Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-03

Tae slaves OF Virginia are 40 Ooo in nun
Der and are valued at one hundred millions.
Aom'tn We do not propose to hberate a
single one Of that number No scheme ever
contemplated any such result Every plan
expressly disclaimed it That is very true
he rejoins--bat your legislation viii decrease
Their present ratue and in that way YOU will
inJure our property. In reference TO this last
suggestion, we do not know tha. we can do
better. than quote the remarks Of gep,le-
man, himself a large slave holder-who par
ticipated IN the discussion in the House of
Delegates, and ,cho roted against the 2boIi-
ton upon every question last winter
''One objection has been urged to any leg.
Islative action on the suhlect-ihat ii is cal
culated to impair the ralus of the slave pro
perry. Sir, its operation, will be precisely
the reverse, il it shall exert any influence at
all on their value. The price OF slaves, pro
badly, win decline in Virginia, whether we
introduce any system like this or not-cer-
tainly # the Southwestern shall prohibit their
introduction there. And this reduction in
value may give rise to a mistake as TO the
cause. Sir, il is not the domestic demand Tor
slave labor which has ever graduated their
price here, but the foreign demand Their
labor IS Infinitely more productive on the su
gar and rice and cotton plantations of the
South and West, than IL can ever be render
ed IN VirginIa-and consequently the value
here must very much depend on the demand
there. But what if the gradual abduction Of
part Of our black population were to
cause some pecuniary loss? Are the people
prepared TO make no sacrifice to attain an oh
Ject so desirable ds this holds out? Sir. tce
shall haze 10 surrender a part on some terms or
erenfudtty TO lose The schole Not soon, SIR
but by their ultimate erterpatton and in the
manner have depicted."-l Brodaar printed
Speech. p Ssl
Here we have the testimony of slase hol
der-of an Eastern politician and of one who
voted, uniformly against the advocates of
Abolition in every stage Of the debate. He
thinks it will rather increase, than diminish
the present value of slaves You have his
statement, judge of it for what it is worth
But is not the fear at any diminutio in the
value Of the slaves ao,c living or which may
be born before the commencement of Sys
tenn Of Emancipation, that really affects the
slave holder. He knows perfectly well that
such fear is groundlcss. He resorts to the
argument, however, in the hopes of stimu
lating opposition and exerting prejudice a.
gainst the scheme.
The Post natl plan of Emancipation finds
little favor 10 the estimation ofMr. B. ".Strange
doctrines, he says, have been advanced on
this subject. We have been gravely told
that although the slaves now in existence be-
long to their owners, yet the unborn children
of those slaves are not property, and may be
emancipated or confscated TO The State, with
out injustice, because they are not now in
being, and therefore cannot belong to any
one" II will be perceived, that MIR. b. does
not correctly state the proposition. 1t is not
commended, that the State would be justified
in coajiscatiag property TO be born IN future
but surely no man who respects his own cha
| racter for intelligence, would contend that
| the cidtt COuiu hot CoHShtoboho"l pass "
law, declaring that domestic seryitude should
not exist in Virginia after l640-and that that
which according to the existing law, if it
were thes in force, would be property, shall
| by virtue of the new law, no longer be so.
But these are strange doctrines" says Mr.
B. Aye strangel although it is known they
have been sanctioned by the General Court
Eof Virginia in a solemn decision. in which il
vas held that the bequest of an unborn slave
or slave not "a esse was void strange! al
though the principle has been adopted ane
acted upon in Pennsylvania, New York, Con
necticut and every State where any scheme
of Emancipation has ever yet succeeded.
The views taken by some Of the advocates
of Abolition upon this part of the subject
have already been presented before the pub
lie. We will however, lay before our rea
ders some extracts from an Essay of thelat
Judge Tucker, written ia 1903 BY refe
renee 10 this essay of the learned Judge
will be perceived that he contends
lst That the Post natl plan of Emancipa
ton is wise, just and practicable.
. end. That it is no interference with tn
I rights Of private property.
n Srdly. That the idea of mans havin
, o,>on,y l., m nm born chilli a. more sssfFnyl gro