Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-03-06
Legislative Debatc---Comtinued.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.


lSEvENTH DAY l-Uedresday, january 1s.
DEBATE or M GooDEs Resolution, Mr.. RANpoLrH's
Substitute, the Report Of the Committee Slares
and Mr.. PREsroN's Motion to amend
Mr.. BRowN and addressed the House as follows ::
Mr.. Speaker:-When the subject under consideration
first brought TO the notice OF this House, in the
entatious form OF petition from Hanover felt but little
apprehension about the result avowed, at that Time my
firm conviction that scheme OF emancipation prac-
ucable, and that should be attempted Yet, was
willing that the petition should be referred committee
and disposed Of with all becoming respect, in the ordinary
believed the discussion OF this question to be
unav odablc ana was DESTROYS of giving it such direct
would be best calculated settle and To- sink il Tor
know that some intelligent gentlemen, who concurrcd
with in the object OF the opinion that it would be
better attained by different course, and that the petition
ought TO be rejected at once, the eecual
of arrestng the inquiry. doubt not those gentlemen
inevitable Ifsupprcsscd i'm form il would arisen
in another. Even the effort made by the gentleman from
ccklenbug TO arrest its progress has been seized by the
advocates Of emancipation, favorable opportunity for
tho full expression Of their sentiments The very char
acter of those sentiments and the zeal with which they
have been urged sufficient to satisfy every ono
that they could have been rcprcssed 1t is useless
of avoiding discussion twill be fortunate if pro-
vent dciOn-immedato and decisive acon-on the sub
jcct Of emancipation.
have listened this debate with the most anxious aud
painful interest The evils of slavery have been again and
again enumerated and set in appalling array before
maginatons Its impoverishug effects its immoral ten
dcncie and the dangers which it exposes lives and
property, have all been the theme of eloquent and exag
gcraed representation. We have been told that the body
polite languishng under dsease-that il is of
corruponthat there is hidden in its bosom, peslence
fatal than that which ''wasteth at monday" The
suferings Of the unhappy patient have drawn forth
cessive expressions Of pity rcproacb and scou
II might have been expected that with perfect know
ledge of the malady the physician could have recon-
mended efectual remedy. None has yet been propo-
sed that commands my confidence. have examined the
various schemes which have been suggested, with
wearicd attention. and with unaffected wish to find
them worthy Of adoption. have analysed them as
my minds capable Of doing it, and have endeavered
through the mists of uturity their probable opera
ton and consequences. 1t has resulted in the conviction
that they are all visionary and mpracticable.
There are few leading considerations, OF paramount
importance, which TO to constitute standard
which may refcr every plan of emancipation, and by
which may test its merits. There in Virginia
about 100000 saveshcr aggregate value is about
hundred millions of dOlarsthe assessed value of all tho
lands, houses and lots in the commonwealth is two hun
dred and six millions of dollars. Other kinds of personal
property bear but small proportion to these three pnc
pal items Paper currency and credits add nothing the
actual of the commnnty and it is apparent
that slaves constitute nearly third of the whole wealth
OF the The value of lands houses lots Vr-
gnia, east of the Blue RIDGE is but little than one
Hundred millions of dollars. The value of the slaves in
district is about eighty millions nearly one
half Tits entire wealth. These slaves constitute nett
proceeds of the abour of our ancestors and ourselves from
the foundation OF the colony James Town, the pre-
sent moment We found the soil where it is--it was no
acquisition of ous-we cultvatedit and it has yielded us
hundred millions Of dollars which have bee gradually
invested in slaves Many think it bad investment-an un-
profitable invcstmen-an unrighteouS nvestment-But
whetheritbe for good for evil the investment 1t
forms capital stock 1t is the the hard
earnings OF successive generations during the long toll
lapse of more than hundred years We derive our
subsistence from the labor Of slaves precisely i'm the
that would live on the interest of our
money! il the one hundred millions had been invested in
bank stock From the annual products of Their labor,
obtain the necessares OF life and have surplus of
than four millions for expectation. Take from us these
slaves without compensation, and what have left! Our
land, It's truc-but even that would be deprecated
great and incacuabe extent BY deprving of labo-
and leaving us destitute OF the of procuring
Others you throw out of cultivation poporionae part OF
the soessen the demand for it, and reduce its PRICE
In short Sir, whether the emancipation and removal of
slaves be eectedin year, in fifty years, when
the work shall have been accomplished, YOU will have
reduced us to beggary and few instances of in
dividua bankruptcy may pass unnoticed but il is fear
full thing todrag down whole community from aGlucnce
and to acct poverty If the people of Virginia are
prepared to make this sacrifice be itso the que in
event. is at end. presume however, that they have not
yet been made sensible oil the expedcncy necessity OF
surrenderng hundred millions worth of property and
voluntarily embracing paupcrsm. Whenever, therefore,
scheme OF emancipation is presented my first inquiry is
whether it admits the right of the slave-oncr
quate compensation for his property and if So whence
the one hundred millions required for the purchase of
slaves, and the additional fifteen millions necessary for the
transportation to be procured If on the contrary the
scheme does not contemplate compensation for slaves TO
be emancipaed am prepared, at once to decide that it
impractcable and acknowledgements the people of Vir
ginia cannot afford TO lose one hundred and fifteen mill
lions OF dollars.
Keeping these cardinal considerations in view let us
examine more closely, The proposition Of the gentleman
from Abemare, (Nr. Randolph) which provides in sub
stance that the children of slaves which may be born a
ter the year $780, shall be free at certain perioltbe
males the age of 81 the females at the age of
be hired out by the commonwealth, for number of years.
and eventually transported TO Africa, elsewhere No
compensation is contemplated by this plan but some gem
temen, whoarc scrpulOus about taking this property with
out paying for IT, are nevertheless, reconciIcd 10 this
scheme, because il is not TO affect slaves now in cx-
istcnce but only their future increase. 1t is true that
will not take from any the slaves now IN his DOS
session, butt will lessen their value. Those slaves afforded
certain annual income, and the capital which yields il is
kept uDmpaired, and is augmented by the ordinary
natural increase of this population when you determine
that the owners shall moi be entitled to- this increase Won
rob their property Of of those inherent qualities which
constitutes the chief element OF its valueihe capacity to
reproduce and pcpctuatc itself At the end Of some in
definite period, say eighty years, the whole of the
slaves in existence, will have ceased TO exist and Tire
only csuum in the hands of the owners will be the pro-
fits OF their labor, accrued during the interval On tho
other hand, allow their the benefit OF their increase
and at the expiration of The eighty years. they will not
ly have received equal amount Of profit but the capital
stock, which generates the profit, will nc undimfnbcd
And not only but at the usual ratio of increase il will
be doubled, and be actually worth two hundred millions Of
dollars The present value of any kind OF property de-
given period Can there be doubt as TO- which is worth
most at this timepropcry which, in the lapse Of eighty
years, rs TO perish and be extinctor property which,
ring the same period, is TO be increased two-Iold-
each, in the interval, yielding the prof Pass
this law and all will be anxious 10 sell out their in
teres in property which yields only ordinary profit
while the capital gradually sinking, in order to invest il
in that which yields equal profit, while the capital is
secure. All will prefer hiring savcs-nonc will wish To-
them. Their price, in the aggregate, will sink TO
point which IL will bc equal only the value of an an
nuy calculated tie probable duration of their lives
and the yearly profits of their abour. n have noy an
] s..s.. =. 10. 4