Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-19

IN tho Eastern States, unless tho individual be a natural
fool, or a wiliul truant) Thus goaded by misfortune, with
an aching heart, they leave the land of their fathers,
and their place is supplied-not by free white men, but
by a slave, who is useless in war, and dangerous in
peace III we turn Our eyes TO that part Of our country
which lies below the mountains, and particularly below
the Tails OF our rivers, it seems as if some judgment from
Heaven had passed over il, and scared it-feids once
cultivated are now waste and desoate;-thc eye is no
longer cheered by the rich verdure that decked il in
other days-no, Sir, but fatigucd by an irterninable
wilderness of worn-out, quilted, piny old fields.
30 exhausted Is our soil-so depressed our markets, and
so dear Is slave labor, that il is as much as the master can
do TO clothc and feed his slaves-nay, Sir, often more than
he can do; Tor, If You will go into the credit stores and pop
shop. (wih winch the whole country is throngedo you
VIII una uiaf, with very few exceptions, the slave holder
has there become very deeply entangled-thc cmbarrass-
men' mainly incurred TO clothe aud feed his slaves. The
slave is clothed and fed, that he may labor for yictuals and
clo'hes-a beautiful operation! Thus, Sir, the master of
the slave absolutely belongs TO tho merchant and has TO
labor-and labor hard-for their benefit. He is literally
their bondsmau. Finally, when they have extracted
from MN all they can, his account is put into the lawyers
hand Tor collection, and he has TO raise the money or 90 TO
jail Then steps forward the papershaver, (another fun
gus oil our present condiiono and kindly proflers the mo-
ney at thirty-three and a third per cent. Thus the poor
devil oil a master is finally stripped OF all he has, TO swell
Inc Importance OF these gentry. The very fact, Sir, that
we see such cattle daily s~pringing into importance from
The drcgs oil socicty-he did not mean by dregs of society.
the poor, but honest man-no, but he meant men lost TO
nohor' virtue, and TO common honesty. This, he said,
was n proof OF the necessity of a change i'm our condition.
We have been taught from our infancy TO chime the
stale tune OF Yankee tricks;' but he did not believe such
a character was to be found in the Eastern States.
Gcntiomen had said, that those who advocated the ex-
ahihauono oil ms subject, proposed forthwith, TO abolish
slavery; but he was mistaken-they only desire that this
noGse may take 1t into serious consideration, and cndcavour
10 dlgest some plan for the gradual radiance OF the State,
from It's present unfortunate condition. From the course
the gentleman from Mecklcnburg had adopted. and the
tenor OF his remarks, he had every momont expected him
TO cry out gentlemen, you arc standing on slippery rocks,
while fiery pillows roll below"
Sir, the terrible picture drawn by that gentleman, oil
our condition, if correctly drawn, is a strong, very strong.
argument that we ought 10 act, and that speedily. Blu,
why multiply words-therc is no point TO which we can
urn, that this great evil does not stare us in the FACET
dlsturbs uson all sidcs-it is a bone of contention between
Eastern and Western V~irginia-betwcen the slaye-hold.
ing and the non-slave holding States.
III Is entirely vain for gentlemen TO urge that the discus
sion oil 1t will ondanger the value of the propcrty-will
violate the private right in that property.
lie reckoned such arguments very feeble against the
great argument of dire necessity, which is pressing itself
upon us.
He said property was secured by the laws of so, iety,
and that the same society which secured property, had a
natural right 10 destroy it, whenever it should become a
dangerous nuisance TO that society. Yes, Sir, they have a
rightto abate any and every nuisance.
Mr.. RANDOLPH rose and said:
Having offered a substitute for the resolution OF the
member from Mecklcnburg, il might be expected of me
to say something in justification of it. j have witnessed
WIN regret and concern, the p%recipitate manner in which
this subject has been hurried upon the consideration of this
iouse. had hoped that we should not have come TO il
hastily, but with all the calm deiberation-the grave and
serious investigation, that a subject, so momentous in its
t'"NluShNC !, W uCtpiN interesting IN IL results, should
demand oil Legislative wisdom. The amendment | had
The homer TO offer was not intended as a fire brand thrown
m.o, MS fiousc; but designed 10 put the subject quietly
OIL from our consideration 10 that OF the people. j am not
prepared TO vote definitvcly upon any proposition that is
not 10 be submitted TO the people. When they have ex-
pressed their wishes at the polls, then can we act advised
y, but not Till then. This amendment, I had hoped, was
rec from most of the leading objections to all PROPOSITIONS
upon this most complicated and embarrassing subject. Ii
does not bear upon its face emancipation as a necessary
conse suence; its resources are co-extcnsive with its de-
mand. 1t touches the property of no man for twenty
limits 81 the Commonwealth himself: and is 10 he ammo, =
by the people before it can be acted on by the Legislature.
Gentlemen charge upon the discussion of this subject
the cxcitements of the public mind. Is it the discussion
oil tins question that causes Virginia six per cent. STOCK.
whose dividends arc paid with a scrupulous punctualitv.
to be In foreign markets five per cent. below Ohio stock of
the same character-a state of but yesterdays growth? Is
Is 10 this Cause that assurances are 33 lid per cent. high
or here than in the Northern towns, and reluctantly Ia
ken at that: nay, one Agent has been instructed to decline
absolutely, further assurances. That your capitalists have
oeeh utterly d>'crred from vcsting their funds in real es-
tate, several oil whom / personally knew ten months ago
to have made liberal offers for it, now declare TO me. that
nothing could induce them TO vest a dollar in any real pro-
perry East oil the Mountains. That many of our best cii-
Zcns arc awaiting with intense interest the operations of
this body, prepared, if no hope is held out for a better state
OF things, TO transport themselves and their families TO
some State, where the careero Of the lives of their offspring
may be under more hopeful and prosperous circumstances;
thus threatening alarming reductions in value of your
landed property. Discrcdited abroad and responding at
home: Is all this TO be ascribcd to a slight discussion!-to
the decent consideration OF the respectful memorials of
your citizens? No, Sir; it is the unfortunate occurrences
oil the last six months, which has awakened the public
mind to the grave circumstances of our condition; il is the
dark, the appalling, the despairing future. If expectation
ceases, the slave population, at its hitherto ratio of increase.
must, in 1860, be 1,o2s, 900; in 1900, 100000. Is il
wise TO fold our arms in indifference upon it, as an IRENE
dlablc cvil!-To shut our eyes in imitation of the sagacitv
OF the Ostrich who, if it hides its eve behind a pebble.
lmagines IFS huge body concealed from its enemies?-
Would silence restore the dcath-like apathy of the negro's
mind: 1t might be wise TO let il sleep in its torpor; but
has not its dark chaos been illumined? Does il not move,
and feel, and think? Has it not existence? The hour of
eradication of the evil is advancing-it must come
Whether II is effected by the energy of our own minds,
or by the bloody scenes of Southampton amidst. Domingo,
is a tale for future history
TweHty-sccOnd COnSrcss.--Sess. 4.