Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-19

", ID vhnlly
prospective in its operations; furni,hinr reason,
bic notice beforehand that such system world h,
introduced; whose operation would DO impcrccp,i-
bic, gradual, and ultimately efficient; which nlIn,y
ca inc owner OF tho mother to enjoy the proceeds
OF the labour OF the child until rcmunerated for
| raising If; allowed six and twenty wears for tho
owners OF slaves To send them Off to other States
and retain them there slaves, or sell them nn,,
pocket the money; allowed any of the increase to
he sent Oft fore they arrived at the ages mention
ed afforded opportunity for the introduction of
'Icc labor, as slavery gradually disappeared; which
ana not turn them as they got to 81 and Is wears
Oh aye, loose on society to become vagabonds and
nuisanccs, but retaining them still under control
and discipline until the proceeds OF their hire was
sufhclent to defray the expense of their removals
ana thus relieved the community from all appre
tensions of he ng infested with idle, vicious and
worthless tree negroes, and of having to he bur
'nencd with the expense of sending them off This
| plan had received from him u serious, close and
dlspassionatc cXamnaton-hc had underworld to
view 1t IN all its bcarings-it met with his decided
! superintendent though a public man, re-
strained by tn" letters which justly bind Il repre-
sentative, he would not adopt the pl,o fnnlv
without having first obtained the appreciation nnJ
sd"c'ioh oi the people; yet when RENTED to the
rec ON or private man and individual citizen, he
| S"ou'' give II his Jealous and hearty support and
continue to do so until a better plan was presented
which he could not hope to Sec
III would he forming an erroneous opinion and
taxing very limited view of the subject, To sup.
Use tnat the present state Of public feeling was Mt
'ributablc solely to the trapcal events in South
n"Ptoh last summer That tragedy brought no
tin@ new to the minds of the rejecting portion of
| Frg'nia--t was at most Int an earlier and moro
me'ahch"'y realization of their apprehensions-
lh" s'atr book showed that snch an authorization
iad been formed long SINCE or else why pass nil
inc laws concerning patrols, unlawful asscmbarcs
oil slaves TO prevent their being taught reading g.
writing, &c. &c But that terrible event had forced
inc Whole community to reflect on tho dreadful
Z rfnr nt
was without remedy.
on the multiplied and dcsolating evils ,r slavery
he was not disposed To much: the cause and IFS
oeteriorating consequences were within the obser
'ation and experience of the members of tho IIouse
anu the people OF Virginia, and it did seem to him
That there could not be two opinions about it, But
therc were strong objections to discussing this
branch of the subject i'm its details and ho would
content himself with giving brief attention TO tho
strange political effects produced bv the existence
of this unnatural connection of master md slave
ii" would not use the word defy, but lie would in
vtc any gentleman, however talented TO point ont
a mode ot rcsuscita,ing tho declining fortunes of
lower Virginia, and efficient (rcmoy,I of
inc evils of slavery cxccped) as n iudcious system
nt internal Improvement, that should draw tho nro
ducc OF Middle and Western Virginia to the mar
ket towns of The East. Were the trade of Rich
mono so enlarged, as TO augment her population
10 hitY or SeventyGve thousand, and the trade of
Norfolk SO cncIeascd 10 give her a populnt ion
ot from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and
hty thousand, and the trade of PETERSBURG Alcx
andria, fredericksburg, Lynchburg & Danvi;le pro
Porlonahly augmented, and their populat or nronor
uonabiy encreased, did not every one see the inn
mcnse advantage to the tdcwater portion of Vir
gi"ia, rs well as To Middle and Western Virginia2
III any one doubted that such encrease of trade
population, and consequently capital, would follow
+ the construction OF adequate improvements let
HIM look at the map Of the State, and his doubts
would be removed Examine tho man of the
United States and it will he that only two
commercial towns in the Union New York and
New O-eans) possessed superior ADVANTAGES to
Norfolk, for for: ign and domestic trade. Yet the
large slave holders, of the lower country continu
ally opposed all measures calculated to accomplish
those purposes. And it seemed to him, that this
strange course could not be accounted for other
wiSc than by the supposition that, dcsirous of per-
petna,Ing The evils of slavery, they unprecedented
that THIS object would be defeated, by the establish
nent OF large commcrcal emporiums among us:
that the activity, enterprise and intelligence gene
rated by, and inscperably attendant on, extended
and prosperous trade; and the prospcrity activity
and enterprise thereby diifused over the surround
ing country, would introduce n spirit and ntelIi
g"nce fatal to the hope of perpetuating slavery
Again, the large slave holders had the means of
educating their sons, at any college or university
they pleased; and many o. them wisely DISCHARGED
their parental duty in this respect. But lot anv
plan De proposed, by which 10 facilitate and i'm
prove the education ofthc middle and poor classes
OF society, 1T met with the decided opposition Of
the large slave holder; although the plan NAV
have succeeded admirably in other States and be
mighty recommended in this. Ii would seem as if
1t were thought better that the S45, 900 annually
appropriated 10 the primary schools, should be
wasted and misappiied, than rendered useful and
elective Tor the purpose for which it was ayowcd.
ly appropriated. Adding to the intelligence mo-
raIlty and christianity of the poorer part of tn .
community, might not be favorable to the perpc-
tuation of slavery.
The right of suffrage might be literally extend.
cd in other States, but its extension had been
warmly opposed and curtailrd here it might he
safe and proper in free States, but it met with op
position here, on account of the existence of sIa
very? Other instances might he adduced to illus
trate The strange and anti-pariotic sentiment rcnc
rated by the evil of slavery; but he would forbear
lie had spoken of large slave holders; he knew
there were bright exceptions among them; he knew
also, that the remarks did apply TO small slave
holders, many Of whom were willing to give up
their slaves, if means could be provided Of send
ing them Off; at least, this was the case in Camp
bel. ;"
1t had been doubted in conversations and the
remarks of the gentleman from Brunswick (Mr
GhoIson) had called ii to- his recollection, whether
The non-savchodcr ought Justly to he allowed to
vote on this question. This seemed to Mr. r. to
be very pain, if the decision of the question affected
the interests of the community, the non-slave.
holder was entitled az one of the communitv to
be hcard if the interest of the STAKEHOLDER was Sc
pcrIted from that ofthe community the non slave
holder was DISTINGUISHED, and his votc
entitled to more weight. But it was n,anifestlv n
SUBJECT involving the interest Of tho entire com
muniiy, and every person entitled by IFS laws TO
The right of suffrage, should have his vote. Mr.
H. ga not mean TO say, or insinuate, that the
gentleman had denied the right Of the non.s!avc
holder to be consulted; but when the genilnuiau
cnquirod whether he as stakeholder had a right
question IL q IVA int tnI