Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-16

would be effected; upon what authority otn1ura or
uonal law does he deem the State warranted, in bringing
about such necessity by failure remove now that
she may the cause which is 10 lead 10 liz Are auho
nzcd TO retain among miserable degraded people,
10 be slaughtered aud swept from existence, whenev-
er Tears Tor our own safety shall induce 10
mence the wugs? To cut rhcir thoa.s r,lv be a
money-saying scieinc, hat it l. species OF economy
which hope shah bo called upon 10 adopt.
Ii the conflict Tor supremacy uust in our time
(Which Heaven In is mercy iOtbil0 OF It's bnal issue
have not solitary doubt Even should the negroes tri
uinph tor moment in the East would be but fearful
pause, before the coming OF that mighty torrent from the
mountains winch would sweep them with the besom oil
destruction But, sir, the gentleman should remember,
10 o .suioiS 'el,gr'on' aPpoPl'e,y 'erinSd oy nh
oeii the "Ganaiel OF Virginia, IN contemplation oil such
crisis, "trembled TO think tha; God was just and
rcd that deity had no attribute which could take sides
with in such a contest Mr. Speaker: have been
told that the OF public security longer exists
with portion OF our people The late occurrences in
southampton have taught them that they may be sleeping
near the Of the sumbering volcanotat, though all
Is apparently tranquil,
suppos,os cinei eoioso.
Sir the gentleman from Brunswick (NIr Gholson }
that his people "n;serabe and unhappy Yes,
SIR when in any community the of public security
Is lost, domestic happiness goes with it. 1t
whether the o apprehension he real imaginary
the eiecti the and Sltesmen charged with the
promotion OF the public veal, it behovcs take such
measures as shall re store TRANQUILITY To the public mind
But gentlemen say, that this is not the proper tino 10
ocgn the great work OF gradual and final patton
that is subject of the utmost dclcacy and bcset with
innuincrabc dtiiculiies--tlat able To
compish the Herculcan task But will these gentlemen
inform when it is to become less delicate attended
tor enabled to meet them: viii it be when the number
OF our slaves shall have greatly increased beyond their
present amount, and when the white population of the
Underwater country shall have been still further diminish
ed by daily emigrations TO other States! Will we be
adequate TO the end proposed, after the of the
state snail have been yet longer paraly Zed by the whcr
ing desoong influence of present system? Sir every
years delay but augmcut the difficulties OF the great bust
before us wcahcns our ability 10 compass H.
Like silly children, cndcavor postpone the work
which we know must be pcriorincd-we close our eyes,
and attempt to forget tive turn from it, as homeless with,
is ilN ~ pT pItrrA ir.
1t is the Same spirit which said, ego thy way; a more
convenient season, will call upon thee
But SIR does il not become us, men, and rs patriots,
TO look this monster ieaessy in the iacc?to approach
at once, with steady and undaunted aror! 1t
iSdue TO poserty, that should provide for the
moval OF this cv.What, sir, are the duties which one
generation 10 that which is succeed il! They are
those which father OWES 10 his children. As the pre-
sent tenants OF the earth, bound by high moral
obligation, 10 leave it in the best condition may
those who arc 10 come after We but tenants
for life, with remainder overland what sir is the in
justice which do 10 poS,eriy in failing this
matter, Inomcn,ois their interests, We refuse
that, upon which their happiness their very existence
will depend and tell them 10 achieve it themselves when
II will have become impossible Ne by timely eff
forts may effect 'the contamination devouty 10 be
wished ior'-heY never can. The may yet be
managed hut Is permitted to flow unchecked, its
dark waters, swollen beyond control, will sweep beorc
all that may oppose its rcsisilcss
But, sic, told a the proposed is utterly i'm
practcablc-at il is wild and visionary TO think of il.
we are seeking to bring about state of thmg', desirable
to ALL but il is Utopan vain, and than vain 10 at
tampi-lt argued, that 10 purchase the slave from their
owners and remove them another country, would cX-
coed the resources oil the Commonwealth, perhaps those
OF the Unon and that TO ibcrate them wihou renumcra
ton, would DE am INVASION OF individual right secured and
guaranteed by that clause of the Constitution which pro-
vdcs that prvae property, shall not be taken for public
uses, without just compensation"
As TO the peculiar character of this property, and the
right by which Is held, my friend from Montgomery,
(Mr. P.cson) was correct in the position which he
suncd on ycscrycorrect, sir, understood him, not
he has been UNDERSTOOD by others. The slave is made
property, moi by any natural right in him no makes him
such, nor by any inherent quality in the himself
he belongs another, the earth apporioned out
TO tho millions who inhab and cultivate it-not the
beasts Of the field, created for use, become our own
10 iheSoa5', tnc con'cnr OF an mankind. iou have
no statute making them pToperty-they were always so
by the common law not of England, but of the world
Men arc made slaves and become property only by frce
they are retained suci, by f1rce and neccsShJ The
right to freedom, which is Inherent and which no man
may ALLEVIATE from his descendants surrendered by no
voluntary of the slave but is Welded to Superior nbt
or controlled by conventional agreements of the maorify
Slaves are made property III Virginia, by statutory prov
ION The same authority permitted the Indians the orr
when ancient House Of Burgcsscs enacted that tle
heathens taken in battle, might be transported TO tho
West Indies Tor sae-,uppose The opposite had been the
fact AMI that good King Powla,an with his royal and al
lied contemporaries around the great council fire in Con-
gress assembled had Socmnly decided that our advcntu
ous ancestors We're lhrudeIs upon their domains and
that they should be made the slaves their royal high
nesses Suppose them 10 have carried ordinance into
effect aud 10 have had the physical force continue the sys
tenn thus bcSan-by what right would they now have
held IN bondage the descendants of Smith and Raleigh
And what would have been their property in those de-
sccnddnlSi By precisely the right in which we
hold our slaves, the right of force; possessing in them
the same property, property founded in wrong.
The question asked by my friend from Montgomery
was one OF much force. 1t will not be denied that the
slave, as living man. has right TO and regain his
liberty, II he can Here, them conflicting RIGHTS
to the same thing The master absolute unuia-
he'd right to the slave authority and confront
his every notion The slave at the time has RIGHT
TO direct and cenroul his acons right never sur
rendered, never aenated right paramount all conycn
tiona guarantees civil compacts
Property in man, Mr.. Speaker, Is one s1d geneyjs II
cannot be treated regulated other rights property
by our own laws, the slave in respects person
Personal rights secured 10 him. The master is bound
10 Iced and clohe him, and 10 provide for him in old are
Not so with his horse. To kill him, murder. He forms
portion OF the population represented in the Federal Lc
gsature The Supreme Court uC the United States have
decided that the liabilities of carriers do not at
tach to those, who may be employed the transportation
oil slaves from place TO anOcr that they are not bales
and packages but passengers and men
The Supreme Court Of Massachusetts, i'm 1888 decided
that slavery was abolished in that Commonwealth bv the
Constitution That instrument contains the general de-
claraton that all men born free and equal" The
Court was OF opinion, that slaves were included i'm
the rights which these terms do not concur
however, with my friend from Rockbdge, (Mr Moore
that the Bill OF Rights Of Virginia employing the similar
language, can only be Interpreted correctly by being made
~ apply TO our slave population That instrument can on
w be understood, as purporng TO declare the rights of
those who composed the body polite at the time OF is adop
ton The PRONUNCIATION OF tile great truths which it con-
tins, was not intended TO disturb the condition of the Vr-
guia slavChe 10 have lot or part in the glorious
achievements OF the revoluonat its close the letters did