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

' dTTUWs TIIaO OF TC OONIIOTWC lTH, upon TIs TWOTHChtOIS
subject. A select committee had been appointed, comnos-
ed Of gentlemen of high standing, for their talents and i'm
tcgrty by a special vote OF this House, that Committee
had been enlarged, and gentlemen from various parts OF the
State have been added TO that Committee this very circum-
stance had attracted considerable importance TO the commit.
tee. This committee had been long and laboriously engaged
in investigating tbs al-absorbiDg question; the people
were waiting with eager expectation, and anxious solici-
tudc, TO see their report. Under these circumstances, Mr.
B. could not see the propriety of thus prcmaturely snatch
ing the question from the consideration OF the committee.
lie was prepared to take upon himself the responsibility
oil declaring in his place, that no scheme OF emancipation
could be presented TO this Legislature, for which he could
or would votc-he did not believe the public mind, at thi,
moment, prepared for the dcciion of that question-he
represented a people whom he was proud to say, enter
tanned as liberal views upon this question as any people i'm
any portion of the Statc--hc represented a people whom
he was proud TO say felt Il warm and lasting sympathy
with their Eastern brethren upon this subject; he was
well satisfied that he represented the wishes and opinions
oil hi constituents, when he declared his readiness TO CO.
operate with his eastern brethren in any scheme which
they, IN meu wisdom, might consider most feasible, i'm
order to secure their present tranquility and permanent
Mr.. h. d. ired the report of this
committee, in order that each individual, forming one OF
the component parts of this Commonwealth. might con.
tribute his mite of wisdom to the subject, and that some
future Legislature might be enabled TO meet the question,
knowing at the time Of acting upon it, what the people
desired-he therefore, earnestly hoped, that the House
would reject both the resolution and the amendment.
MIR. BOILING regretted that the subject had been forced
upon the House by the Introduction of the resolution of the
gentleman from Mccklcnburg.-The committee had had
the subject under consideration, and a report was EXPECT
ed from il in n few days. Those who are friendly 70 act
ing upon the whole subject, had hoped that the committee
would have been allowed 10 rcport;--but gentlemen had
thought Int TO purSuc 4 different course;-and had prcma-
turciy forced the discussion of the subject upon us; no al
tentative WIS left To him but arcumcnt-and he fell i'm
periously bound to adopt it, and he would do so.-In doing
so, however, he did not deem it necessary or proper 10 en-
Ter lto an argument upon every point urged by those who
had preceded him in debatc. The course pursued by the
gentleman from Rockbridgc he could not approve-no, he
could not.
- The question of abstract RIGHT is NOT = question nov.
at all, proper TO be mooted--for the system OF slaverv, now
existing IN this Commonwealth, is not the work of oui
hands, but a curse cntailed upon us by our ancestors. The
position he should take in the discussion of this question
was one of poicy-nay, Sir, of self preservation. The
advocates OF slavery-while drunk with prejudice. ex-
claim-we are sober-It has too long been the pleasure Of
those who are welded TO a system of slavery TO brand al
Tits opponents with opprobrious epithets. To represent
them as enemies TO good order; as persons DESTROYS of tear
ing up the foundations of society by the roots-thereby
endeavonng TO render them odious-to brand them with
iniamy-to avert from them the public ear, that their
voices may be iostin AIR "as the voice of one crying aloud
IN the wilderness. This, OF itself, is an incontesiblC
proof that they are conscious of the weakness of thcii
cause, No man, who is firmly convinced that he is s,s.
famed by reason and Justice, hesitatcs TO confront his adj.
vcrsary. He, and he alone, who stands sell. convictc,
shrinks from scrutiny;-therefor he acts unwiselv. i'm my
humble Judgment, who, avoiding a dispassionatc considc-
raloh oi a subject, seeks TO entrench himself behind the
false opinions and p%rejudicos of society.-Sir, il is a tacit
admission mat reason and justice are against him, and
that he '.wants none of their reproof."
This, Sir, is a grave and important subiect-one tina
ought to be, and tciH be considered. Its inportonc, do.
mands that it should be considered md debated here and
not, a some gentlemen think, a reascp that il Should be
passed In silence, and acted upon in secie'.- No, Sir, our
action should be calm and dispassionate-but open. bold
and manly. Sir, that il is an evil-a great and an appallinq
cyli-he dared believe no sane man would or could deny.
Nor, Sir, can it be denied that it deprives us of MANY of
those advantages, facilities, and blessings which we should
ENJOY, had we a more dense white population. That it is a
bhghung' whitening curse upon this lands clearly de-
mohstrated by tins very discussion itself. For gentlemen
nave told MS IT had created a morbid excitement through
III, t imDUfuifieGc T9mmSnNcalth-which it was of the ut
We have been told, also, Sir, that the action of this
House had induced Louisiana TO pass laws prohibiting the
Introduction OF slaves into that State. Surely gentlemen
cannntl ~ SnIpttS in ruino tl,. D.-.,. II
gentleman must be aware of the fact, that that law passed
before this subject had been agitated here nj all. II is
evident that the law of Louisiana had grown out of the
tragic occurrences OF the last summer. The same obscr-
walton will apply TO the excitement amongst our own citi-
zens, OF which so much had been said in this debate.
III he thought that any remarks of his would add auclt
to the excitement now existing throughout Virginiaehe
would not utter one word-no,S Sir, not one but hermit thc
question TO pass by silently. He believed tina, the excite.
ment was already abroad-had been long abroad, and ha(
ITS origin in occurrences anterior TO the actions of this
House, in any way whatever. The feeling OF security, Sc
absolutely necessary TO The repose OF society was gone
forever destroyed.
The confidence of the people was utterly Iost.-Nor,
Sir, can this house by refusing TO act, in some way or
other, ever restore TO society that feeling of sccurity-that
confidence which it once enjoyed-and without which il
can have no t0lerdbie existence. Nor does this want OF
confidence and feeling of insecurity, result from any era
ven tcar.-No SIR, II results from the nOblest feelings of the
human hcart,-and it is no partial feeling, but is felt by
all. Who, that has a mother, wife, sister, or child, that
has not felt, when seriously rejecting upon this subject
pangs little short of death?
Yes, Sir, many a brave man who would face, without
shrinking, the terrible array of battle, and with a fearless
heart, spur upon the lannon's mouth. has felt his blood, in
icy currents, flow back upon its source from the chilling
the fearful thouAht that when he should return 10 the home
lac had left surrounded by all those domestic blessings
which make life so dear, nc should be greeted not with
the smile OF JOY and of welcomc, but by the mangled corscs
OF his butchcrcd la~mily.-Shall we saw, then, that there is
nothing to fear, when such feelings as those, but Yesterday
aSltatcd the brdvcst OF u.s. 1t is true, that W. are told
to be atcase- for, say gentlemen, the very breath ofthe nos
trlis ottbc slave, is IN the hands of the master. That the late
deep tragedy, had been the work of fanatics only-true,
but have gentlemen only philosophical principles by which
to graduate ianaticiSm?-have they any arithInetical rule,
by which to calculate the time, the place, the force, when
and where, and how violently il will burst forth. No Sir,
they have not. Fanaticism, of all the horrid passions with
which man is cursed, is the most wild and rnpoyernablc
in its character, and is the peculiar child of Ignorance.
ignorance Is the necessary consequence of slavery; and we
all know, Sir, that our slaves are not only extremely ie-
norant, but extremely fanatical, and therefore, always
dangerous. These are truths, truths that force themselves
upon us; and forces off our most valued and valuable citizens.
Yes, Sr, II drives into reluctant exile, the good. the wise.
the generous, and the brave, who value the rich enjoy.
ments OF domestic happiness, which entwinc themselves
about thelr hearts, with a force more powerful than the
iron grasp with which the child of avarice clings TO The un-
fortunate slave. Yes, Sir, it is such citizens who are di.
ven from this Commonwealth-men who would be Vir-
ginlas ornament in peace and her shield in war.
There Is yet another evil growing out of our present
system OF slavery. itdrives from us the laborinp man
the honest Industrious poor. For, Sir, the STAKEHOLDER
whether he reaps a profit, or sustains a loss bv the en-
/ uInNUUpnl NJ lG glaNn V,Uaf. ..---s Z.