Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-03-06

course oil eighty hundred
millions OF dollars Is il not NATURAL and reasonable, that
the STAKEHOLDER should feel the deepest soci,ue
disposal oil so immense an interest!
But, Sir, scarcely 10 enter thus far into
an examination OF the mode in which this plan to ope
ra'e II is enough TO look at its ultimate consequences.
Ii proposes compensation 10 the owner of slaves L.
contemplaes PERIOD at which, through the instrument
taty OF its provisions, the whole Of will have
been swept from our possession. No matter when This
object may be attained, whether in eighty or hundred
ycarno matter what particular aspects the work may
assume in The ofs yer the con-
summation shall be effected, tile whole our available
property will have vanished without equivalent lcav-
ing our country desoate and people bankrupt.
have thus far confined my remarks TO the financial
character OF this scheme There other considerations
connected with il Of different nature and well desc ryin
tenion' saii that our slaves are disafected and
bellousthat our lives in peril and that mmedi-
ate precautions are necessary TO insure the public safety
The dangeris represented as being imminent and we arc
urged 10 act at oncc even during the present session OF
the General Assembly. And yet the favortc measure Of
tered for our adoption is not to have any visible
quarter oi a century. We are, by this act TO make a
public confession Of our fears-to acknowledge that
the sense OF security is gone-to announce TO the
slave, that the principles natural justice en,itIc
him TO iIecdomthat reasons of expediency demand it,
AMI he shall be reebut yet in the face these fatal adj
missions, not solitary slave is 10 be liberated
Gage, or scut out OF the commonwealth for nearly thirty
years Sir the ingenuity Of man, il exerted for the pur-
pose could not devise efficient mode of producing
discomfort among slaves, aud thus endangerng the
peace OF tue Conmunity.
There another feature Of this plan which tends TO ST.
mar consequences. There Goru, ANNUALLY Of this
populaon about twonty thousand children Those which
may be born before tue year $780, be slavesose
which may be born after that period, be at GER
tain age These two classes will be reared TOGETHER
they will labor together and commune together 1t can
not escape the observation of him who doomed ser-
tude that although Of the color born of the same
parents, far different destiny awaits his more fortunate
brother In rejecting the of this Distinction he
will find satisfactory for it, the circumstance
oil tho one having into being few months before the
other AS his thoughts again aud again the sub
Ject he will begin TO regard himself the victim OF nus-
uce His fancy will exaggcrae the blessings OF liberty and
the miseres OF his lot Checrfulncss
will flee from his BOSOM and the harmless and happy
creature that lives earth, will be transformed into a
dark designing and desperate rebel ancient history
there apt illustration of this fearful tendency of the
human passions Cain and Abel, the children OF first
parents, built their affairs side by de and woshpped their
Creator together. Abes offering burnt freely bright
" and the fumes of his incense high towards
Not so with Gains. No flame fragrance issued from
his sacrifice in token OF its acceptance. The demon at
once took possession OF his SOUL Envy, hatred de-
spar urged him to madness, and then shed by bro
TIERS hand the first blood that stained the oarh-
Let US not expose his children in msorune, who BEAR
TO the same trial which overwhelmed with ruin, their
guilty ancestor.
Such Of the objections that would amply TO the
scheme oil the gentleman nom Albemarle the own
ers OF slaves disposed submit the loss resulting
iromit and to cooperate in its execution But we have
been told by gentlemen, whose opinions worthy of en-
tire confidence that the slave holder will insist on his Legal
rights and call upon tho LAWS of the country to protect
shall be taken him. Without compensationi Sun@s
doctrines have been advanced this subject We have
been gravey tod that although the slaves existence
belong TO Their owners and cannot be taken from them,-
yet the unborn children OF those slaves are not property
and may be cmancipated conscated the state with
out injustice, because they in bcinp and
therefore cannot belong any Is necessary Sir
TO enter into an argument before this intelligent body to
show the utter lacy oil this posion that an nivi-
dual may acquire in any future, ncorporea interest TO is
sue from property, already belonging him, as valid
right he has the property itself? 1t would be inst as,
useless as to attempt 10 prove that has present and
perfect right TO the interest whchs from his mo-
ney during the ensuing year These gentlemen contend
that the right to the future children Of slaves cannot vest
until they shall have been BORN and that meantime
the act Tor their emancipation nercepts the right and
prevents 1t from ever vesting. l presume il will bo
admitted, that the act OF emancipation take eff
feet until there is something for it TO operate upon
IL you cannot own child until born you eman-
cipate child unborn At the instant OF birth, the
right OF property vests. The act diycs;ing il, can
not be anteccdent in its application Ii must be con-
temporaneous subsequent, and i'll either case con-
hicung and illegal in its operation. Let us extend this
doctrine little farther, and to what absurd consequent
leads. The wages your labor or the produce of
your lands during the coming year, are not yet in your
possession, and therefore, you have valid right to
them. The legislature passes law directing that they
shall be paid into the public treasury they ac-
What cause have you complain! According TO
the principles assumed here, these wages and the fruits
OF your SOIL not yours They cannot be yours until
they shall have actually into yonr possession But
in the meantime, the law nterposes aud places them
the credit Of the commonwealth, You not agcrevcd
because norested right innged! Sir, these subtle and
refined distinctions, arc beneath the dignity of the subject
under discussion should not have noticed Them but for
absorbing desire TO leave nothing untouched that might
obscure The truth, and dismiss them with more
appropriate argument than "rcdsctio dd a6smt,n.'
And why should gentlemen waste their ingenuity and
eloqucnce in attempting to prove that the slaves
are not entitled 10 their increase when they prepared
TO assai the right 10 sdues themselves whether or
unborn. The gentleman fron Kanawha, for the purpose
OF showing that slaves not property upon the general
principles OF law and Justice, has referred to the ccebra-
ted decision in England, in the Of Somerset where
was held, in the language of Curran, that tbe moment
slave trcads British SOIL his shackes fall Off and lie
stands regenerated and dsenthraIcd, by the edceminc
spirit OF universal emancipation" shall say nothing OF
the merits OF this proud boast how far its consistency
preserved throughout tho institutions of that country
But surely il Is not seriously intended 10 quote authority
here, the decision OF an English court made under law
totally different from that which exists in Virginia. British
opinions this subject the last that should
he arrayed against They sold these saves--they
assumed vendors responsibility and is not for them
10 question the validity Of our lille.
The gentleman from Montgomery contends, under
stand him, that slaves are properly by the statute alone
that this state passed by tie ordinary legislature and
may be repealed by the authoytbai there no
thing in the constitution which the right OF proper
~ slave lie admits that those clauses in the consti-
tuition which provide that property shall not be taken
without due process Of law, and private property shall
not be taken ior public without just compensation
do afford protection kinds Of property but To
slave property The admission is fatal TO his argument
for il impossible TO find any grounds Of distinction The
constitution the general term property, aud what
ever comes under that Denomination j. equally protected
To ascertain what H. property must refer to the laws
which define IT, The statute declaring slaves 10 be "pro-
pcry," in force at the adoption Of the constitution,
and 10 he regarded supplementary and explanatory of
the provision in thatnsrumcn' IT is not necessary 10 scw
that the light Of property in slaves Is founded in nature
10 one, presume would contend for that. II is right
a. a a.rNs.