Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-02


impe'cd by these IIriivrs. The Senate upon MS 'n'
tnn aner the petitions Ind b:cn received, r,lc'e, 'e
prayer Of thr petitioners by vote o "a 70 " "',u
fused TO abolish slavery IN the bis'f'Gi 81 :,
r. a two Senators ,rc Massachusetts the wv" - "''"
r. m Vernon, aud one from ln:inha. ana "''' i"'''
Rhod- Island were al who voted 10 TIC "esa''s ~, 40
the House ihese petitions sha't' ',!e sa''' | '
were referred 70 q comml'i'e' a '"ai''y We h;t a.
..Ip3 or rco.eceut,;ivrs nm Tree StaCs "i when F'
pn,kn,v %; South CAroila,. was Chairman al a"ie'
,enne-aa ard iudico::s report was made al" 'o'"'"
,, yos recommended That Congress ought MOI l"
j., any way with slavery ~ the District 9" "a.
lui;ibia MS Ns"4ut'o" "'' 'E'i'" y "
Tkus stood ,hr question The lth Of ]alr, la'G.
when Congress sGiourncdS The ms':seis q" Congress
from The culdng States. ard Their constituents had
r;,hi 20. eynfc, prnce The question had ttcn fully
discussed aGI deliberately decided by ororw hrlmn aia
inses and The South had reason /" hope thai The no
rirv would acGrrscc. al ast for season, ~ th" w O!
I,ai ,ri,v No, SO thought Joseph Rncr, The Govern
or o. PENNSYLVANIA Ia his Message Of December, 1886,
after Gennunciur The Democratic members OF Congress
from yvaa for i!l*ing abandoned the pi!'cy and
interests of the State, from motives OF sn5SeIFeHcy 10
tho Executive Of the na.inn and after enumea!in4 Sc
veral particulars in which lie alleges they had thus vo.
late. their ,iuy The nod Of pawer, lie adds, Inst,
but worst nf all The base G"wing OF me Knee To The
dark sp!rit Of slavery For what cause d!d The demo.
cratic representatives Of this S,aetnr what cause ga
nv ,es,ec,sd cgiIcarue Gen. McKcan) merit this de-
rurcjstjon Irnn the Governor it il were NJ" i"r having
resisted the efforts Of the ahoons's, ana having "p'
pnscd the addition OF slavery in the District oi t"un.
b,: a. the time i was thus understood every where.
boil, in and oul of the State Instead Of sustaining The
character Pennsylvania for devotion to The Union and
cheering on her representatives at Washington IN the
aond cause which they had been aGVocalng he brands
their sipro: Of il as base boWihg ol the hee 10 Tue
dark spirit of slavery"
The abolilioniss throughout the Union hailed lhS
sentiment with delight and J".eph Rner has ever since
been rS,oad in all their publications. one OF their
mos, js,ir.u:sbpd advocates 1t bat the other day
4 H.. ~ atc1 in
an abolition print in Pittsburgh Indignantly reprIod the
idea advanced by Wing press Of that city, 'h" Joseph
RI,ncr was not abolilionls Show me an abolition
list throughout the Stale, ana VIII sho" you asApPot'e
Of Gov Ritner
And here would ask fellow citizens if il be possible
TO assign any other motive for introducing the subject,
in December 1876 into the Governor Message, but 10
snsair and cheer the anti slavery societies und abs"
ans;s and encourage Them no, to relax Their Efforts,
and encourage trm not 10 relax their efforts, E""ilh
standing their then recent defeat in Congress: WHY
i, mentioned at all, j: not for this pnrp"S':
The Governor proceeds further in his message. ar.
kansas was about 10 become State. Arkansas was
south of the lire fixed by the celebrated Missouri com
PROMISE which saved The Union within whcE slavery
might exist TIE people o! Arkansas held slaves The
abolition petitions had prayed shat State should
bc admitted into the Union where slavery existed J'-
serh Ritner gave the a3Dlionis,s his a, by Coming
out boldly and strongly IN his message against i'. ad'
mission Of any STATE in the l:cn where slavery
recoGnIZtd
He is equal, explicit in u-ging he abolition oi slave
~ 10 .he District OF Columbia. Ia his own lmau1ge,
opposition the admission into the Union OF n" slave
hn,dng States aud opposition To slavery IN the District
OF Columbia the y-ty hearth and abode Of the national
honor. have ever been and 'he cherished doctrines
of eur STATE. Leg us fellow citizens, stand by and
maintain them unshiimkng!y AMI Irar!rssiy
II is very true, he admits tha. The free States have 10
powrr over thu question Of slavery. in tic holding
States; bu: hal there been any fanatic wild before The
date n his message, 10 assert such power: Not to
my knowledge. On the contrary this has always been
admitted How then slavery 10 be ah0iIshCG IN the
Suuh By the existence Of antislaycry societies IN the
North; BY Inc Efforts %! the aboHrs,s To arouse the IN
Crna ri .:ngs OF or Gill2sns against our Brethren IN
the South because they WIRE unfortunately bora slave
hnIdcs-by making OF the post office Ito scatter
rows fire. brands and death among the slaves them.
selves ccu'a-d II not rtehdrd, 10 ncIle them To Iisnr
rec:nn and by thus surrounding their masters with so
many dangers force them I" ncIPa,e their slaves
Those " no opposed THIS conduct the direct tendency Of
which was divide the Ciiu and 10 !GT"ye our brethren
of The South IN A seville denounced as Tie
mes Of ire discussion and as snhS"TrIeDi souls, VINO
would bow Eri. knee 10 The dark spirit Of slavery Ac
cujingy hnd Governor Rinef, in Ills message, re-
pcaiinu non his subject what had been said hundred
i'm, lc!ne in TIC ahniiiion papers. Above all, said
he Irt y;rd up the right "t !fre discussion OF
any evil which laY arise IN the land or any part T." 1t
convinced ,ha, the do so. the bond OF union
is broker. The fglt Of free discussion certainly ought
ever - hc surrendered. Bat r:nh Is oae t;ung an
IT, abuse another. IL is certain al! have r:ght TO
discuss the GrrsGr o slavery; bG. IS proper TOR Us -
uTpiiZP UuS|ftE mo ahi S.uNGl
e1cse this rsh, systematically for the purpose OF do
ing sy ruud home; for thank God! here slavery dacs
not exist but for that o! s?;ecdrng terror and alarm
throughout the Southern States OF t'sfian.:ng among
the slaves themselves. through The mnliS and ny private
agents. vile publications and pictorial representations,
calculated 10 prntucc gcrvle nsu'rsct!0a, and thus 10
force i.ieir master 10 cmancpaie them or abandon e
Union Snppnsc should lhus act towards foreign
G0TcCnment would IL not he just c7u8a O war: ANA
have We eny greater right 20 interfere with the dones
tic institutions of Mary lard and Virginia, than with
those OF Cuba
When the message Of Governor Riiurr was received
in Washington, in le3G. il considered 10y all as an
abolition ge; and rs sUch, it produced an impression
which shall never forget. W:lh the ulm0s! anxiety
depicted the countenance Of The iuquireis, was
asked and over again. whether, IN my opinion, II
apnke the voice OF Pennsy vania: The Keystone State,
which had been The frmcsl huwak of The Union, and
had always respected the constitutional rights Of her
ter States had embraced far her Governor could
commit her 4 creed, and had placed herself IN the
lrnn, rank OF abolition 1t remains for the people OF
this great Commnn wealth. AT the next election, 10 aiy
or 30 reject the doctrines of this message. consider
the question be of run-cendani importance. in
voiving in itself the fate Of the UnIon aud al! tint is
near and dear hr friends Of Constitutional Liberty,
not only here, hu, throughout ii:e w0,d.
Should J9s III R.Gcr he elected the people nF Penn.
svlvania will have declared, in vcice Of thunder, that
Fln:d- shall be admitted into the Uuon, becsuS. it
will I've slave holding State; that the question OF abnsh
ing slavery IN the District OF Columbia shall again and
apan be sgated TO disturb the repo.e o the Union; snd
tia, The doctrines of abolition from whc! these hu
e,nanatiuns, shalt be maintained, matter waI may
he the fatal consequence. Willis. his election will be
hailed victory ny the ahvilionsts every where Il
will he felt 10 the cxrrmiIies Of lie Union uIus,
Dor,rnlous omen Of s dissolution.
| have studiousy avoided producing any proofs that
Joseph Rner is al ahntons', except from his
emn message The doctrines Of which have been
" reiterated in his letter the anil slavery society Of
Pittsburgh II is true might have cited TIE Efforts
made hy his political friends. 10 obtain the Hall Il" the
LEGISLATURE a place Of meeting FOR the Abolition Com
ventinn: the cordlaty with which he received its mem
bers mud the spirit thus Infused n,o them by his
leuance and Conversations his preference for leading
ahoionsls in making of his most importan, ap
poir,nents; and numerous other circumstances tending
1 E.at [ ,...-. Ii.-.. -I. L