Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1832-03-22

VI very youuSJ-Iney VIII ue worth
at least one million Of dollars; and IL
I may Judge from the tone of ..his de
bate, ! cannot believe that property Of
this value will be given up gratis, an
nually, BY the slave owners. But this
would be only taking of the annual
ncrease-it would leave the capital
stock about stationary. And I can
not believe it will even do this-yet,
sir, am for adopting the scheme OF
the gentleman from Dinwiddie it will
do some good. Sir, I believe that the
annual increase Of slaves in Virginia,
will be in few years much greater
than il is now. The annual increase
81 slaves throughout the United States
10 about three per cent; it may be in
ferred that the increase is a. great in
Virginia as elsewhere. The gentle
man from Petersburg estimates the
whole stock Of slaves in Virginia at
about 40, O0o--at that rate, The actua,
annual increase in Virginia would be
II, 900. but this has been kept dow u by
cxpOrtation, so as TO leave IL at about
$500. The Southern States are gra.
dusliy imposing restrictions upon the
importation Of slaves, and by that pc
Icy our expectation Of them, must be
considerably reduced in time to come.
The consequence will be, that the ac-
tual increase Of slaves, within this
State, will be not less than 10000 PER
annum-and ii we have to buy up all
these. and colonize them, il will not
cost less than two millions three hun
dred thousand dollars per annum. !
ask, where is this treasure TO come
from? And this, mark you. will not
diminish the capital stock perc~pt,bIy.
Sir, ! am firmly convinced that there
10 no other ystem that 10 practicable,
and will be efficient for remoring this
evil. than that Of liberating the after
born children. The gentleman fiom
Petersburg estimates the value of the
present stock Of slaves in Virginia, al
upwards Of one hundred millions OF
dollars, and asks rather trium phantly.
what equivalent shall We receive for
this wealth. ] answer. the security OF
life, liberty and happiness: We shall
be rich 10 these blessing. If We have
not a slave in the land. But the slaves
will be removed SO gradually by this
system. that the loss will not he felt
the reduction Of the number of slaves
will enhance to the owners those tina,
remain. Another objection of the gen
tleman from Petersburg is, that when
this system takes effect, slaves and
freedmen will be growing up together.
and that the disposition to revolt will
be thereby increased. do not per-
ceive the force Of this objection. The
freedmen will be SO many distracted
from the maIcontents; they will have
no sufficient motive TO risk their lives
for that to which they will be entitled
already, and our security then, as now,
VIII be IN our superior power. Those
living at the time this plan would take
effect, would be the Only class from
whom any danger need be apprehend
ed. All who might be born afterwards,
would be entitled TO their freedom on
the same terms. and would have no
sufficient motive for revolt; the dan.
ger would be Continually decreasing.
But, sir, suppose We 10 nothing in our
day. as the gentleman would seem Ia
desire, wall not the danger be infinite
~ greater, and increasing continually
The gentleman gave US a long ststisii
cal statement. the object Of which was
TO prove, that slave Iabour is more
productive than free Iabour. pre-
sumo that the exports from the city OF
New Orleans formed part Of the es-
innate he gave US Of Southern exports;
and, SIR, the fact that. New Orleans is
the shipping port for the western part
OF PeDnsyIvanis, the western part ol
Virginia, the States Of OhIu, kenturky,
Indians, in fact, for almost the whole
OF the young and mighty West, de-
stroys the hole force OF his statement.
But, sir, will any gentleman maintain
the proposition that given district a.
country can sustain IN comfort and
prosperlty,a larger slave populate tina n
tree populations Sir.it will be very hard
TO convince me Of this. have seen too
much OF the practical effects Of slavery.
- believe this As general rule, tie
slaves only hslf work, and the masters
do not work NJ all. The masters arc
prodigai, and the slaves are wssteful.
and this results from the very nature
OF slavery, and the influence IL has on
ell the motives Of human action. VIVA,
stimulus has the slave 10 work, other
than the lash, lie argues thus: why
should ! fatigue myseif with work.
am bound 10 ork all my life-I resp
not the fruits n my Isboor--l increase
not ny comfort by increasing 10y Ia.
bour. What motive bass ! 10 save
my master - bound 90 provide for me
az long - ] live--he gets Ell the ffeit'
OF my lsbo0r. Hence his whole policy
- to work - little a. possible, and "a
consume % much ~ possible. 20 save
nothing. Go the CONTRARY. what are
I the effects of freedom noon auv p0pu.