Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-16
CONTAMINATION

COJHJh CsNIC.IIED.
have seen in the Enquirer of Saturday tbe 1ib an ar
cie oil great length and vruence, signed Appomattox
inc writer undertakes TO give history of the re-
cent debate in the House of Delegates-of the causes
winch he supposes, led 10 it, and TO review portion or
me aeoate Itself do not propose examine at length
me singular production of Apponattox tboub ,ora
Vulnerable essay has seldom been submitted to am engbt
ened public The narration abounds in errors and mac
curacies-the attack, in wanton iiberolitv tn go.
menu argument it contains, has been repeatedly am
swered ana Is clearly rcuted by the suicidal effort IF
Appomattox'' himself The design 50 obui ,, Sol on
OUT mat " he who runs may rcad' it, is one the accom-
pishment of which may suit the present purposes Of
but cannot retad the success those
oec's so vehementy opposed by him. which are foo
either 10 be. 80 S 's'"e
ne rome and temper of "APpomatox' is better suited
10 me arrogance OF Dictator, than to the equality of
republican citizen, who seeks advise or eniehten his
fellow citizens. - 9 'i'
The effect ofhis speneic ebuion may hasten the .en
which he seems TO suppose is had in view bv others and
IN hat light will be regarded by those who look TO that
"o as me object OF primary Importance Gl any such
mere Oe) raher as fortunate occurrence than matter
TO be deprecated 1900 '''
APPomattox says. that, as he is informed the gentle
man who submitted the substitute TO the motion made to
b ~ sne committee, recommended his plan in de-
oate chiefly by the authority of Mr. Jefferson The
% IS uat gentleman referred TO the authority of Mr.
only alter had been questioned and furnished
the evidence OF an unpublished letter of his ancestor ia
PROVE mat ne mad not as some supposed abandoned in af
ter lie, the views and hopes which he entertained r.; lie
commencement. That he at all times desired the abon
uon OF slavery in Virginia. and believed il practicable
VIII DC demed by no one But, "Apponattox' says al
nd
the deportation OF the slaves is possible have given
my mind to the subject and over again. have ex
nea an inc schemes for the purpose that have been
proposed III my tme with willingness and earnest desire
10 be convinced, until found them all hopeless and
nave never seen one which would bear the slightest touch
OF examination And upon this the thing is proclaimed
impossible! The people are forbid TO tbnk te r ~
speak, OF abolition because "Appomattox - in the nen
tude oil his wisdom, deems it impracticabel F
lis really amusing, in country like ours TO see an in
uluai assume inc bearing of Appomattox' As no harm
eGic o. such instances of lody dicaIion, it is WELL
occasionally to receive the lessons which they mpart
For effect, ad copfdldlvn 'Appomatox' sneots Of h
" indiscreion youth and nexpericncc," &c. some
OIL those who took part in the late debate He quotes
passage from one of the speeches. which lie saws
IS not " original" If in this, he designed to CHARGE
'hat the language OF another had been ntentonail,
employed, without giving due credit TO the real au
thor, INC charge is unfoundcd it is ungencrous
IL he mean that the position assumed by the speak
er Is not original that it has been maintained be-
iore the remark is wholly gratuous inasmucb as no one
at this day. could claim have made the discovery The
truth Of that position, as Appomattox' well know
~ was lhcnusu 10 90 applied, has been too long felt, to
be proclaimed now for the first time.
little becomes "Apponaox'' to charge anv one with
want originality In his abored effort of about eirbt
columns, hc has suggested or said anv ono tI
which had not been said and iofnteIv bc,tcr s;d -
gentlemen who took part in the debate save and excen
ms lhbera attack upon those who avowed opinions differ
eni from his own and his notable project ayTange 20
hnfeer companies IF minue-inen" and Gin short" 10
convert Eastern Virginia into military camp, to suppress
that which he thinks never happen
To alarm the shareholders and unite them in Me
4
has been made to "dssuade the non-slave holders among
u.s. from uniting with the savehoders in executing the
ordinary duties Of police intended keep our slaves in
que subordiDation." IL would that nothing but
wlliui attempt at perverson could have effected such
an interpretation The fact that perfect community of
interest cannot exist among the citizens of this Common
wealth, so long slave population remains among us
and that Its safe continuance is Effected by the care of those
VINO nave not the interests Of o,cHers argument for
me removal OF that population, not be dsregardcd by
hosc who look to the rights and the interests of the ,oe
people III to assert law unequal unjust i'm its opera
uon IS necessarily "wiul attempt to "dissuadc the
clcn from ITS observance "Appomattox" is certainly en-
titled to the merit Of originality in the discovery
"AppomattoS" is equally opposed to all schemes of abo
hlon, present or prospective for the liberation of
s0Des by c0i0HiEdOiall schemes in short profsssino
that object, by whatever or processb RE e
against all which may be devised or recommended as
wen as ihose which he has examined, with so much
tcuingnesS and earnest desire to be conUnced." Now
il Is idle TO with one who enterlans opinions like
his They The opinions Of past ages He belongs 10
class OF men, which has existed in every country and
who are always for the present order Of things In 1896
he would have opposed the Revolution In France he
would have been the firm friend Of Charles the Tcnih
and IN England, he would be anti-Reformist lie is
insensibe Of that powerful though invisible, neral nhu