
owners. Let The history Of the revolution
and of The Iaie war be examined, AMI no.
thing like il will be found. Facts enough
might be stated to prove il was not So
two only will be mentioned. The battle
o! Kings Mouriain and that of New
Orleans But on this subject, will, With
permission OF the Senate, read part of
The speech OF that celebrated master OF
the human character, MIR. Burke) on his
motion Tor reconciliation with the colo
mes, delivered in l775-his language is
this " Sir, can perceive by their man
ner, that some gentlemen object To The
latitude OF this description because 10
tie southern colonies the Church of Eng
land forms large body, aud has a regu-
lar establishment. II Is certainly irue.-
There IL, however, a circumstance attend.
ing these colonies, which, IN my opinion,
fully counierbalaDces this difference aud
makes tie spirit OF liberty still more high
and naughty than III those TO tie norm.
ward. II is that in Virginia and the Ca
rOllnss, they have a vast multitude Ui
slaves. Where this is the case, ~ any
phrl nl the world those who are free are