Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-21

"S'I own ground, waving all objections winch
"iGht ne urged against the resumption of CIR
cnI"sianccs of mere cXpcdicucy, INTO 4 question,
property one of natural ana universal right.
W e DO, then. utterly and ob>ilnatcly deny the
U~hhauruCEs ascrih"d 10 The free backs. IL has
hcCn proved, we'll NIGH Gcmonstrativciy, that the
slaves Of Virginia are the ]happicst portion, BY
Tar. Of her whole population. AppomattoN, IN
r"pc)llug the sCaudaluuS charge of their misery
and degradation, has established them securely
III Il reasonable degree of happiness; and Il sub
ScquCnt writer in the same print has sncwn that
they are happier IN their present condition, than
they could possibly be II any othcr:-thus plac-
inS them ON the very pinnacle OF bliss. III all
TINS be Iound IN the situation OF tho slave, may
not the same, md more, be prrdicatcd OF the
free black? The slave i compelled To work, uG-
der the venerable add well established penalty of
logging: he is tsskcdto the very extent Of his
ability and strength, he has no freedom If will,
not even so TAT rs to choose the ground he is 10
plough, or the hour of his dinner; vet, rcvcr,he-
less K for nil that, he is h1rpv,yIy his defenders,
because his owner provides for hin', and he takes
no thought for The mnrrow. Without advcrtinr
to the fair inference from thus reasoning, that II
would be for the happiness OF white mon, as well
as the black. to he cnslavcd, we proceed TO ob.
serve that the free blacks are well known tn
have rs little care for the future os the slaves
themselves. Let lis remember that compulsory
labor and logging constitute the dark side of
NiC IatNutt. III lIt IHSC Vi me SI1Np, the Only
drawbacks to his happiness. AS Il general remark,
the free negro is not subjected to logging; il comes
by misadventurc, when it comes at all; and find.
ing many easier modes of gaining n subsistence
than constant or regular labor, no rarely condo
scends to follow any particular employment. he
is much too happy to work hard, if he cannot be
sand to dispense with work altogether. A proof of
superior happiness ON the part of the slaves, as
compared with the poor whites, n proof often and
triumphantly adduccd, is the fact that they multi
ply with taI greater r%apidity. Now apply this ir.
rrsistiblc and unanswcrablc lest to the free blacks.
The census will proclaim that in this domain of
happiness, whether a cause or an effect, they arc
III advance even OF the slaves. And even il the
whites should he willing TO part company with the
free negroes, (Which we greatly doubD VIC arc We
ry sure that the free negroes do not and will not
tccl the same indifference. They consider them;
selves, and justly, us tar superior to the slaves;
they Ike not to associate commonly with them;
they seek, on every occasion, the company and
countcnancc of their white brethlcn; and to what
extent tins intimacy is often carried, may be pretty
accurately dcduced from the fair complexion of
their children. Free, cmphatically free, labouring
very little or not a. all, ap2roximating in every &c
ncration more closely to the whites, can it be sup
posed that these people are the wrctched beings
whom charity, as well as policy, commands us to
send to the broiling climate of Africa? Not so.-
They are contcnted, they arc happy, in Virginia:
more so than they can ever become in the distant
and savage region, where they must not only con-
tend with wild beasts and woolly-hcaded barbarians,
not only lose all hope or chance of Tightening the
compleXlons of their postcrity, but, worst and
hardest of all, must labor for their own subsist-
ence' We think, then, that the plea of wretched-
ness 10 nullilicd forever. Let us now look at the
policy of the proposed law of exile, since we have
demonstrated its gross Injustice.
lncre are very many points Of resemblance be-
tween families and communities. In the former,
every one knows the great convenience, if not
the absolute necessity, of somc person, or some
thing, on which to cast tho blame of all floating
and untraceable misdecds. But as the number of
those who constitute Il family is generally inconsi-
dcrable, no individual is willing, nor is any one
often compelled, TO take upon himself this respon-
sible Office. 1t is occupied by a metaphysical and
intangible parsonage, called RObOdy. In comnu-
mites, this scape-goat is supplantod by some class
OF the population, consisting of real and subslan-
liai men, women and children, who arc thus for.
ccd INTO a state of constant warfare with all the
rest: such and so useful arc the FREQ blacks among
ourselves. Although they constitute not a twcn.
tIcth part of the inhabitants of Virginia, at least
one half tho larCCnics committed in the State, are
brought home TO these moral scaycnrcrs of the
Republic. Were they removed, ofcoursc this hca-
Wy burthcn would fall upon Tic whites, for the
slaves are too valuable to be sacrificed to the cause
eli pdb!ic justice or public morality. This is a Sc
r'ous considerations; and it applies to every part of
our ocioVcd country, but moro particularly to the
towns. Where a free negro happens to reside in
The country, lie acquires a tcnfold value. Incapa-
citated by law from bearing or keeping firearms,
he is exposed TO all kinds of insult and aggression.
w hen the white freeman, from any imaginable
cause, whether intoXicatton, or the mere flow of
animal spirits, finds himself melted to feats of va.
Tour and generous outbrcaking, the free negro pre-
scnts an unresisting subject for the display. To
Tie novlces of the highly useful profession styled
managers by themselves, and OrcrSeerS by all others,
he IS almost Indispensable. From his general re.
seinbiancc to the slave, it is n fair conclusion that
the manager who is expert in hogging n free me-
gro must be every way qualified to exercise his vo-
cation on the more Legitimate subject. Should he
be tho PoSsesSor of a dog, tho animal, degraded as
ne must be, by association with a negro, is of
course and very fairly charged with the murder of
every sheep or pig that has the fate to be throttled,
within the surrounding ten miles. Every young
man who has any claim to rank himself among
me whites, must at once acknowledge his obliga-
t@hs 10 the softer sex of the free blacks. A court
OF justice, compelling an unfortunate gentleman
10 enter pond with approved security, for the sup
port of a white child a dozen weary years, is un.
doubtcGly a sight to elicit our warmcst gratitude to
those who are at all times ready to supply the plea.
sure, unal!oycd by the fear or possibility of such
Il disastrous result-for every one knows that in
no case is the oath Of a eOloured person to be adj
mIttcd against n white man. Nor is it at all extra
VACANT TO maintain, that the FREQ black females
contribute in a higher degree to the support OF
virtue among the whites of their own sex. The
SPartans exhibited their slaves to their children in
a state OF intoGIcation, for the purpose of lettering
Inc young masters from a vice so abominablc and
Density. And where is the white female that does
not find her adherence of scnsuality increased by
the reflection, that such indulgence must place her
on a level with the degraded black?
But suppose FOR a moment. that the plans of The
advocates Tor removal have been accomplished:
that the free blacks have been all TRANSMITTED T.,
Africa; and that the name remains among us ONLY
AZ matter of tradition. We undertake TO show
that such a state of things cannot possibly CONT
nue. long, under our present policy in relation TO
slaves; or, if that policy be changed, that the
change Will be yet more lntolcrabic.
In this argument, VIC assume that the Lcoislature
and A~PpomattoX have settled the question of slave