Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-09

ties Of their climate their habits feelings and pur-
suits--in the fixed and unoltclabo laws OF nature
-,hcy have 4 moro o!lcctual Gordon SGHjtdlrc than
any with which legislative art can environ them.
But To- return from this dIgrcSsI"n-ior as Such,
| consider ito the proposition OF the gentleman
from Ahcmarc. Some credit Is claimed tor 1T on
the ground Of it's hciu% the plan oi Mir. Jefferson
Sir no man holds i'm greater respect than do tue
character and services of Mr.. Jefferson. Has me
mory needs no culogy from me. The author OF
the Declaration of Independence, and the acknow-
lodged champion oI democracy Inc patron oil
icucc-.hc S,undcr oc Laws, and identified
with al the important measures which have clcva-
ted his country To the summit of greatness, his
fame is beyond The reach OF cavil or detractoni
and when impartial history shall have done her OF
tcc, and the moss of ares shall have gathered ON
ms grave, postcriiy will concur in the suffrage
which pronounccs him the ableSt States
man, of the purcst republic upon earth. Adj
uniting this to be the plan of this great man, and
according to it all the respect 1t deserves on that
account lot mo tell you sir, that tho most vain
and unproitabc Of all human efforts, is that of re-
Stunning the unfinished abours of the mighty
dead"
The fragments of their thoughts not only
vauelcss but dangerous. The same gen ius which
conceived them necessary TO fill up their details
aud to select tl,O lit occasion for applying thcm.-
When Hercules died, there was man left TO lift
| his club. That Mr.. jefferson INDUCED the hope
| that slavery might sooner later to exist
amongst us, il iS impossible 10 doubt. lie loved
his country enthusiastically, and having assisted
| in bringing all her institutions TO the utmost at
tanabc point of excellence, he regretted that
there should remain what the most fastidous
might consider, blcmish on the goodly cdiiicc.-
1t was the day-drcam of the patriot and the phi
lonthropst. Who of us, has not at times, been
/ Heguiled into the same lovely Anticipation? And
yet who can look around things they arc,
ami net awake 10 the reality that it is " all but II
drcam? Had Mr.. Jefferson thought cmancipa-
tion practicable, why did he attempt its &C
compshment2 lie spent long and glorious life
III the service of his country, and much of it, in
her legislative councils--at time, too, when this
''monscr' vet in its infancy. Look through
your stautc-books and records and them filled
with the monuments of his genius and industry.
! When did he relax in his efforts TO promote the
welfare ofhs country? When did he grow weary
III deviSing measures for her honour and happi.
ness? And when, let me ad3-did his daring spirit
shrink from the execution of what his Judgment
| approved? Yet, Mr. Jefferson lived and died ,
! without proposing emancipation. And is it for
MS TO buckle his manly armour our STRIPPING
limbs, and attempt a work which no would never
venture to embark in? With Just as mach modesty
and wisdom, might aspire to mount the chariot
of the sun, and, with feeble hand and gddy head,
to guide his horses along the heavens. But after
all, this is not tho plan of Mr.. Jefferson. He al
WAYS recognized the right of property in slaves
and admitted that they must be purchased from
/ their owners. ISee letter to Jared Sparks He
/ evidently hoped that at distant day, the in
creased resources Of the country, aided by the pro-
ccedS OF the public lands, might supply the means
of compensation.
have dwclt thus long on the proposition Of the
gentleman from Albemarlc because | am conf.
aeht IN Tn" belief, that it is-and will continue to
he-thc iavorc measure of the aboljtonsts. 1t
is recommended TO them by the fact, that it dis
| pcnses with the troublesome necessity of provid-
ing means for the purchase of slaves; and it has
moreover, gained currency and popularity from
/ It's success in Pennsylvania, although the circum-
stances under Which the experiment was made
- .tulltr Il al
ist here. Slaves constituted but an incomsidcrabe
share OF the wealth OF that Statc-a still smaller
| proportion of her popula,ion--and the loss was
still further aeviatcd by the cxpedicnt of selling
slaves to the Southern States, before the act Of
emancipation took effect on them.
! Various schemes of emancipation, allowing a
iair compensation TO the stakeholder, have been
suggested in the course Of this debate. The gen
tleman from kanawha proposes TO raise tho money
| for purchasing the slaves by taxation and to apply
1T In tho most economical and eilcctuaI manner,
according TO certain rules which he prescrbcs, to
the removal, in the first instance of slaves of
tain ages and sexes. lie avows it as his belief
That the people Will pay the tax chcerfully. Sir,
| the people may pay this taX--thcy may pay it
wilImgy-thoy may respond to the demand again
and agaIn--to the twentieth time, as long as they
are able to pay. But at last, sir, they will be able
| TO pay no longer. To purchase and remove the
slaves now IN existence, you must tax them &C
cordlng to previous estimates, 10 the amount of
Il3 millions Of dollars How far will you have
| advanced towards this object, before their means
vii! DC exhausted and their pockets empty? But
| suppose your efforts confined to the purchase
and removal Of the annual increase of the slave
population?
That increase is about 1900 slaves, which al
! 5000 each, worth S9G00OO. The cost of
their removal at S36 each, the estimate of The
Colonization Society, is about 81 - 0OO-amount-
| ing IN all to 81 ,i32, 900 per annum. Can the
! commonwealth bear even this burthen which
must from It's nature he perpetual inasmuch as the
necessity which calls for it will continue TO exist
| ihc present annual amount of taxes on lands
slaves and other property is less than $500 900.
The whole annual expenses Of the government
arc less than $ $50, 000-What will be the conse
qucnces OF an additional weight of more than
million year? But, sir whether the whole or n
part are to be purchased and removed, does it es-
cape the Sagacity of the gentleman from Kenaw-
ha, that those who are mainly to pay these taxes
, are the very persons whose slaves are to be pur-
chased! The money is levied in the shape of
taxation to-day, and the expenses of collection
beng deducted the balance is to be returned to
them tomorrow III payment for their slaves. 1t
would be better TO surrender their property at
once, and thus the fees and commissions of
the taX-gathcrcr.
We are told by other gentlemen, that the pro-
ceedS OF the public lands will afford am pie fund.-
ana That the general government will cheerfully
dedicate them to the purpose. / shall not Oues-
ton the right of that government to make an alb.
so'ute gift of those proceeds to the states. But
to distribute them uPcR tordHion that they be ap-
pied TO specified object is the same thing in
effect as 20 make a direct appropriation to That
object the authority for which may well be doubted
Admitting however, that the general govern
mcnt has the power and the will to devote these
funds to the purchase and removal of slaves what
viii be accomplished by iR The annual pro.
cocds OF the sale OF these lands, has not avcraned
two millions of dollars. | will assume however.
as the annual average, the maximum eff three
millions Of dollars. Vrginia's share of this sum.
distributed according TO the ratio Of Representations
is nearly one eleventh. or about $;27O 600 per an-
y nd L..LLl ,L..I- IL :