Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-09
The ss2cEassaogs6 WFasss.
D&GAYG On AR0LSTE0N.
Speech Of Mr.. BROW.v of Petersburg
lCoNCIupGp


patton is imprac;;ca5!r IT woud Sccm supcrfu-
Gus to pursue the subject father. Our deiber
ntlons, humbly conceive, ought never TO have
been carried beyond tins point. OF what avail
is 1t 20 demonstrate tina; slavery is an evil, un
less It can be SHOWN that it is possible to get rid
of IT, This discussion, however, has taken n
much wider range. Gcn,lcmen, have conpratu-
lated themselves that the seal of secrecy is at
last broken, that the prudent example set hy our
ancestors, OF celebrating with closed doors has
been GSrcgardcd, AID that thcv are AZ liberty
not only to express their opinions, but To send
them forth In the world. They have ava.lc
Themselves fully of the opportunity. The suh
CT has been considered IN all it, asp, Ct. and
relations The right of the master to his slave
the im'notaIity and injustice of slavcry-t!:e
mSerics Il iutiicts on the unhappy ncgru-its
Perm cl0uS effects on he character interests and
safe of the white nan, have MI been dcscant-
Cd or, with unmCasurcd freedom and severity
have been utterly aStoni,hed, sur. Mt the cha
racicr this debate has assumed. The gen lcman
from kanawha. few weeks slucc IN calling for
The publication OF u certain correspondence in
formed us that he should not Interfere in this
matter.
NJ. SUMMERS rose to explain-iIe had alta
ted On The occasion alluded to, that he had no
plan to prcpoSc--that he should wal, for the pro.
positions ut others; and that, Iucanwhile all tho
information that could DO obtained was deslra-
ble.1
MI. BRowN rcsumed-I Gid not intend tn I'M
pute to That gentleman any want OF candour. |
was under the I'm reSsiOn, TREMENDOUSLY, howe
yer, as | avn now satisfied that he had declared
himself dlSlntercsted on TINS subject, and beng
under that IMPRESSION, was surprised, when he
SAID, IN his eloquent speech of yesterday, that
he would glory IN coming down to lead forth the
oppressed from the land of bondage, even through
the waves OF the Red sea. His explanation is
satisfactory 10 me, and doubtless so to tho
House. NO matter then by what means this
discussion may have been produced, IT is too late
now TO Change Its character. The charge has
been made and the issue is jo0cd. lfany thing
can be SAID III defence OF slavery, the occasion
certainly demands It.
Anu is there, then, no apology for slavery, Is
1t sin Of so deep q die that none dare vndi
Gale h9 For my own part, sir, | am not the adj
vocatc OF slavery IN the aDS;ruct, and if the
question were upon Introducing it, | shonld be
the very last to agree to Il; but | am vet to be
conv.nCcd that slavery, it exists in VIRGINIA.
Is elmer criminal or immoral. IL was cast upon
VS. ny the act OF others. 1t was one of the at
tehGant circumstances under winch we were
nshercd ln,o iih. 1t was condition charued ON
me tenure oi our existence. IL is our lot, our
GeStIny-and whether, III truth. IL be rI,,bt mr.
wronS-Whcthcr it be blessing or IA ours. the
moment has never yet been, when it was posi-
Die Tor us TO free ourselves from it. This is
enough to satisfy my conscience. The powers
OF man are llmli cd-impussib lIt .es are NOT ey .
p'cied OF nm, nor will me be required tp sacrl-
hcc MS hapIln ss-the primary OIL ct of his ey-
lStencr-ln the VAN attempt To chanrr thu foce
OF human alters. Who does The best that
r,nmStancc allows, does well-nct. nobIv-
angcS could no moIe "
we are told, that it was the fault of our an.
ces'orS' u not our own-tAat the golden bait
G"''ered on our shores aud attracted from afar
Inc i'ercenafy siavr-trader. Let us tread light
~ sf' on Inc ushos OF the dead. Our ioreta hers
were race OF noble and virluous men. Take
them for all in ali, we ne'er shall look upon Ibcir
.,He 4a'" ihcr memory is dear to US and
shooli rot be tarnishcd, unlustly. They did no
a''elA the save trade. The venerable. bis!
~ u InaIa, cgardlag the negroes as IN info
ror Fac2--''9w mistaken motives OF phiiantiro-
HF-f@c.M"e. ded their Introduction into South
Amc'Ica, .st the purpose Of relieving the
lndians from the burthCn of working the
mIncs. Some rowing Spectator dlsap; ONT
cd III market elsewhere, brought his
~Tctched cargo to our coast. Tie temper
came, uninvlted, rs he did into Eden, and hn
man fraty yielded to his scdnctioas Even
then, 1t was INnIvGDUAL cupiduy alone that Gen
Grated the cvu. The government resting on
t!c pass Of PUBLIC OPINION, was always oppos-
ca 10 It, lwcE'y-thrcc statutes were passed by
the House + 3uFgosscs to prevent the atroduc-
ton OF slaves into Virginia, and all were nooa-
tved by the British King. It is to this innu-
man use e his PTcrogatyc, that indignant allu
sion is made III the Declaration Of Independence
A soon as the Revolution began, Virginia pro.
hlOtcd the slave trade. and 1t was one of the
first acts OF her Independence 10 make il pun
isaabe with death. When the Federal Consti f,
tulIon was presented to Virginia Tor adoption,
II was objected TO, on the ground that it did rot
p'omb't the States, immediately, from allowino
the Further importation Of slavcs-a traffic which
was indSnan'Iy and clcqaentIy denounced by
the abicst members Of Tie Convention. When
Virginia gave to the ULion, that prEccly dc
man, the North western territory, which now
Constitutes the > ateS Of Ohio, Indiana and Hi
nous, she annexed the condition that slavery
should never exist within lis limits. The cc,c-
DFatcd ordnance OF 1856 contained the terms Of
the graIt--the regulations for the future govern
meat OF the Territory and the perpetual inter
dcu'n 81 slavery 1t was drawn by Mr.. !, fer
son. ana PASSED by the o.e OF Virginia, GcoT.
ga ana the TWO CaroiInas' together with fsur
othcr States,-any two OF winch, by voting in
tnc negative might have caused It's rejection.
ms bTet reference TO the history of slaves
proves mat IT was forced upon us bv rygrr ri
n''a', Una. could not be confronted Ever, 4
i,Ij was made 10 suppress d., and 81 nen tuat was
%, ..' Naes.n.tt taeriuaI measures were a.
Ben t' prevent .'a propagation elsewhere. " bot I
WIS brought u..n ls without our agency, and |
tolerated. ai FIRST. from unavoidable ure.s. ~, /
.'"o 40" o,,otno essential 20 our happiness, ana
Is not inconsistent with that Of the slave hims,
III "htt coGe oi ethics, human or divine, Is IT /
written mat slavery 10 an offence Of So odious a
character that no circumstances can palllalc IL
no necessity excuse IN Whence is derived rhp .
authority for saying that If is sin. so very I,,I
nnd monsIrous, that Virginia is bound to- plurk 4
u nom her bosom, though hor Efc's blood should
gnSn ai-cr " oIr there are pure aud holy men
VINO naVG looked uPD1 II without abbUTfcncc.-
L'to tUat APosii" rom whose mind AS we are