Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-23

~ "s'SSiuSS never pOSSeSseO anu Gu
lJ"yed; but, for man who has been in the
undIsputrd pnsspssan and enjoyment vf all the
rights and privileges knowirdgedly apper.
tanning even TO free men 0fcOI0ur in this c"un-
Try Tor an act ofsimpIe larceny, to haze them
!or" rom h'.n to be dragged from his fam
ny MS friends and associates transported IN
I"reign and unknown land; redaced tn the
same level with the dray-hurss he may he
compelled 10 drive every tie that bound hin,
10 the world utterly severed himself and his
posferi'y condemned TO endless slavery, and
every avenue of hope closed forever against
,,'m, and them! II cruelty, in an aggravated
", ne moi presented in this picture, surely
wy c'ause of the constitution referred TO, is
"orse than d'e, being directed against an evil,
VI whose existence, the history, nor -xppri-
rnre. OF tn. wuIld, nor even the imagination
VI man, can furnish any evidence
o"e o'her idea. arising out of this law, I beg
rave 10 present. The convict is To be adiudg.
10 ne sofa as Stare. A Stare is property !;
""u Tue term sell is applica able, I believe tn
properly alone. Property alone can be- Sold
ihe legislature has not declared, that the cnn-
VIC. snail he CONDEMNED 10 Siurery, or udiudged
Stare and sold but, apparently aware, that
rue ground they trod was holy, and conse-
e'"'ru ny the genius oflberty, n peculiar deli
cacy ut phrase0logy has been selected. declar-
|
the law itself shall be- adiudged To be sold
as slave. Ia all sales there are two parties !:
me iofmer owner, who makes the sale and
paris w'th the property and the purchaser
WHO makes the purchase and acquires the
property. But property only can be the sub
lJ3c' "' SALE and without lis existence, no sail,
can be made. | have tried TO imagine INV
10y Judgment and operaiinn OF law, III. being
who was yesterday The holder Of property, he
CONES to-day tn. property nf another: bu,
IL entirely elndes my grasp. The operation is,
10 my MIND, Intangible and incompreren-ibic
Al what time. and at what place, let me ask
nose Who Know, dues This iransmuiation take
| place: The jury can be sworn 10 try n free
man only, because there is no Jury trial of
slaves. The record of his conviction then. &c
The rec ord of the conviction Of freeman. A,
the period ut sale, it is presumed, he must be
slave, because a Tree man cannot be soid.-
when he Is convicted then, he is free when
S"i'i, he Is slave. The only intermediate,
step IN this nysterinus progress, of which
have any know ledge, is the Judgment of the
Court. THIS then must be regarded "a tfr
moment OF dire transition and the Jo.Igr,
'n,fronouncing the sentence ofihe law ,breal hes
upon the prisoner the fatal curse under whose
deadly influence, the mantle of liberty is riven
rom his limbs, his sacred rights and pri,ile-
|
II "i ireed"m IS rxpell, u from her abole ard
forever exliagushed, and he 10 whom this sui
ri resided, sunk to the condition Of the b-asls
OF the plough; all legal power even to will his
own happiness being forever spungrd from
his existence, He is now made !; slave be-
come prOpcrty-But whose property p
MT Of the individual who was once IN.
owner Of himself or his ancestor. and
who would in justice seem 10 have the
Pest right He becomes the property OF
ne STATE. Not acquired by purchase, BY cap
'uFr, or IN any other mode ever before heard
OF bntby anew n.odr, fabricated in this az.
81 light and discovery, 10 wit, by adjudication
We constantly hear of unsettled tights and
claims being ascertain-d and fixed by adind-
cation but never, believe, was il before
beard, that HE nature Of thing was changed
mat hew attributes were impaired or essen
'iai Characteristics slbductrd that the work of
Creation aud drstructiUn. VAS performed by
adJudieaiion! However, the free man having
been thus adjndcaied iu,o n slave. the .xecn,
tive now, as the execu,io0prs of the law. HAY.
tn close this slnnmy scene to finish hi,
work of death, desOla;iVn AMI d-spajr. bv
rivrtiDg upon the body and soul If the cpn,ic,
a"d all his aitcr-lnrn p"strrty, to the latest
generation, the adanauiInr cham of slavery !
What must be ibc SENSATIONS Of men of hon
orabie minds aud correct feelings, If they
should ever have reason 10 believe. that tbey
have been made The Instruments of such !.
work, 10y an act Of The legislature. which is
contrary To the constitution, and therefore n,t
Iaw
| Let me enquire further what becomes nj
the property of these people? Many of them
hold property some Of them hold lands and
slaves. II does not, | presume, suk in
10 the public fisk. Does il then 20 with IN.
convict to his purchaser? do not So, that
the operation of this act of A ssenbiy imm,di-
ateiy and necessarily divests the convict Of his
possession aud the ppssessinn of the slave is
generally held the possession Of the master
| Or, does u so, as seems the more common
belief, to the relations of The convict? if in.
deed, he have any free, ADD cnpable oriakjne.
IL THIS Halter BIZ the course, would it not npe-
rate on deprdvrd minds, as strong temnta
lion, as brIbe, To bear, or procure false les.
iiD0ny, III order 10 produce the conyiciion ?
But should the convict Save no free relatjt,ns
| capable ot holding the property, case not at
all improbable, what then is 10 BECOME of il ?
To conclude, think il is manifest, that free
people colour are within the protection of
our Bill vi Rights, and hs constitution of
the United States: That this act of Assem-.
bly, diyests rights, which the Bill of Rigbis
declares csnnot be dresied aud imposes a
punishment cruel and unusual within the true
intent Of the constitution: That il is con
irary To both, and to each, Of these great
charters of liberty aud law and therefore
ought not TO have bcen pass. d, or executed.
and ought now 10 be repealed
said that thought the character of our
country deeply Implicated 10 This business. Is
; i, nat astonishing, that at this period. when
! the whole civilized world is engaged, head.
} heart and hand, in an usi,ed endeavor. IL,
abolish HE slave trade, To diminish The mum
Der nf SLAVES. and the lviIa r iI.n....I.