Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-04

ing The Spirit, which instantly appeared 10 him. and said
that the Serpent was loosened, aud Christ had laid down
the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that he
(Nat Turner should take il on, and fight against the
Serpent for the time fast approaching when tho
first should be the last and the last should be hrs'-
by promises of The Spirit that "by signs in the hea-
vens 1t would make known to him when he should
commence the great tc0yk'-by the appearance of
the rst sign which other than the eclipse Of the
in February lasand by the appearance of the sign
again. namely that unusual state OF the atmosphere short
preceding the outbreaking of the conspiracy which
gave the suns rays BLUSH tint Prompted and directed
by these supernatural Influences upon the appearance
the rst sign, hc seal removed from his lips and he
communicated the great cork laid o,t for him to do
10 four in whom he had tho greatest confidence and
when the sign appeared again, he got together petty
gang oil SIX followers whom he melted, partly by the
tagon OF the evil spirit with which was himself posses
scd, aud partly by another spirit which he invoked doubt
less with better assurance ofs efficacy the spirit name
iy, OF brandy to conspire with him in The great ,cork
And by tesc seven men, the great tcofk common
ccd others joined them in their progress but the whole
gang oil nsurgents from first TO last not have en-
ceeded snfy men, of whom fee were free negroes That
there was no general plot OF instruction among the slaves
o 'at district oil country or even OF the immediate vcin
iy Is now quite certain There no concerted plan of
action among the conspiraors themselves no provision of
means to accomplish their object hardly indeed any
Unite object They rose in the dead of night; and in
thniy peopcd ncighborhood, where the alarm could not
be rapidly spread they succeeded during that night and
the following morning. in numbering ten men, fourteen
women, anu thrtyohe children. II was a mere scene
OF massacre than which, for the narrow bounds of space
and time to which was confined none ever was more in
discriminate ruthless and abotnnabIe Their last effort
was an attack en- DIR. Bluns house by party of twenty:
/ which was repealed by two and three boys They
were met as promptly as could possibly have been eX
pece, considering the circumstances of the onslaught
oy the militia oil the county, rather of the neighbor-
MOOD; by whom before OF the forces wisely ordered
ihcr from distance had arrived the scene of action
the whole gang had been dispersed, and all of Them
,h slam IN the pursuit. or NJ prisoners, except
me rngleader, whom the sensc&f {" divine inspra-
uoh by no means dvcscd of especial regard for his
own safety. did not understand at the time but per-
ectly understand now, why much pains was taken TO
fix upon the people of Southampton the imputation of
thp ccaSin 4.
charge founded on the single circumstances that the
hrst very small party which encountered the nsur-
gents hred with precipitation aud without effect, and
rcrcacd TO another party which was advancing that
they might return to the charge Gas, in fact they did,
hkewisc the reason OF that graver mpuaon of wanton
cruelty pracsed the innocent, after danger from the
guilty was over. believe there never was more
groundiess SANDER If under the excitement produced
by the sight of their murdered neghbors and relatives
and oil the mangcd bodies of women and children and in
tho uncertainty existing at the time as to the extent nj
e conspiracy, some lew slaves slain whom terror
not the sense of guilt had urged flight far from being
surprised at the fact much more mputing blame TO the
militia on that account, candid mind will find cause for
wonder, and for praise in the extreme moderation with
which they checked the impulse of vengeance.
me general elect which the news OF this nsurrccion
produced upon the public mind, far i could Judge
rom my own observation and information diligently
sought from others, was exactly such might rca-
sonably have been expected and no more. At first
the thought naturally presented itself that the rebellion
grew out oil some more general plot for nsurrecon ex-
tending to that whole district of country, it not farther and
eu, wen suited TO CONFIRM keep alive and renew that
impressions in the nervous and mid; but all thinking men
saw at once, that any such general plot had been i'm
agitation, the partial outbreakng i'm SOUTHAMPTON was
alone sufficient TO avert its mischics There remained
vague sense oil Insecurity arising from the reflection
at inc mischief oil such instructions, however martial
ana transient, must like the thunderbo fall on some par
ucuar spot aud that in the lottery of evil il NAV pcr
chance fall on ourselves, our friends or neohbors ;s
suppose disturbed not the sumbcrs any man of orna
ry hrnness No such entertained the least apprc-
@ =; 'hat any enterprise oil the kind
e IN any general extensive permanent injury to the free
white race which Qor the presently constitutes this COM
huhy; since the first alarm must always dispel the dan
o ohiy serious apprehension was, and is, that
rSPeauons oil serve rsbeuien may result Gn what
all good men would lamenO such a destruction of
the slave race as may exceed the Just measure Of
punishment and the necessity of example. Whatcy-
er may be thought abroad, these people engage
our care not only because they subjects of property
out because they objects of humanity and in very
Numerous instances of affection. AS TO that universal
panic produced by the Southampton insurrecon-those
thrilling agoneS of terror, affecting not only old women
OF both and children of all ages from infancy o do
tage, but bearded men, of reflection and COURAGE
that utter AFFECTION of spirit in Short astared coward
ic Whici' as am informed certain orators of te House
Delegates, in the debate the question of reference nj
the memorial OF the Society of Friends depicted with
such glowing eloquence protest that have seen
nothing OF it, never heard any thing of it, ill heard ol
mat debates and speak plainly Notwithstanding the re-
5Peclaoi'y OIL The gentlemen by whom it avouched,
40 not believe word of it. quite sure that the
gentlemen who thought proper display their rhetoric ON
ihat topic, Chose, at least with whom acquanted)
have never themselves felt any thing of this manic
know hundreds and thousands who are wholl,, cvont
from this panic. Do any symptoms of the panc
In the conduct OF the Southampton militia? i'm the
tde and vgour with which they suppressed the nsrec
on which is supposed to have produced the panic or in
ther moderation alter II suppressed? Let it be put to
me test OF experiment, when and how il nav am CON
vincedthe eXpenmentcrs will find there is panic Yet
this supposed state of panic has afforded the main
ments by which not only the project liberation by COLO
nZaton with due regard to the rights of slave properly
but the schemes for abolition without the least eoarI IN
! those nights have been recommended!
suppose this unmany panic does or did exist was il
wise To proclaim 1t TO the word TO bond and free? thereby
so FAR forth as the publication of the truth can
operate, encouraging slaves rebellion as am enter
PRISE oil probable success and little danger or difficulty
and dscouagng their masters from any efforts of ress
lance, as likely TO be unsupported and therefore vain
sed to body practical stdtesnen and suppose il agreed
on all hands las is reported TO have been COMPATIBILITY
sad, or rather repeated after Mr. Ritche who repeaf
ed 1t after some Southern Editor, who copied from the
slang OF the English newspapers) that something must be
d0'e that, unless something can be DONE we ought TO
lce to the mountains for ives' that If nofp co,
0e DONE this land may be justly Iikened to Sodom and
Gonorrah about to be consumed by fire from Heaven and
j the favored few must be warned 10 "stay not in tbe
pain how could ii be accounted for that the direct
obvious methods OF dispeing Alarm and reassirin the
community oil safety, should be overlooked! that no
should be given revise and improve ordinary police
oil the country and to nfusc into vigilance activ
y, order prudence? that should no man. TO pro-
vide such disposabio force, would siie the spirit of
instruction II exists, quell il in its first movement
say with entire condolences that ii the Legislature would
only PROVIDE that a company Of minute shall be
drafted from each regiment this side the mountain
completely armed and equipped, placed under the com
mand of officers appointed by the executive and
der its general instruction, trained with more enIencv