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

ton OF great and vital interest-mhatever tho orna,v
Legislature cannot constuionaly do-whatexer tina, no
body at present organized cannot be prevailed no 40
do by ITS authority-w be referred 20 the people ian
ne collective sovereign capacity The acts and behcsls
OF the sovereignty in their nature and all
so'ue From them there is appeal but the ast-tbe
appeal to heaven The obligation of the constitution viii
DE- IN effect; aorogatcd We shall have fixed, settled
principles OF government to which authority will look
Tor direction, and to which individuals may appeal
Tor security oil their rights-but revolutionary Co
vernment-l do not mean Government established 4
after revolution, but a Government rcvolu,ionarv
in its acton-to which obedience not being due Inv
any ordinary social contract must be exac,cJ by Iorc
me American principle OF written Constitution ac-
cording TO the school of politics in which was bred en-
FORCES The obligation OF the constitution, whatever il NAV
De- so long il endures those who dsapprove a.
wen as on those who approve its provisions and requires
strict Observance of them the highest political and
moral duty from every functonary entrusted with the
exercise OF authority.
Let us suppose all objections to Mr. Randolu..s ,,,r
founded on the violation proposes the rights of Slave
properly as vested by existing laws, surmouncd-et us
suppose uose PreJudices at any please TO regard
ne which attach men TO their rights of property of ali
kinds and the moral sense of right and wrong which in
iiuences vulgar minds suppanted by more liberal NH
losophy enlightened by purer religion or subdneh
by an mperious necessity which knows no laws and al
lows no choceand then, let US bcsow brief consie-
ration to the plan ITSELF in point of policy and practicab
hty: shall conine myself to the most simple and obyi
Gus views of it. The plan proposes "That the children
OF all female slaves born after the 18th day of July $50
shall become the property of the Commonwealth the
males ut the OF wentyone years and the females ot
the age OF eighteen, if detained by the owners within
rive at the ages Aforesaid be hired out until the ncy
sum arising therefom shall be sufficient to dcray the
expense oil their removal beyond the limits of the United
States" Now, it is well known that the owners Of
slaves must bear the charge of rearing the Young tending
The Sick and maintaining the diseased the decrcpd and
the aged that they must deray, and only enabled TO
deay tins charge, out of the profits of the labor of such
as are In the vgor OF youth manhood and that in the
surplus OF those profits and above that charge
and in the increase of their slave property verv re-
queny only in the latter consists their gain And here
is plan, whereby the charge of rearino the vonn 49,
v. of ma a..
least until the parent stock which shall i'm exis
ence shall pass away, is TO be imposed upon tho owners
while the profits Of those who the vigor of youth and
manhood are to be taken away from them! Without care for
themselves without for their wives and children ali t
profits oitheir other capital, land money skill industry
advancement this scheme: and even
that fund would prove inadequate ensure IFS or
even to make fair experiment of it, They would be-
come slaves TO their slavesthcy desccnd indeed TO
a'much worse condon--or they would have the mas
crs upon their consciences without The
of masters protection Is it supposed that anv
tyranny can subduc TO the patient endurance of such
stale oil things! Every prudent slave holder the slave
holding parts of the State would either migrate with his
slaves TO some State where his rights i'm slave properv
would be secured TO him by the laws or would s,rrendcr
at once his rights in the parent stock as well as in their
future increase, and seek land where he NAV eno
at least the earnings OF his industry In the first
the country would be deserted; in the ether il would
be abandoned to the slaves TO be cultivated ma
aSemcht oil The State The plan would result in sacri-
hce, more probably Abandonment of our landed "a
VOL as the abolition of our saUe property Can any thing
but force any force tame us TO wrongs like
out suppose that, by some miraculous influence exered
upon our minds could be brought TO submit to the "
pertinent which Mr.. Randolph proposes to make upon
our property and happiness TO direct all our means
and all our energies TO the accomplishment of his PLAN
Then, all the children of slaves born after 1870 will in
1893 and 1850, become the property of the Common
wealth. TO be hired out, thenceforh until thew shall earn
by their labor the of transportation and III sur,
Pose) settlement beyond the limits of the United States
There is not man that bestowed a thought upon
such subjects who does know, that property of anv
kind in the hands of the public, is worse managed and
more unpro6table than property of the like kind in
rfv lef
hire under the management of public agents. having no
than to enhance TO the utmost the expenses
oil their agency will be peculiarly unproductive. Select
the Frendsselect the Sants-select the Philosophers
the officers OF this anomalous administrative department will
give US the most aeng annual reports and professions
OF benevoence zeal and fidelity, without mercy but thew
will not fail to appropriate themselves large share OF
the profits az they possibly The young of TWEEN
~ one and the young of eighteen, will not cease
to multiply their race the breeding women will not hire
Tor her Victuals and clothes; the children the manned
and the diseased will all be dead charge upon the gener
al fund oil profits We may be quite sure, that the nett
prohts VIII never suffice delay the expense of the Trans
portaton of one half-no, a tyhe of the number AZ
the annual INCONSISTENCIES indeed itmav he ont;cnaoJ
that this slave property of the Commonwealth left TO the
dominion OF those who shall hire them from year TO wear
without any interest TO preserve them without any obec
but temporary gain will be subjected to such bardsbins
and pryauons as will not only prevent all increase but
reduce the number within manageable compassin
whch view (and 1t is by no means improbable one)
the slave trade in its worst FORM was humanity TO the
unhappy victims OF it, and calculated to inspire noble
ana generous sentiments in the ruiians who carried
IL on, compared with the effects of this plan pon both
races. have thought that this plan or apy pl.n Of
the Kind, Will be put the test of actual
Dutli any such experiment shall be ATTEMPTED an
pehend that the parent slaves seeing their children dcs
uned to enjoy freedom, will think themselves entitled IN
participate IN the blessing, and that the young men, with
liberty held up to them in prospect will not be ncned 10
await patiently the slow, nterminabe operation of that sin
guar system OF finance which reversion is 70 de-
pend There Is no imaginable device better suited than
ts pla To produce general servile war; the
oil winch must be the destruction of the negro race and in
TINS way possibly might tend extrpate slavery i'm
ume; but all men who have any concern for orr own
peace and happiness and all who feel any real sentiment
oil humanity towards the slaves, will concur in copdemnin
ana dcprccang The MEANS most ruinous and most cru
ell see 1t has been gravcly argued that when slavery
shall be abolished throughout the land and the bloc ac
sha nave been depored there will be inux of white
population TO supply their place. But ,rben-in ,yba,
long process OF tmewi the abolition and denor,a,;o
be completed! And while that work Is coins ou ,vbo,
white man. mpelled from any cause to leave his native
land-i he find another country i'm the would tbat
VIII receive him. much if he NAV find a nanny set
uement in the immense regions of the West-wj ever
migrate to Virginia. and encounter all the numberIess and
naneess dangers, which the process of abolition and de-
portaton cannot fail to eDgender'
Mr. Randolph Gas am nformed) recommended this plan
IN debate, chiefly by the authority of Mr. Jefferson The
highest degree OF veneraon for Mr.. Jefferson and tIe
most DoundleSs confidence In his opinions,
his grandson and amabe doubt they are sincere:
and he carries such sentiments excess only renders
him, personally more the object OF esteem. But l am
mistaken, il Mr. JeIcrson's authority is of force TO make
men iorego the exercise of reason and neglect
the Planest dictates Of prudence. And shall say boldly
wthout lear or care for the charge of presumption may
bring upon me) that this plan, by wlomsoever devised
anu by whosever opinions sanctioned is unwe and i'm