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

been presented from counties signed by 39S ,ltize,s
praying that effort should be made procure an amend
mont OF the Constitution Of the U. States authorizing the
federal government TO assist in Kidding of the black Do
puaon these also have hitherto escaped particular no
uce Two colonization Societies, and 500 citizens of tr
counties, have preferred memorials and petitions sug
costing Il state their general object as understand IN
measures Tor the removal first Of the free negroes and
'en oil slaves hereafter To be by their
or purchased by the public at lair price, with view 10
colonization and the appropriation of to effect the
purpose Then there have been pcsened-a petition of
sirty citizens of arwck the PRAYER of which / in
tcrpret to generally, that something nay done
and petitions from Buckingham and Loudoun signed by
no lever than f,ce'fy-secef nen,--and petitions from
Augusta, signed by three hundred and forth three tro
nen-and memorial of the society Friends (or Hano-
yer, belicve)-- memorial of a meeting of 1--WE
Know not how many) citizens of MISUNDERSTANDING for
the abolition slavcry some, upon the plan since propo
ca by Mr. Randolph some, in general terms; all without
established and vested
And upon the strength of these petitions il was said
at the people, stimulated by recent occurrences with
simultaneous movement and united voice demanded
the interposition OF the Legislature and required that
something should DC d0ne! And these are be petiions
rom an quarters oil the State under which the table al.
mosf neray groaned crying in language so stron
and so loud as not to be dsrcgaded for soefhi To he
Done As that groanng OF the table surely cannot be
attributed 10 the number of the petitioners il must h,vo
been owing to their Qdty-or perhaps the phrosc ,y,s
suggested by the peculiar the petitions and co
peeialy that OF three hundred and forty three ladies
Oh augusta, who (as the House solenny assure,N
will be compelled TO aundcr the ties that hind tbe
to their country, and TO ely foreign lands in9pursut Of
In
this threatening evil, that is something which " iu fe
VIII extirpate slavery" We're these oleflI rcm,s,
Ito borrow phrase from Mr. JecrSon) composed by per
sons who would not count for persons who tbcv I'm
posed could not count? Or were thew i'm truth onf,
ounshes OF rhetoric intended TO establish that fdoen
tai proposition, which is the common basis of all The mr.
Je.s, oppressed IN That happy saying that something
must DC done? There has BEEN | must saw tome m
exaggeraion pervadng the debates upon this subject die
t'ed no doubt by over-much zeal, which would be lud
crous II II were not mischevous
The memorial OF the Society Of Friends (thc first be-
heYe that was presented to the House) was after an una
vailing opposton referred to Select C'ommi,tec 10
which, OF course, the sequel were referred ain the
memorials and petitions they were presented This
committee having been (or reason not necessary to
oe inquired lnto rather slow in making its report Mr.
uoode oil MISUNDERSTANDING that the consideration
OF the subject by tho House, coupled with the
G uy press which had taken part in favor of abol-
uon' had caused the diffusion of opinions highly
to the interests and 10 the peace of the country bot tho
action oil the House the subject useless that il
creating great pain and anxiety among large portion of
me ciizens OF the State that raising in
.he minds oil The black populations doomed to disappoint
eI' Mch could not iall TO engendcr feelings dangerous
to all paries-moved the following resolution RosoIvcd
Iha tho Select Committee raised ON the subject oC slaves
free negroes, and the melancholy occurrences gro,cine
our U he HdSicdt massacre IN SOutha,npton-be dis,
charged from The further consideration of all ne,;,on
memorials and resolutions, which have for their Object
the manumssion of persons held in servude under the
eAsuS laws oil The Commonwealth; and that il is not
eSpedlent to legislate the subject Whereupon Mr.
Randolph oil Abcmarc, moved to strike out the
part OF the resolution following the word ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and to insert an instruction TO the Committee which would
make the resolution run thus: ''Resored That the Sc
ect committee raised ON the subject of slaves free ne
groes' and me melancholy occurrences grotoilg ont
Of the frdgcdl massacre SouthaD,ptonobe insi
cd TO inquire into the cxpedency of sbmittno IN tho
quahed voters in the several towns cies boroughs and
counties oil this Commonwealth, heproprctv of proyid
ing by law, that the children of all female slaves who
may be born in this State the 4h day of Ju
- ~ iSlo, shall become the property of the Common
Weait, the males at the age Of wentyon and females
at the age of eighteen if detained by the owners win
IN the limits of Virginia until they shall respectively ar
rive at the ages aforesaid, TO be hired out until the nett
sum arising thereiom shall be sufficient TO defrav the
expense OF their removal beyond the limits of the u
States and that the said committee have Leave 10 rero
"by bill or otherwise" OrO''
have nothing 10 concerning metives which die
taed TINS proposition TO the mover, which have gained
ior IL ue support oil others the motives individuals are
generally, OF no importance any but themselves and
Affect only their own consciences characters am
willing TO believe their motives virtuous: discuss oni,
mems actions, and the consequences of them III will he
remarked, that the very frame of Mr. Ranlopb's PRONG
suoh as ne mas connected with the beginning words of
Mr. Goodies resolution exhibits this project for tbc evils
patlon oil negro slavery 'n time as suggested nv nc
consequence OF, 'the melancholy occurrences growing
out oil the tragca massacre in Southampon This was
pro6aby the eiectol accidental collocation and should
not have noticed it, if the policy of such measure had moi
Deeh III Tact recommended throughout the whole debate
Whch ensued, by perpetual references 10 the Southamn
ton Inassacres actual horrors, the greater horrors If
portends and the terors ii has excited As The pronoso
oil this scheme stands acknowledged the eldest horn off
spring oil the Southampton massacre, we need NOT doubt il
VIII have brethren. And the very proposal and much
more the leading topic of argument in favor of it. contain
| the
proposal should fail at the present session LAS must
been ioreseen that it wod) another insurrection and
massacre, repetition of scrve rebellion would serve 10
promote the eventual adoption of the plan-or perhaps
suggest 10 le lnendso this great cause Improvement
upon 'helr plan, whereby emancipation instead of being
deferred to the children of slaves born after July ISi0
snai DC gwen presently, to the existing race The intel
"gence oil the biGcks-aye, and the Ignorance OF The
Unes-liaVe been exaggerated, like the evils of slavery
ana every thing else that belongs subject as if Fan
cy heid The pencil in her widest mood and AZ co
Der reason and truth: but Of incendiaes shall find
encouragement TO action in these miraculos proceod
ngs OF the House OF Deegate there are some few blacks
uat nave Intelligence enough 10 understand such ndca
ions as these and TO explain them to the rest and Oc
great body OF the whites have intelligence enough TO nm
dersand them too, though few of them do NOT and
! 10 apply the means OF obviatng their effects
There two obvious remarks suggested bv that mart
oil Mr. Randophs amendment, which proposes 10 refer
tms hopetul plan OF emancipation the qualified voters
throughout the Commonwealth The first is that one
cannot but ADMIRE that either never occurred IN his
nina that the inevitable effect of referring such oues
uon TO the people, In such form, would be TO present all
the topics that belong it, the same topics bee
debated in the House of Delegates for public discussion
In every court yard in every neghborhood at every pub
Tic meeting oil the people for any purposes or if this did
occur to hB, he should be utterly unconcerned Tor te
consequences to which such public general discussion o
such SUBJECT might lcad the agiating, exciting mad
aemhg effects u might probably produce in either race
Doiu OF iree The other remark that the reference of
the question TO the qualified voters at large wouId be
palPabe evasion, not direct violation of those provi-
sions OF the constitution whereby the representation
OF the several parts Of the Commonwealth is adjusted and
III such precedent were established, il would mot ONLY
Fender ose particular provisions nugatory to all practical
purposes but the very principle of written constitution
futile. The history Of the late convention cannot sup