Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-07-23

irophs which untinely awaits on, cc.,%,s.
anu u's genera depeavation of manners wl,isl
s,a'ety h's Already produced and is producing
| ihese We think sutii lien, answers 10 ,ha IS,
jections mentioned above. '"S oV
IN laying ths subjec; before Won. we are M
I1sensioie TO us magnitude or lie A, s6c,,t;a.
we are aware, too, OF the rooted nrriur;ce,
"nlch We encounter, growing out OF old babi,,
snd present real or SUI posed ,ntevest NJ
are We indifferent to those imputaf;ons oe sn
'hasissn ana raShness which will probably +.
cAst upon Us IN no stintsd measure. B,t on.
Kno" that no great good was ever achieve
| "'hout strenuous Efforts; and that such Effort,
nave always been subjected TO reproacbrll i'm
pu'a''ons' we must, therefore, patiently SUB
mn 10 tnemi considering them, in cur turn. AZ
'n1 eoula''ons OF needless passoa or uncom.
riOa9.s sehshness The awful weight OF
tle '""Je't ioFoiis any approach to il ia the
spirit OF leyIsv, and We feel assured thar ws
approach u wish as much caot,,n 40 ,hoss .h
serve who tim a. way and refuse 10 laok !, !,
the lace. But w saoud esteem il moral ana
political couardice in ugto remain silent on a
subject SO deeply interesting 70 us in all our
domestic ant pc teal FelstioGs; one which in.
tefmingls siiself with every interest aud con
cern OF HE; productive. perhaps, os few
transient dement's, but certainly of an inf}iiy
OF evils, now pressing upon US, and portend
ing general desslatioa in future.
we waive, at present, the considerations
Oh Religion aud hnmanity which belong 10 this
monentous subject; and present it as a naked
question OF political wisdom and safety. While
We believe that the public morals and general
prosperity, WHICH u IS the province of oyeru
mtnt TO gSeal extent o pr0sect and cherish.
are dep orally Injured by slavery, We pyoceed
to affirm hat Il IS our own experience and oh.
seryati6n confirming the facts and deductions
ef political economists, that the labor Of slaves
IS vastly less productive than that of free men:
taSt It therefore, requires a larger srace 10
furnish subsistence tor given number of the
fuFnes shan OF tee later; that the employment,
of The i0flner necessarily excludes the employ
ment of the latter; thag. hence. our pnpula
lion, white ahS black, averages hu, about Sc
yen,een wien it ~usot, and would under o.
Their circumstances, average, as IN New Eng
and, AZ least sixty To III square mile; sba,
the possession and manage lHcnt efslayes from
a source Of endless vexatiop and misery within
tn house and of waste and ruin on the fsrd
tha' the youth of the couhsry a e growing up
" u contempt of stesdy industry, as a low,
s. v e thing, which contempt induces idieness,
ana ali is attendant efeminacy. vice, aad
worthsssnessi that the waste Of the products
Of the land, nay of the land Itself, Is bringing
pavcrty upon all ITS tnhdbiianis, that this pc
verify and the sparceness OF our population.
either prevent the institution OF schuoIs thro'
tae country, or keep them in the most languid
and inefficient condition; and that the same
causes most obviously paralize all our schemes
and efforts Tor the nee'ifll Improvements of
the country. These things are necessarily
pressing themselves upon our feelings and 90.
servaIion; and il would be easy TO enlarge the
melancholy catalogue. But there are Other
considerations cls,mlng our attention.
III conceded, on ali hsnds, that Virginia is
in state OF moral and political retrocess'on a.
mong the states ofthe confcderaey. Nor is this
10 be wondered at wnen 10 the foregoing con
siderations II be added that half of our popu
tation is estimated, in the political scale, at
but three Fl tbs OF its actual weight. we are
ofen upbralded by comparison ot our sondi ]
ton with that OF New York and Ohio to which
all the other States which are exempted from
the curse ofslavery, might well be ADDED
And with shame we feel ourselves constrained
to bow to the Illuminating Comparison. We
view our beloved State, blessed by the God Of
nature with variety OF useful aud lovely ca
Pab'h'ies unsurpassed by those of any other
country on the glooe, we view 1t merely as
stationary. white her sister States are advanc
ing, bli as positively declining. II is peeu
harry the province of such statesmen as esm
pose your honorable body to detect the causes
Of the national calamity and degradation, and
20 provide and apply The remedy That the
causes heretofore frequently assigned are the
tue one, we do not believe. If they have any
efsct, as possibly they may. il mus, be ex.
frrmeiE small and part a.. We humbiy s0g.
ges' our ae1iet thar the slavery which exists,
nd which win gigantic strides is gaining
ground amongst US, is in truth, the great, ef
hcent cause OF the multiplied evils which we
ail depore We cannot conceive that there IS
any o'her Cause sufficiently operative to para
re the energies Ola people SO magnsnmous, 10
1eUtrslaze he blessings ot Providence included
in the gill of q land so happy 10 its soil, It's
climate, IT'S minerals and us waters; and 20 an
! null he manifold advantages of cur republican
| freedom and gesgra shical position. lfVirgin
IA has already fallen from her high estate,
| and u we have assigned the true Cause of her
tall; 1t IS with the utmost anxiety that we look
| to the future, to the fatal termination of the
| scene. Aswe value our domestic happiness, as
| our hearts earn tor the prosperity OF our oh
/ spring as we pray for the guardian care of the
| Almighty over GU couatry, we earnestly en-
| quire what shall be done to avert the impeDd
| ing rum. Ihs efficient cause OF eur calamitics
| Is vigorously increasing 10 magnitude aud pc
| tency, while We wake ami while we slsep -
The outlets, for draining off portion OF this
pestftrous population of slaves, are fast clos
ng agsnsl us Ia the mean time eur white
people are Femoving in mul,itudss, to distant
| regioas; aud those who remain seem eesussd
80 become martyrs tn their love of Virginia
exposed to foreign enemies. TO civil feuds, and
sdomestlo Instructions, without the ply sics
billy Indispensable TO their swu preservation