Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-10-06
Richmond, Va, Tuesday, Oct. u
THE DARK. QUESTION.

THE DARK QUESTION
We cheerful lay before our readers the following
''''''' FOR TIE ENQUIRER
AS one Of The regular subscribers to- and readers of
your paper look upon il tlat have right, mot in the
shirt of dctaton through the medium OF Jour columns
n rive my views il regard to the irritating subject OF
Abolition Since the general agitation OF that question,
which has been Of date. your paper has constant
~ hper filled with nothing else bet anti abolition meet
nrs in all the counties hroughout The Stale and Untcd
s,s,cs and their prcanbrs and Resolutions, occupying
= GREAT deal of space, amount to nnthins more than
series of verbosty, with which
am really Disguised. have too TO complain OF you,
Editors for ATTACHING so Ticn ora &c .e
whom is TO he found that miserable wretch, lhomps"n
an exotic from Scoand3 for, you have already seen
enough from Maine TO Georgia, t" sausiy any human
brine in the possession Of sane MIND, that Their doc
tncs arc utterly absurd that consequently the inculca.
ton of them cannot nor will not takc III THIS country
am rather inclined The opinion, That your extreme sen
sveness upon this question arises somewhat rom 1e
effnrs which have been made to identify Mr. IAN Bu-
rem with the Abolilionisls Be this it may, all that
you can say, gansny, will not satisfy or even De ne
ryed by the Wing party, "a missioner by The bye VINO
have long since determined at all hnzards 10 put bni
down. The division desired tn be- produced IN lie ne.
publican ranks by the nominanniof Judge White. will
not carry the Election the House of Representatives,
notwithstanding Webster and Harrison are 10 the field
would therefore, shcw to such degraded and unprlnci
pied politicians as descended snch as
Abolilionism effect their obrct thatl would lay them
aside spurious COIN and rely entirely upon tho known
merits of my iavnritc candidate whose moral ana Po
cal standing is too well known by the virtnnuS and INTEL
eent peape Of this heightened country be shaken by
the assaults of such horde. My opinion IS, that Lewis
Iappan has settled tie matter, (who suppose speaks
the y"ce nf the Society," when he says that ihry l!aTr
determined TO perscvcre, come Ike or death; II any ihl
by the hand Of Violence others will continue tile HesScd
(hrtler had he said diabolicaD work.
would simply ask, why they Ito not run tn" risk OF
following their nccndiary and inlamnato!y pamphlets
and papers into the avchodIm States: II they are re-
solved death success; |. for onr, know the rea
snn-it is this: They have The escape made
b. Mr.. Otis, of Maine, at Lexington in this State; who
went home thoroughly prosrytrd and said to The Anti
Slavery Societies, that he had altogether mistaken th'
and condition o! slaves Notwlths stand.
ing his sudden conversion, hope he is not relative OF
The Mr.. Ots from whose lips such orac'cs ',ll IN IA
ncuu Hail. AN1l-TAPPAN.
We are well aware, that many Of our readers are
nuycs with the Discussionbn have thought IT our
duty from the great interest which the question has
sumd, Ivy all the facts and Developments of public
opinion before readrrs.-The North and the South
ought understand the feelings Of each otrr-the dan.
gers the duties of the Crisis. For this pnosc have
given great length b0th sides Of the Qncs;icn. We
hope the good ana good feeling of the People will
correct the Evil as it always has hitherto done at our
greatest apparent exremty-and when the difficulty has
once been settled and the sky restored to its usual serc
nity then columns will be relieved OF the dark mat
tcIs with which they have been loaded
1t is true, our Correspondent suggests, that this
party rngine-and that they have borne most umjusty
upon Mr. Van Bucn-bu ii is also true that Is calcu.
lated in aspect ultimately to affect the stability OF the
Union tseand that it has been used in another aspect
Immediately by the factinus despcraG"es to shake
the Union. How ii possible then, to blink the qncs-
tion-and not present it il all the c0ronsnrss Of de-
tails which necessary TO convcya right conscep-
ton Of all lis bearings. But if Mr. v Buren, had
sulrly been concerned, would it have become our duty
to dcrnd linn aud his friends against the insidnns at
tackJ of The Opposition: We would most willingly
have waived any such discussion. We were prepared
10 uccc ut the of amncsty-and to separate the A
lition Question from Politics But Of the Wing
Partzais would not have IL soandth"y have put his
friends upon the defence. They lure sr compced HIN
to in his personals appears by the follow
ing extract from Georgia paper: II 49,. '.,
(From the .9uSHsta Courtcr(
We sup pose the following letter from Mr. VAS BrRES
to gentleman of this city, will do but little good with
those who determined on making him an Abolition
list, noens roens; yet it may convnce honest vo
OF the injustice which his opponents continue I" do
him, in the face of all disclaimers
"OswEGo, September 10, 1885
"nY DEAR SIR:-Iour letter of The I'D ult. met me
nj this place on my return from the Falls and lose
time in replying that part of it which relates TO the
continued attempts To prejudice my friends, as we'll as
myself in the estimation Of the South i'll respect to the
Slave Question.
at is deeply TO be regretted that there should bcfound
the part vi any, inducements sufficiently strong to in
excitement, already so alarming, by resort
to impnlatons, in the truth oi which ingenious mind
which attribute views and opinions that are just
y obnoxious the slave holding States, made in The
face of The most explicit declarations my part, deny
ing all authority the part of tic Federal Government
to inlcrrc in the mapr-against the proprcty of ag
ating the question in the District of Columbia and in the
absence OF sing gle fact giving the least conn'cnunce to
the unlnunded mpuations should probably rcqnlte the
candu with which have hitherto been treated BY the great
mass Of my fellow. citizens Of the South l to al
low myself to apprehend that those who would other
wise be disposed to give their confidence, could
der such circumstances, suffer me to be prrudlced in
their opinion, by the unsupported assertions OF my
mics, however reckless vclenienty persisted in.
Were these tabrica;!ons therefore, designed to affect
only should hesitate leave the matter stands,
the spontaneous action of my countrymcn But when
it is intended 10 reach in this way those who honor
with their friendship do not feel myself at liberty to
withhold any correction that may, by possibility, be use
full to them With this view send you the enclosed
proceedings of the citizens of Albany upon the subject
and authorize you say, that concur fully in the
timents they advance. absent from the city al the
time the meeting held, but took early occasion
to advise its CALI and to encourage the attempt TO make
it, what it has bccn meeting of the people, without
reference To their sentiments any other subject than
that which discussed before it: Connected with its
proceedings TO be found the of principal
State officers, Executive and judicial, including the
Governor Of State with array Of private citizens
which, for personal worth and weight OF character has
never to my knowledge been exceled at any previous
meeting 81"
at would be presumption in to add any assurances
Of my own, to the sincerity with which s sentiments
they express entertained, Of their disposition 10
make them cecual upon the important subject to which
they relate. m -
"Nay not then hope that the proofs of an atfcc-
tionae and just spirit towards the rights and interests
of the South Which have been brought on: by this hi.
thero threatening excitement will have the effect in
future all unfoundcd Impressions and put
end to every feeling and prejudice inconsistent with
the principles upon which the Union was founded'
"Earnestly cLershng this pleasing anticipation,
| ann dear sir, very truly
Your friend and obedient servant,
NJ VAN BUREN,"