Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-24
'Ehe Richmond Whig.
DEBATE; ON ABOLITION.
Speech Of NJ. .N1RSiL7LL Of Eauguier
ccNriNCSp.'

,ir l!ous". w"a-y ~ II anus, b, u; debate. hn,
that Winch Is derived r"rn The impurtuncr II the
sutJrc'. Standby hesr rs u representative Of
county deeply Interested III tn" t.r.it--a
county c", t"nn" poliul.t - [ twenty rix
Thousand souls, nj w,nu n"ar!v cIJ,l pntti,ns
ere bond and FREQ. he thought he had some
r'aim upon the INDULGENCE of the ilorsc
w'ulc hc presented his views in r, luton Ia the
great On ss'o"s winch have given r,s. to ,lu+
GisrI.s.n. 49,
Tn" wi"c smhj"rt he sn:h on .it To have
hen .c:t With TIE e. ,nn,;,cc. Nn,hinu wa,
more to b" regretted 'han the a,t~mpI To ch.u,,..
is "r .nai dies ina,r'r, ani no ling mora 20 b.
s"preCo;ri Than II premature discussion IN tI,i.
House. The DIR elton gwen {. all the IN. mo =
r'nA H. tn" h;st Instance Wa comic nm hle ton hs
regular coursc "fParhamcntarv pr,re.,!jnrs ,In
ccwmitter the subject night have been safely
examined IN NIL - bearing aud with minute at.
t-n.ion To details. The nos, drlrat. oucst,nu.
IN ghi have been frcly dicussrI, .thnut apy1,
ting tho public mind Ctud. sp"cu!atinn., and
visionary PTCi 'cts, would there have had All en-
hryo existence Us shori osi,war harnl 81. Con.c.
ting opinions & dcortant plan might there haze
mingled III elemental s,Iic; bus ot,lst wDuld
eventually have sprung "ut OF chan>; aud tho
C"nm'cr, rrJ"cing every thing imprscticshls
Or unsri", would mos, probably have .r..por;ca
some well d'gcstch plan. smtrd to the public rx
Pecta'ion, aud calculated To reduce ,he burtiie
which presses on the state: Gcn:i,mcn had
vaialy hoped, by dech"rging nc Comm' ~ rov
the Of this subj ert rt Ter
si'en-s'or; and had as va:uly manifested their
ii'rn'i"n to check all farther nc'ry, and
snow that the Virginia As-cmhL. " IN M, chr
terrain proposition whtck has.emaneip,,ior
Tor i's "tJcct. Sir villa: has been the conse
sirncc: The door hxs been thrown open to
unlimited debate; The etT",t to preclude i, has
Jailed; and tho subject stands be fore is in all
Its awful reality. '.. e.
La the present aspect of hr c,sn hn va. cons.
ttrancu In ynip no n bc ,rin, 70. L.,
tlon, and tho substitute uif-rrd nv m" ycnilr,nsn
rom Alhcmarlc. Pursuing he order in which
'he vote must bs taken, he would begin by
stating his objections To tic suh.li ute.
The first md most sai.fact"ry reasos is
that the pnhiic mind IL not prcpa rcd for the
question f Addition. The members If this
Legislature were not cleo cd i'm r, ference IN
1t. 1T subject of local character however
trivial, bc presented FIR your cons cvra,ion. NM,
you refuse To Interfere unless notice had been
given, Shall wc-"nghi VIC tn leCiSla;c on
subIcct IF universal and SURPRISING interest
without an nncqrivocal exar. s-,nn of,he pub:
lie will? We may individually hazard our scv,:
raj persons or property in any manner that we
I'kr; bat we have no right To leopard the pcr-
sons or propsrty of other p-npi.; and we are
bound t. consult tic wishes Of our cor.i-
tucnts as - the mode of exercising the now
er which they hive conHdcd to U.S. Have
they q Won us authority to lrpisIa,c on sus &c,
which had never been discus cd. and on y h.ch
discussion VAS not expected Since the mean
choly occurrence at southampton the public al
cni!on has been forcibly drawn To tire subject of
our cn'onrcd population nd MANY schemes In y>
been suggested for diminishing the evils of sla-
very; but 1t was not until the meeting IF this
boIy-nay, until this week, that the question If
Addition has been seriously discussed. AN laws.
." BIO "ihrien'. must b. sustained by public sen
. tiHon ;-wilhout this sanction thew cauu1t IoIr
remain upon your statute book,-they NAV do
~""h'.f. ih'y never can do good; but resting or,
the dccP,and broad, and rma nent basis of nHhI;
op'h'on, they are omnip potent. Itis not sufficient
TO say That this law would hare no Immediate
cHect-that time would be given to In. ocopjo .,
modify or cancel it at their pleasure Anv L.
sisiatlve action on the subject, though wholly
prospective, though totally imperative for E,r,y
years, would have present and powerful etF,c,
The ln' re expression ofcpinion by the ature
would have substantial influence. 1t would be
proclaimed from the house tops:-it would roach
the deepest reccsscs of ycnr forests. md no
echoed from The lofticst SUBMITS of vonr mo;,,r,
tninS II Is rot sufficient to say THAT The outs
ton will BE- pEopnundnd To The people for alor.
tinn or rejection. Sir the pubic anir alton of
Inns snhIGct would ccnyulsc this commonwealth
There are ether modes of asce5taining public
sentiment without forcing this question upon the
people Tor pToinlscuohs discussion; ana If that
scn'Imcn. should he III favour of the measure. il
will nssurcdv DC adopted. ,
lie objected tot the substitute. in the second
P'uFc, ocCausc IL. is tD:. SPECIFIC Instead tf
proposing principle it ofFrrs a peculiar plan.
obnoxious to many and very great objections
H. suggests particular mode OF slIectipp n NON.
eTai obICc'. The Committee, under such in:
strncIcn, would BE- ti-d down to a sipolc course !
no latitude ofchoicc would be allow cd them Il
no's'leclon ofthc best means to obvi1te tho dan I
gers " h'ch must ever attend any measure of tn,
kihd, or In guard and preserve the rights Of pro
perry In reference t, this last sui; ct he could
net agree with The gentleman from Berkele !
(Mr. Faulkncr) who had Just addressed tl.
House. That gentleman coEtcndcd that the RIGHT
oproperty could not be enjoy in ruhjoctc which
had 70 eXlslcncc-ihat slaves not vet born had
no existence, and therefore no property in tho IN
could be exercised or claimed Hence he has
inferred that law ola prospective character de:
signed 10 take effect solely in relation 10 The
PosT NATL or those slaves who shall be born NJ
TER the passage ofthe law, would not be a. rio
iatIon OF vested rights. Sir, the gentrcinan1s Ar
Snmcnt proves too much and is therefore not :
sound; ny panty reason ing he may show
that the legislature has n right TO appTopriatfI
the crops hereafter raised upon my land. = The
harvest Is not yet matured, ibc grain itselfl
~ not yet sOwr; and VI tho mere fact of non
existence Is To give authority tor .l,,psfotion !
where is the difference hcim cen tpktmrr nKay
The future produce OF my Land aud tho fur 6rern +
'reasc of my sIayr? The truth is,'thc existence
nj nc after born, though not actual is potential !
ana constitutes IN element Of present value
There is hut csc ground on which The right Of
legislative in cTicrcnec. whether prcxcnt or mo,
rfc,iyr, can ever he placed -neccssitv-s,ern
nnylcidIng Necessity; requiring tc Sacrifices of I
private right tor public good Whenever tho
iThrG"lIiy and security of society shall inner
ouF'y demand tbs sacrifice, tie rights of pro.
P'hty nHf yicid 10 the preservation uf ha ppiness
asa i'"; bif ftiil 1t Is Facrics, and one for