Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-17

The people, pcttities The sehsibility, eAdSpeI-
ates aud cUrIuptS the passions, communicates
the fountains OF health, kiudles the flames Of
domestic contention, breeds etiemuacy and |
indoleuce, inultiplies artificial wants, intro
duces every Kind ut luxury aud iutemperaHcc, |
and, fiuaiiy, snaws like a cancer into Tie very !
core of tile government, and saps the pillars |
oil it's strength and its happiness. These facts |
ATE supported by the history Of all countries |
wher. slavery has been long protracted: aud |
they are corroboraIed by the opinions of all !,
,he profound aud emiuent writers on lie sub |
ject. thu laus uage OF MoutesQuipn con-
corning 1t. The master conir4 cts aniouy his
slaves all sorts of bad habits, and accustoms
himself 10 Tie neglect OF all the moral virtues
lie becomes naughty, passionate, obdurate,
v,ndiciive, veluptuous, and cruel. Ii is i'm
possible 10 allow that negroes are men; he
cause II we allow them TO he men il will be lin
To be believed tina, we ourselves are not Chris
uaDs.' Such is the vivid portrait OF slavery
drawn by that ilustrious civilian. What saws
our own candid and venerated Jefferson on
The SUBJECT Mark, and remember, his iau-
sudSe. HE whole commerce between mas
ter and slave, rs a perpetual exercise of the
most boisterous passions, the most unremit-
ting d, spotism on the one part, and dcgrad-
ing submissions on the other. Our children
see tins, and learn 10 initiate it; Tor man is an
initiative animal. The parent storms The
child looks OIL, catches the lineaments OF wrath,
puts on the same airs in circle OF smaller
| slaves, gives a loose to his worst passions, and
thus nursed, educated, and daily exercised in
tyranny cannot but be stamped with odious
pecuarItcs. Aud with whd, eXecration
| should the statesman be loadeS who, permit
| ting one half the citizens tins TO trampie on
| the rights of the other, transforms those into
despots, and these into enemies, DESTROYS the
| morals OF one part. and tile amor pdtIice Of the
| otheri' These are the words Of Thomas JET.
| fersoD.-A hundred other celebrated authors
avowing the same sentiments, might be emu
| mer3ted. But these are sufficient. And will
| II still be avetred that enlarging the range of
tue terrific demon which is invariably accom-
| panied by all this reiiGue OF evils, Will not
| spread those evils themselves? AS well might
/ II be coDteuded that thousand hrebrands,
| each capable Of communicating flame 10 every
! house into which il might be thrown, would
90 no more injury TO city, would not spread
| the contagration any farther by being per-
| United 10 work their dreadful effects each i'm
| a separate mansion, than II they were al,
| thrown into, and their consequences confined
4 10 one solitary edifice.
| That an increase of the number of slaves an
the United States, would as,v as a certain con-
| sequence, from an enlargement of tie sphere
OF slavery is a truth as plain as any presented
| 10 us in The light of history ; aud as nndeBia-
| bic AZ That human nature, under the influence
OF the habits which slavery enyenders and
goaded on by the keen avdity of avaricc, is
corrupt and cruel, regardless OF law iusiice
| and religion. Open IL new mart for ihe trade
IN human flesh, aud the supply uiR equaL he de-
| mand. Aud even should the present slave
| hoidlhg states be able TO furnish that supply,
! yet the hungry vullures of cnpidty will snuff
| the steam OF blood from Afrcs shore. aud HE
| thither, greedy for their prey
Even since the dawn of The sixteenth centu-
ry, when Portugal, with teiOn hand first opened
tiIat assure IN the bosom OF trCa tlrougb
which such torrents OF her crimson life have
| gushed; all Laws made to stop the awful drain
| have been incapable of eilectng the humane
| purpose. Even AT this time, when all the grea;
powers OF ChrISteudOm have combined their
eNertIous 10 arrest the further progress OF the
dread aHictioB, its violence appears TO he
| merely partially smotbered; and occasionally
breaking out, shews the frightiul symptoms of
| It's former state. Not ID month passes away
| Wit9out bringing us accounts of this heart
rending fact And shall this nation, i'm the
| teeth OF her own laws against the slave-trade
ana III hostility with the measures adopted bv
| the wide empire of Humanity do that whose
inevitable result will be an encouragement TO
0.''i3r and effective prosecuton
Missouri be adniiied Tht6 tie GfkHSldReSSi tn Lei
! hateful powerof authorizing and perpetiatinr
slavery by her constitution; and iii a Few Veafs
the daring Lstittes, aud all that band of cut
! throat pirates that swarm through The Gulf of
| Mexico, and sku!k around orr extended coast
WIZ he CARVING fire and sword to the peaceful
hamlets of Africa, spreading among the ma
lives the horrors of civil disseption, and drag
sIng, thence, intO utetmadble thraldsm
thousands OF the miserable victims of their
cruelty. such will he their strength and their
hbmDer, tina; no laws will have power TO keep
down the mnrderous system. Ii NAV he crIp.
pied, but while the excitement of gain givesit
ANIMATION, II can never be killed. Let the
dociIlse against which am ceuiending pre-
vail, % ere long the wild and stainless waves of
the majestic Columbia will he defiled by its
barbdIities; and tile solitary SUBMITS Of the
Rock, Mountains, will become the shelter of
mau-stealers and their deep caverDs, shroud-
ed in redenbled gloom will echo the groans of
bleeding, tetteTed, mani
Ifslavery should be confined to its present
boundaries, the wisdom aud the vrtHe of the
nation may, and unhesiatiHgIy believe will
devise means by which, gradually, hut effpctu-
ally, TO free itself from its growing calamlti s
The generous Hayt open her arms andinyitgs
her c0lOured brethren to her fertile shores
and 10 participation OF her freedom aud her
blessings. Philanthrophy looks with an eve
beaming with the lustTe of hope to the land
OF their ancestral nativity as refuge to them
from the expressions under which they are
bowed. Some corner OF oar expansive and VET
uninhabi ed territory, bestowed npon them i'm
the day of their jubilee and their distribution
might be considered BY the wisdom, the hu-
mninty, and the justice of the government, as
not an unsuitable testimony Other Willingness
To make them some little atOuRment for their
accumulated wrongs. Tie undertaking would |
De one OF immense magDilude-aud wOnld re-
qiilre, and justify eXeTtjOns of commensurate
greatness. The benevolent and the vrtnOus |
would every where unite in lis promotion |
tneiI hearts ana Their cGf1erS would be Oprn TO |
aidH-tIe mite Of the widow, Il the poor mans |
blessing would not be withheld and the |
smiles OF heaven would slime upen il and |
crown IL with prosperity. But it slavery |
6hOnld be fermitiedfo OVerspread Missouri |
then, JdrelceH all these fond H0pcs The charter
comforting such permission. would contain the |
principles OF death TO the future peace welfare,
liberty and glory, of this distinguished aud |
highly favored land. Then the iron yoke OF |
bondage WOnld be prepared for the neCks Of |
wretclied millions yet unborn and its chains |
and IFS ScOurges, would be multiplied " with |
out number" Slavery We know, willie il |
effects The destruction Of the pnblic morals, |
induces habits Of idleness-and ,chrrerer it er- |
tstS unchechcd, the mdss0f tie iuJouring Dopulttion
'CH consist el sidUeS. Hence, nall slave-iOldiBg |
states their numbers soon become formidable