Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1831-11-25

l. il Re asked how We shalt De enabled 70
get rid OF our slaves by dividing the State
tie answer is ready. We NAV adopt pro
vision IN cur constitution, providing that cy
cry slave horn after IFS adoption shall lie free
at certain s"c, or ifthey lie not sent out OF
The commonwealth before they attain GER
tain age, they shall te seized nv The sher-
l5s or other officers, aud s. ii at public
auction. 10 be carried out OF the State. and
lie proceeds paid over to their owners. In
either oi these modes " should get rid off all
our slaves IN a reasonable time, without the
slightest expense, and in the latter mode
ihcre would DC no improper interference
WIN private property. Slaves now living
and who are unfit for liberty would remain
IN bondage persons in the habit of depend
| ing OF their services would have them as
long as tley lived, and the succeeding GENE
ration would learn TO dispense with ihem.-
! The owners Of slaves born after the adoption
OF the constitution could either sell them or
set them at liberty In either case they
should be required 10 send them beyond the
I limits the State. lfthe owners Of all the
slaves born after the adoption OF the consti-
tuition should desire 10 sell them, they miobt
/ probably find ready market fox them he
! yond the limits OF The State, for The whole
slave population of Western VIRGINIA beino
! but 81 PCS, the annual increase al three and
a hall per cent thereon is ,S4a, number so
small that their sale would scarcely affect The
market; and the proceeds would bring a
considerable sum Of money into the State
until they were all disposed of But we APP
prehend most Of them would be liberated
and the hand of charity would be open every
where to afford them the means ofobtaining
such an education as would III them for the
enjoyment of liberty, and of removing 10
some other country. In such an undertak-
ing we might safely calculate on receiving
assistance from every part of the Union. -
Should we be asked if we cannot get clear of
slavery without a division of The State. the
answer must be no. Ii is doubtful If a ma
jority Of the people of Eastern Virginia seri-
| ously wish TO part with their slaves, & they
! have not the ability to send them all off il
they were so disposed; and such is their zeal
ousy OF the General Government that they
would not consent TO receive aid from that
source which alone is able TO send OF such
numbers as they own. And il is certain we
could get no law passed On the subject Of
slavery applying only TO this side ofthc Blue
sIdgc, which would enable us 10 effect our
object without division.
As to any supposed advantage growing
out of our conncXion with Eastern Virginia,
we defy the ingenuity OF man 10 loint out
one which we may not enjoy in an equal or
superior degree, as a separate State.
Some objection 10 division of the State
may be started on the score OF the expense
we should be at ia erecting a Stale House
and other buildings butwe are deceived il
the citizens OF any Of our towns would not lie
disposed TO erect the necessary buildings, at
their own expense, for the advantage OF hav-
ing the seat OF Government among them, as
we are told, was done by the citizens Of
frankfort in Kentucky. At all events the
expense would he too inConsidcrable to de-
serve much consideration. But more Sc
rlous objection may he supposed 10 be TO di-
vldlng the State, on the ground of the ex-
pense OF carrying on a separate Government
In answer to such all objection, should il he
raised, we have only to say, that as far as we
are capable ofiudging, the taxes now pad
by the people of Western Virginia will be
sufficient 10 meet all the expenses Of Gov
eminent. All our officers will be content
with smaller salaries than those of our pre-
sent Government, and we shall require
smaller number. The taxes paid by Yves
tern Virginia, according to the latest esti-
mate, were SO, 500 95,pcr annum Suppose
both branches Of the Legislature to consist Of
80 members, (Which is considerably larger
than our present representation and abun-
dainty so for any useful purpose) and each
member corrective three dollars per day and
the sessions 10 average 60 days, their daily
pay will amount to Sl4 400 but let US al
low for the whole expense Of the Legislature
G2j 600 year give the Governor a salary
of 20 500; an Auditor of Accounts s. Trea-
snrer each 500 an Attorney General and
RRr-1Ctpr Of ha I ord (Nafrn
TO seven Judges the General Court, (our
present number West OF the Blue Ridge J
500 each and to three Judges Of u Court
Of Appeals, 9, 1000 each and the whole will
amount 10 the sum Of ~ Geo, leaving a ba-
lance OF 1927 500 % 20 cover The other exyen
ses Of Government a sum which appears 10
usabundantly sufficient. But, suppose we
should have to pay something more, we shall
he fully compensated for that, by having all
we pay spent among ourselves, instead ofbo-
lngcarried entirely out of the country.
Some OF the citizens OF the Valley nav
consider the fact Of our trade being princi-
pally carried on with Eastern Virginia, as
furnishing ground Of objection to dividing
the State, but we confess we cannot conceive
how any sound objection can grow out Of
that circumstance. Trade cannot possibly
be injuriously affected by the division of the
State the Eastern people will continue 10
trade with US, precisely as long as they find
il 10 their interest to do so, and no longer.
whether the State is divided or not. They
can lay no restrictions on our trade, which
will not operate equally upon their own.
without violating the Constitution Of the Q.
States and interest would prevent their do
ing So il they could. AS 10 their ever inn
proving the channels Of commercial inter