Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-04-24

10 De taken up merely 10 be put down! Keeping
the promise 10 the ear, TO break it to the hope?"
BY the discussion of this subject here the expecta
tons, the hopes, the fears of the public will be en-
cited; and they will hold a strict account should
they look in vain for some measure commensurate
To the difficulty and danger of the question.
! The gentlemen from Dnwiddie and Mecklen-
burg have said much OF principles. They argue,
that IT their principles are correct, they must be
sustained IN any course founded upon them. But,
MIR. Speaker, ask what arc principles but attrac-
tons? Have they not been, and will they not al
ways be, the creatures of circumstances? Prin-
cpies which may be correct aud orthodox in Mas
sacbusetis are rank heresies in Virginia. and rice
rerSd. Geographical location often decides their
correctness with those who hold them--and often
the contracted vision of the Statesman or Politician
rs filled with the magnitude of principles founded
ON some sectional interest conventional prej,-
dice There is nothing in which men arc more LA
Die to he mised than in their estimate of their own
principles. For myself have seen so much evil
performed, so much good perverted, and so much
reason turned the "seamy side without" upon prin-
clpie, that do not wish gentlemen to tell me what
principles they entertain. Ii they will tell me what
they propose to do, and the means they intend 10
employ for the prosecution of their designs-I will
tell them what their principles are.
rcrhaps tins IDEA is not improperly Illustrated by
me arguments of these very gcntenen They protest
that they are the friends of liberty: and vet they ar
que mat their slaves must he kept in perpetual bon
Gage, while they are, according TO their own ac-
encouragement, in danger of having their throats
cur IN tins course there seems to me much con
fusion IN the application of the principle which the
gentlemen avow: and the conclusion they arrive nj
is a most ediiying commentary upon their devotion
to liberty.
We are told by the gentleman from Mccklenburg,
MI hnoX,) that this is sectional question Ii il
pe SO, u Is not with my will through my instrument
taly. had hoped il would not have been so consi
dered. Such Il question ought never to be argued
OH sectional grounds. Virginia ought always to be
un''co[always one and indivisible. But the gen
| ileman from Mecklenburg does not content himself
WIN resting tins debate upon sectional prounds-
lie tells us that il original ed in the West This is
hotso Ii IS Tar from the feelings of the West to az
gravate or increase the difficulties under which the
r"cst IS ianorhg We lookto Eastern Virginia with
MAJ feellnS-and we regard her with the interest
which an aiiectonate daughter feels when her mn
rent is IN danger The West ontertains a generous
feeling for the East on this subject We wish 70 do
Our brethren all the service i'll our powcr-but we
are not prepared to have the declaration thrown in
our races, that we are the orignators of this cues
! uoh-that we are endeavoring TO sow trouble and
rear, ana dIsq,net among the slave holding commu-
MY. Because we differ from Eastern gentlemen
ue 10 !,'o means OF removing what they admit to be
AN cvIi OF fearful magnitude, shall we be unbranded
as the promoters of strife, the robbers and the coe
rams, understood the gentleman to use that wor,l
who come down from our mountains TO prev unon
our Rowland ncighbors?-Sr, our conduct has not
deserved such misreprescntation-and the gentle
man cannot but he sensible in n cooler moment of
the gross injustice he has done u.s.
we are told by Eastern gentlemen, that we ofthe
West are not interested in this subiectbat we have
p"t Jew slaves, and therefore unaffected bv
any act which may perpetuatc slavery i'm the Eos
tern section But this position cannot be noin
talhed unless IN our view of the subject we obte-
rate the tnture;-tor must look forward m tire
dox "hem tilosc fair regions beyond the mountains
VIII be filled with slaves--when we shall no Innyer
rejoice IN our freedom from the curse and bobf of
slavery. VI
Let us theh suppose-and no one can deny the
reasonableness of the supposton-that at no very
distant period, the slave population shall have been
equaized throughout the country; tlIat the dark wa,
ters OF slavery shall have been sweed by outward
compression, until our mountain barrier no longer
protects us from the inundaton-amd the upland
g'ades of the trans Allegheny section shall echo To
the plant OF serv:ude, and the mandate of oppres
sion. What, then, would be the situation of The
West? With the endless fear in our hearts ofbloodv
struggles like that of Southampton-with all those
feelings paraNZed, which now PROMPT MS to onnose
the iroads of this blighting evil-would the hnnnv
pastoral life of our husbandmen suffer no chanGc2
Mr.. Speaker, 1t will he 4 sad day for us when the
gloomy conviction that such must be over fate takes
full possession of our minds. The apprehension is
repete with terror-what then, would be the realitv
And yet, Sir, the gentleman from Dinwiddie saws
we nave no interest Ill this sublecthe argues (while
he cannot deny our liability to participate in the
bane) that we have no voice III the prescription of an
antldote;-that we who are as yet untouched by the
malady, although exposed to its contagon, are not
called upon to aid in It's eradication Although thar
gentleman has occupied much of the time of the
House on this and every other subject am not in
clned to yield to all his opinions, as quite oracular
IL Is true we are willing to let him 90 ON i'm the most
verbose detail of his sentiments; but we ask to he
heard when his cloquence is exhausted If he
chooses TO play the lion, and cxacts from us wonder
aud admiration, when he sees fit TO roar-we hone
he VIII not deny the squirrel the right sometimes TO
chirp.
1t vain for gentlemen to deceive themselves in
to belief that the West looks with Jealous or I'M
KIND feelings upon the East. Past history which
alone gives an unclOuded medium to our views of
the actions and motives of men, repudiates the sup
position 1T proves the fidelity and magnanmty of
the attachment which the West feels undiminished
for the elder branch of the common family III
know, and the gentleman from Petersburg. who has
lived among us, knows that the people of the West
entertain a kindly feeling for their Eastern brethren
that they have ceased TO cherish that feel
lngand that they chccrfllly submit when necessa
ry, to sacrifices for the common interest Bur u,ere
is limit even TO such feelings. The law of self |
preservation is paramount to all obligations whether
enforced by the authority of governments. or the
strong ties of sympathy and political afiiIiation.
The gentleman from Diuwiddie has characterized |
the proposition of the gentleman from Aben1arle ne
revolutionary IN its tendency. A few words there
FORE in relation to that plan, are perhaps called for
on my part; for cannot perceive in it the germ of
evil at which the advocates of slavery are so much
startled What does it propose?-Simoly TO sub
NIT this entire question to the peope-to ask their
wishes, and to abide by them And have we he |
disrustful of the intelligence If tho ,,oo,Io