Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-03

uen' on the unshackIed strength, and fra
ternal kindness OF our more fortuuat,
northern brethren, whose ability 10 afiort
us the necessary protection, will BE- en-
creased by the adoption of The proposed
restriction. And has ii really. come
TO this at last After having reposed
III safety, in our present situation, JUS,
two hundred years, how has il happened,
all at once, that We are become Deepen
dani for our daily aud nightly peace
and security, on these who are hundreds
of miles distast from us ;-and, il we
were 10 judge from the language which is
sometimes used towards us, particularly
on Tins topic, We NIGH, be induced Ia
fear. that il Is not in locality that Mey tcel
farthes, removed from us Has this
alarming crisis I'm our situation been pro-
duced. by the iDfluenccnt bible and colo.
nizaiinn societies, aud the supplementary
revelation, from which il has been recently
dl covered, that The practice OF domestic
slavery is,incOnsistent with The belief and
pTartice Of the christian religion Far,
very tar, be il from us, to intend ridiculc
towards any OF these institutions ; but
we have right. and are bound by the
laws o. Got and nature, Ia defend our
selves, and all that is most dear to us,
from falling victims TO The il, cdirss abuse
OF these institutions.
Bu', II seems, we are no longer 10 be
regarded as sound and vigorous arm of
Tins Union, capable Of contributing 10
IT'S defence aud support, in the hnur Of
danger, from foreign or domestic vio-
icnce. Move must he surrounded, for
our own protection, With a barrier of
Jfeemen' to defend us from the brave 5.
Americans, (who have no slaves among
them, we presume y who are destined,
one day, TO meet and encounter, i'm The
siorions contest empire,-no southern
and western shareholders. They will
have enough to do, nay-more than they
eau do, 10 take care of themselves, al
home -. Contempt 10, no-No con
tempt. Keep your proud southern heart
quiet. This Is The language Of our bre-
ihren aud they never have spoken, and
never VIII speak OF us with contempt,
with regard 10 this. or any other subject
They know too, that there is no feeling
more dangerous TO those who indulge il.
whether they be individuals or com m,Ini-
Ties, than the feeling OF contempt. And
we need no stronger proofs of The truth OF
tins position, than are sbundan.ly fur
nisled by our own experience. Our
happened, al the lime il did, and perhaps
not even 10 this day, had il not been for
the contempt which the mother country
felt for the colonies. And orr last war
would as certainly not have happened.
but Tor the contempt which the British
government fell for our Union. arising from
The belief, ihal in the event of war with
them, fhe strongest part OF this Union
81 al,
belief, the correctness OF which, the
event itself has not decided but con.
teWp' which, in both instances, has been
most inemnrably cliastised
Mr.. Editor, we are aware, that some
respectable persons may think, that we
app oach and handle this part of cur sub
Jec! too incauliously, too roughly. But
II is our misfortune, our necessity, TO
think otherwise and We believe il 10 be
our duty, 10 all concerned, to express
what we think. Nothing is more noto
rlous than that, for years past, an opinion
has prevailed, III some paris OF our Union.
for II has been frequently, publicly. and
sometimes officially announced, that the
southern, aud southwestern states, pos.
sess and experience undue influence in
the direction of our public affairs, and
particularly IN the distribution of public
burdens, while they are greatly deficient
IN The physical power, TO defend this in
buence. and 10 susiair a relative proper
non OF these burdens. Aud in one re-
speci, this opinion has been suffered to
pass uncontradicted, till il seems 10 be
believed. that we are incapable Of defend
ing and securing even our own domestic
safely and tranquility. We confident
~ believe, that there is radical error in
this opinion throughout and II is impor-
tant, aud Is every day, becoming more
and more so, That this opinion should be
corrected. And il will be well indeed,
should il be corrected by such means as
reason, and the past experience of others,
abuHdantly supply, and be postponed for
ever from the dreadful test of our own
experience
That the moral and physical powers Of
lie free inhabitants OF the states i'm
which slavery exists, would suffer in
comparison with those of The citizens Of
other states, viii not be asserted BIZ any
one who has proper respect for his own
character, and who knows any thing of
tie most important transactions Of this
country, amt OF The persons aud STATES
who have borne conspicuous part IN
Them. Oar just title 10 equality, in these
respects, has been amply sustained and
established, IN council and in the field,
and 10 recorded indelibly on the most
splendid page of American history,
aud IN the annals of the civilized world.
Butt Is believed and asserted. that our
physical power, as community, must
he estimated by a large subtraction, on
account OF the cxlsience OF supposed
internal nfirmity connected with The CON
di'ion OF particular part of our popula-
non. Ut we examine The records of history,
for The past experience of other nations,
II VIII he much easier 10 find materials
tor The complete overthrow, than for the
support OF this theory and the exam