Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-05

", 10 erect suitable buildings, Out OF me
funds of the institution. There is a Just
pride of public feeling in the desire. 10
shew by The cdifices of a county, thai
there exists no deficiency OF taste. or IN
formation in architecture, which has at
all times been matter of such high inte.
rest in refined nations. The uninierrupi-
ed admiration OF mankind. continued
more than Two thousand years, for parti
cular models. demonstrates "A peculiar
fitness for public purposes, as well "a
superior beauty /; Tor no iorm which does
not answer The end intended in high
degree, could pOs>ibl, be long admired
The great simplicity Of the pure ancient
models renders the imitation of them less
costly than the execution OF tde designs
ofunireined fancy.
The census taken this year by order cf the
government, of the United States, pursuant to
the constitution, Is not yet coDvtrted. aud the
result as It respects the population OF Virginia
cannot now he made k0own. The geDetal
anxiety to ascertain the actual relation OF mum.
bers between the free citizens OF the state, aud
that distinct aud inferior race so unfortunately
iutermngled with them anus, necessarily remain
somewhat Longer untrrminatCd. The dpploia
ble error OF our ancestors la "Opy,n. civil iusti.
tuition from savage Africa. has fixed upon their
p0St9rity a depressing hurteu. which nothing
but the extraordinary benefits conferred, aud
the great energy infused by our happy climate
great difficulties, aud at the same time TO main
tain for SO long period our lofty station i'm the
Union. The want of moral motives aud defect
of intelligence, the too common absence OF
settled character, that marks the race degrad-
ed by slavery. it not by nature which supplies
so large majority of the iabouiers Of one
state, have deprived us. in a melancholy de-
gree, OF the immense advantages for enii=ht
ened agriculture manufactures and commerce
in vain offered by our fertile soil our long
aud deep iivers, the abundance of minerals
aud the extraordinary frequency of fortunate
localities. We have been onistripped in those
important pursuits of civilized man by states,
Ia which, nature has becu tar less bouutiiul-
The unnecessary quantity of iabomr thought
lessly wasted among tvs in unprOductiye, me-
Dial Offices. turlns heavy deduction frum the
sum OF our productive means which The con.
iemptiblc inE Efficiency OF the lahourers them.
selves could alone induce us io make The
steady eHeitiOn of ingenious skill the dcx
irons management of complicated machinery,
can never be relied on from such agents, and
the deficiency OF those of superior character,
whose places are unfortunately thus pre-ocCu
Pied, must keep us long dependant Oh otbeis
Tor tile comforts which refined life requires.
10 these disadvantages, by winch the value OF
the general industry is 80 much diminished,
may tie ADDED an enormous amount of waste
annnaily committed, through ignorance, apa.
Thy aud want OF responsibility, supported Eot
by fear. but by reason aud seit interest, which
no mech anical habits given by educaIion, cav
ever sufficiently replace. Ii j. painful to cal.
Culdte what MigL1 nave been uUucr other Gil.
cumstapces, ihs amount OF The general wealth
ia Virginia, or :he whole sum OF the means OF
comfortable existence aud happiness possessed
by all her inhabitants, at the expiration of two
centuries, with the energy her fee citizens
have displa. ed, and the advantages nature had
bestowed.
Great annual loss is unavo idably sustained
by individuals from the encouragement and
facility given TO secret pillage, by the nu
merous cmancipated people of colour, and
their descendants every where To be found
among us. The Farmers of Virginia, in
peaceful country situations, suffer as much |
from that evil, ms the great Cities of other |
Countries. May not some remedy be found, |
at least, for this latter evil Do not the cir. |
cumstances render it just, that it should be |
declared a mistemcanour i'll free persons of
colour, TO traffic with slaves, without writ
ten permission, TO be exhibited beforehand
to competent witness And might 10,
transportation to st. Domingo, or Africa,
with forfeiture of freedom for returning, be
made the commutation of punishment The !
damages at present incurred by such an act
with the alternative of corporal punishment, |
often inflicted by feint, have been found an !
unavailing remedy. II is believed that law |
forbidding emancipation, unless on condition |
OF transportation over sea, with a pecuniar, |
penalty for the omission, would not be unac |
ceptable to the state.l o assert the inpo |
hey and dangerous tendency of any attempt |
at general emancipation, however gradual, |
would be entirely superhuous, if the finger |
of scorn had not recently been pointed nj this |
blemish on our political body, by those from
whom it was lately removed, not by active
remedies dictated by moral feeling, but By |
the slow effects of unfavourable climate, long |
passiyeIy awaited, until at length the evil |
became reduced by it to a manageable head |
How unpardonably erroneous would be the |
calculation, which should give the least room |
to hope, for permanent safety, to persons or |
property, in the midst of needy and idle va
gabonds, who had never known from their |
birth any law but force, ever impending, in |
decd In too many cases ever acting some |
where in view General military protection |
would soon become indispe' sable TO society |
How cruelty improvldent would il be to cons |
NIT to the care of destitute, ignorant, and |
slotbful people, the existence of that great |
number OF beings. rendered helpless by age, |
infancy, or inhrmlty, which their body must |
necessarily contain I! What guarantee for |
their welfare could be obtained under such |
circumstances However,, neither the alb |
so;ute despair of lessening the evil, in a SEN
sible degree, in our own time, nor our inno- |
cence of its origin can fairly discharge u |
from that just responsibility TO posterity, |
which conscience imposes. To provide some |
means of gradually reducing, henceforward, |
the number of persons of seryile condition |
likely to be born within our territory, night |
be expected from generous regard Tor their |
happiness.-A free community Of that parti- |
cuar race of men now under consideration, |
has been established sufficiently near us to |
admit Of emigration at little cost, and yet Sc |
paraed by sufficient space of sea. to rem
der the Introduction of return an effective |
measure.-Facuties for self government, in |
tropical climate, and an iDsulsr situation,
have been displayed by them. The wiling