Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-07-29
mHnrORYAT,

m be held in Richmond, IN Oct loZ9'
Seeing that the people of this Common
vealtI1 have deemed it necessary to reform
onr existing constitution of government
to suppIyits defects, and to remove a mum
bsr of evils which were thought to press
heavily on the communicative the sub
.cribers. inhabitants of Augusta County
cannot but congratulate ourselves and the
,ublic on the selection of so many OF our
mchly distinguished citizens for the per
.oTmance of these solemn and interesting
duties. Distinguished as YOU have been
for rravity, prudence, and wisdom, we
cheerfully accord to you our confidence, III
the important and arduous station to which
YOU are called; and trust that you will en-
5loy your wisdom and prudence IN that
way which will rebound most to our com
mon welfare.
There have been many topics of reform
ooticipated and discussed among the PEG
ole. We do not mean to neddIe with any
of them. or to express any opinion on their
merits. Orr purpose Is respectfully to call
vour attention to another subject, which
we regard as of paramount importance;
md respecting which. # nothing De done,
we apprehend that your other abourS must
prove comparatively uugatory. We ass
vour at,eation to the existing slavery OF
the heroes in our Stlte. and to some con.
sdtluonal provision fol a system Of eman.
cIplhon.
ItIs objected, indeed, that our PROPOSE
ton will give alarm to our eastern breth
rem. who are Shareholders on a larger scale
than we of The west; andthat they are even
already alarmed at the anticipated power
of the west to impose unlimited taxes on
? Is species of property 10 this latter
objection we answer, TINT we are wiling
TO see you provide any requisite guaran-
tee against an undue exercise Of such
power. that thus the fears of our eastern
brethren may be quoted We wish for
aothng that IS unfair 10 the former OBJ
lection we say that, in a political view, we
esteem slavery an evil greater than the
aggregate of all the othereylls which beset
Us; and that we are perfectly willing to
bear our proportion of the burden Of reno
wing it. We ask farther what's the evil
Of any such alarm as our proposition may
excite, in minds unnecessarily jealous,
compared with thatof the fatal catastrophe
which ultimately awaits cur country, and
the general deprivation Cf manners which
slavery has already produced and Is pro-
ducIug! These we thuk sufficient an
swers to the objections mentioned above.
Ia laying this subject before yoa, we
are not inscnslble to It's magnitude or IFS
difficulties. We are aware, too, Of the
rooted preiudces winch we encounter,
growing out Of old habits and present real
or supposed interest Nor are we indhler-
eat TO those imDutauons Of enthusiasm and
rashuess which will probably be cast upon
us m no st!uted measure. Blt we know
no great good was ever achieved without
strenuous efforts; aud that such efforts have
always been subjected to reproachful i'm
Dulatlons. We must, therefore, patiently
submit to them; considering them, In our
turn. as the ebu.ltlons of needless passion
or uacomprom sing selishness. The aw-
ul weight Of the subject forbIds any APP
proach to It ia the spirit Of levity; and we
feel assured that we approach 1t with as
much caution as those observe who turn a
way and refuse to look it ID the face. We
shouIdesteem it moral and political coward
Ice in Us to remain silent on a subject so
deeply interesting to us all IN our domestic
81 political relations; one which lntermin-
giles itselfwlth every interest and concern Of
life; productive, perhaps, ola few transient
benefits, but certainly Of an inhnlty of
of evils, now pressing upon us, and por-
tending general desolation 10 future.
We waive, at present, the consldera-
toa5 of religion and humanity which be-
long to this momcn,uous subject; and pre-
sent it as a naked question Of political
wisdom aud safety While we believe
that the public morals and general pros
perity, which it Is the province Ofthe gov
eminent to great extent to protect aad cher
ish, are deplorabIy injured by slavery, we
proceed to affirm that it is our own eXpe-
renee and observation confirming the facts
aud deductions Of political economists, that
the labor of slaves Is vastly less produc
tive than that of freemeh; that it therefore
requires a larger space to furnish subsist-
ence for a given number of the former than
OF toe latter; that the employmentofthe for
mer necessarily excludes the employment
Of the latter, that hence, our population,
white AID black, averages but about sey-
enteen, when 1t ought, and would, under
other circumstances, average, as IN New
England, at least sixty to the square mile;
that the possession and management oil
gl,t-a. form, a sourco ~ o,Iloc., 1rov,1 non