Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-13
where he will 4 upon footing Of greater equs

lily with nus e's".'
Is But, dependent Of the enervating and par.
popuiaii1 there are pecuniary losses, arisin.
from tjthat are heavy drawbacks to the agricuI.
turis,J Most Of the iabors Of agriculture have
beeak onfidsd to careless operators. The slave
feel no inducement to execute bis work with
EJECT. He has q peculiar art Of sighting it; and
seeming to be busy, when. 10 fact, he is doing
little or nothing Nor can he be made to take
proper care of stock, tools, or any thing else
HI will rarely take care Of his clothes, or bis own
health, much less of his companions when sick
and requiring his aid and kindness. There is,
perhaps, not IN nature, q more needless, though.
less human being than Virginia field negro -
With no care upon his mind, with warm cloth.
ing. and plenty Of. food. under good master,
he i. Far The happier man OF the two His mar.
i'm is. Come day. 60 day, God send Sunday"
III, ahhprrence Of the poor white man is very
gre4t re may, sometimes, feel a reflected res.
pect for hin. in consequence OF the confidence
ADD esteem Of his master and others. But this
tra, is a. remark able in the white in the black
mao An drsprsp poverty. and seem to worship
wealth To the Iosses which arise from the dis.
posn,ons of our slaves, must be added those
uhcb are occas,oned by their habits. There
seems to ne almost an entire absence Of moral
o. incipie among the mass Of our coloured pnpuIa.
ton But details upon this subject would b.
here misplaced. 10 steal and not be detected
is a moral among them; as It was with certain
people in ancient times, and is, at this day, with
some eulishted portions Of mankind. And Ii.
wee which they hold ipr,.he greatest abhorrenc.
il that of telling upon one another. There are
many exceptions, il is true; though this deScrp.
ton embraces more than the najority. The Hu.
merous free negroes and worthless, dissipated
whites, who have no visible means Of support,
and who are rarely seen at work. derive their
chief subsistence from the thefts of the slaves
These thefts amount to great deal in the course
Of the wear, and operate like eeches on the lair
income If agriculture. They vary, however, in
every county & neighb,rhood, 10 exact proportion
as the markets for the plumber vary. In the Vi
entities Of towns and villages, they are the most
serious Besides the actual loss Of property &c
casioned by them. they involve the riding Of our
horses at night, and the corruption Of the habits
and the injury of the health Of the slaves; for
whiskey is the price generally received for them.
These evils have teen always felt; but they have
become SO great of late, that the Legislature
ought to provide more efficient remedy. The
statute book would seem to contain one. >"Whe.
Their the defect be in the law or in its execution
10 not for the To decide. 1t sometimes happens
that the head thief On farm is in partnership
with the overseer; and when this is the case, the
husbandman has no chance for profit"
IS Albemarle is the native county Of the wri.
ter; yet, he 10 not blind to the beauties, the ad.
vantages and value of lower Virginia. Its great
misfortune has been, the facility with which sub.
sistence could be procured without much labor
The palatable productions Of the air, the land,
and the water, have too much enervated, may |
not say paralysed the energies Of the people At
one time, the monopoly Of property and the proud
aristocratie feeling Of the Dons, kept every thing
subservient to them; and, to them, and their
pride, and practical ant.repubIicanism, lower
Virginia 10 more indebted for her dropping appear.
ance, both in the general aspect Of the country,
and the general mind, than to any thing else
The effects Of emigration would not have been
so serious in lower Virginia. Guf for the pride Of
d" untitled nobility" Thank God, that there is
now some hope for change! The revolutions
Of fortune have left but few Of the old Gentry
who are not more or less disposed to minsIe,
without conscious disgrace, among the common
people: and. always, when they want Office or
public favor: and those who do remain Of lha.
caste, whilst they may justly feel the pride Of
pedigree, must feel also conviction that their
ancestors have little ov.rstepped the mark, on
This subject. But things are getting right; and
it is unseemIy to talk too much about departing
shade! We ought to let il pass; because We
have more recent. and nov more formidable pre-
tensions to combat" ="
owe have too long trod in the old and beaten
track Of our ancestors Has not the time arrived
when the agricultural community out to rouse
from this lethargy-avaIl themselves Of the won
Ierful improvements Of the age-at any rate
show disposition to avail themselves of all new
discoveries, and better their condition. Why
should we permit every thing else TO get so far
The start Of usi Our neighbors to the north
and even TO the west, derIde and shame us, By
heir Superior skill and industry, and the conse.
luent superior advantages and comforts they en-
oys Then, letus {" be up nd ADDING" We
rave the climate, the soil aud other superior ad.
Vantages that kind Providence has bestowed
upon US. We have every thing necessary for
he exhibition Of enviabIe scenes Of rural beauty,
prosperity, happiness-yes, every thing but the
disposition to do SO. How
oDg will we submit to such just reproach!!"