Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-02
(Frsm the Lancaster in!eiiigtacer }
ABOLITION
MT. BliCHANAN'S III

the substance oil Tue OH i've
eub.c, pf sb,rn mace hy MIR buchanan, ut Inc grea'
Democratic meeting held in This city, on Saturday, the
18Th August Their publtcaii"n '''' been rendered ne
cessary by the risreftsscnlapas 10 WHICH 'ey N'e a
ready been sutjectrd: :, :. :.
oorlspce to the peace and pepeuy OF the Uni"n which
had NO, occupied much OF tic attention oil The iocr
,oaakels; and, therefore he would make few remarks
mo, II he referred 10 Abolition. Was Joseph Rtner |
an a5rlitiouisr? This was most interesting question
If he were then friend "a tie existence oi our gori
ous Union rhl in favor OF his election as go
yernor lie confessed, he had been asonisted that The
friends of Governor Riner had den:ed t''s chsrse ne
would do him the justice 10 say that ne never heaso OF
his denying it himself Ga the contrary, IN hPr' las''
in bis l-er Ia the rl:.Slavery Society OF PsOurg lie
h.I bodi, and rnsntn|y affirmed The doctrines on
this subject cnn.rnea in his nssSage OF 1886 1t tins
MESSAGE the :rfore proves hm 10 he an "C"'inns t"ii
r.. yan FIR anv man TO contend that he had not fairly
presented himself in abolition coors whilst he
candidate. :.
linn doctrines Of the Governors message of 1885, il !
will h. necessary 20 take hls;y review OF the
which produced their open and solemn avowa. Upon
examination. this will clearly appear TO be, the defeat
which the aholi;innlst had sustained ct Tie session o
Congress- Immediately preceding his messag", and The
necessity that The Governor OF Pennsylvania should
CONE 70 the rescue Of his associates
Before The spirit Of abolition had been u7ed rP
from i,s dark abode by political fanatics and raded
enthusiasts all was comparatively peaceful and tran
Gull IN the Soalh-rn States Slavery had been most
unfortunately introduced into these States BE- our Brit
tis!l!
F.d.ral Constitution and this constitution did not /
merely leave there, bnt expressly guaranteed !" the
slave holding States thoT prop"i'y ~ saves, and The
exclusive Dominion over the Iut Stl"n If savrry wi:hn
,!.if re.o.cye .rreas Suc!: is Ia" clear language OF
In. Constitution i:sei; and sc" was the construction
the frs, Congress placed upon it. Without this solemn
constitutional compact, the Southern States would
n.vs, have been 2ai,ieS 10 the Union; and the bless
;nys ard BENEFITS winch il has C7aisI,rd and vii
fer not un!y Ur"n n"T own country bat III" whole hu.
man race would Hr"e. have been realised Those III the
IL, tl,,yp
determine Ia dissolve the Cnion. The is The
sarv con.PqueGcr "i i!ie other
The Southern p.op'r br;..a ab,litioa commenced,
r,,osiny on their constitutional ri has, had much. very
u.-lI snr!ioraleG cond;;iuu a: their slaves Edu
ca,inn and particularly religious ednca'ion was becom
iur common alnncsi them. In several at the States,
he qGesion Of grana emancipation had begun to be
freely discussed This question had heen seriously dc
t.t-I in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky aud Missouri:
and the doc,riue had found nnGief"us and ,sencd al
yoc.es among he most distinguished If ltrss
States In virginia the at The trie mis- Of gradual
emancipation had been raised with her l'gisa
tive halls and had bsen almost ss!u Another Fl
fort. and this ancient ard powerful Commonwealth
iyht hs We followed the example OF fen:Sy iSsa, ard
have become free STATE.
B, N. spirr, Of atron hai lighted The f.;r pros
peel, xd osnnncd 'r !om period, if not forever.
In. emancipation Of he slave Self preservation. which
which ia tie Iaw Of Nature, and lie fear Of 5cTye
insurrection, with all rs attendant horrors, have
us!aa the master 10 at.idge The liberty and indulgence
which he formerly granted 10 bis slave. y" sound OF
emancipation crrsts the ear in any If tie S"u,hcin
States No man could hc found there, at the present
moment, sufficiently bold 10 attempt 10 Ta:s" the qnes
too in any legislative assembly. Such ha7e been ihe
di,eal effects OF abolition upon The poor slaves lhen
A,thc session Of 1898 Cha, session which mme a,e
Is preceded s,'nps message The question OF Abolition
hsd pied much OF the ':e and attention al Congress
a had been discussed under every possible aspect Re
ons for the abolition of slavery in the District of Co
uo,ia got 10 and circulated by the anti slavery socie
ties pnured into Congress from the free States This
r,ols which abel! could
tats the question in Congress, because fanatic I" MIR
BIS knowledge had been go mad as to contend TIA;
Congress had any p'wer over slavery WITHIN The slave
Se:es Themselves Petitions 10 abolish slavery IN the
District nf Cniuuba formed part OF In. grand scheme
Of agitation by wic lie aboi:ionlsts expected to &C
comPlsh their purposes. ihr"nEh"n! The spring, sum
,,rr and autumn of l-.,J. cuihned attempt made
upon tho Southern States not on'y by agitation in the
North but by scattering the South. through The post
oiiics and ~ travelling agents. The West publications.
and pictorial atoms. lie had himself
many Of them Their natural tendency pro
duee dissatisfaction and revolt among the slaves aud
10 ,aci;e their Wild passions 10 vengeance. seville
instruction would present scene % horrors which
he would not attempt 10 GrPiCt. II would spare
neither ace nor sex What agony of mind
have hren suffered specially By the gentle seSdur.
ing this period OF alarm! nAny mother cssped her
infant 10 her bosom when she retired To rest under
dreadful anprehcTSpns that size might DE aroused from
her ,un5ers by The savage yei!s OF The slaves by whom
phe surrounded THESE were the works of the abo
lonsts. The motives of many al them may have been
honest, but their zeal without knowledge. The
history Of mankind affords numerous instances Of igno
rant enthusiasts the purity Of whose intentions could
be doubted WHO have sGIead devastation and blood
shed the face Of The earth This sbuse OF the post
Office had become alarming, that General Jackson
eloquent and indignant language, called the special al,
ten,ion Of Congress 10 il in his message OF December
1885, and recommended remedy. "ln c6nnecuon.
said he, "wlh these provisions in relation the Post
Office Department mus, also invite your attention 10
the painful excitement produced in The South, By NJ.
TEN rs circulate htoug Oh the mails inf,mmsory up
peas the slavcs and in various sorts Of publications,
calculated to stimulate Them 10 insurecton, and 10 pro
dnce al! the horrors Of servi!p war.
Under the influence Of tn" feelings excited BY these
causes, the Sou,hrrn members Of Congress reached
Washington IN December, 1888 Many Of them, with
sorrow and anguish OF heart declared tia, if the South
err States could not remain in the un!on without hav
ing their domestic peace continually disturbed by the al
tenpts vf the abo.toniS,s the great ew Of !ip!cser
walton would compel them to separate from the North
Immediately a!.er the commencement "i The session.
and Throughout lis continuance The a3n!uoaSts intent
upon their ol -ct. Immense numbers OF petitions
10 Congress for he abolition slavery Ia the Uis;ic OF
Coiumba couchcd in language calculated 10 exapeIaie
the Southern members What did they ask That
in the District ten miles square, coded 10 Congress
BY slave holding States, ard surrounded BY them
slavery should BE- abolished Wha, would have resulted
from granting their request; ioa would have thus es
tab!isbed c,ad the very ha of these Siales upon
territory which they had granted you for dirIen
purpose from which abo'c:ss and incendisrs could
securely aac. the peace aud safety Of tlc: Citizens
The District would have becomr city Of refuge within
the slaye holding STATES for slaves You would
have created by lax central iagazne from which
trains OF gaupoScr might be securely laid, extending
into the Surround. S;Etes which might, at any
,nent produce fearful and destructive explosion -
By passing such law, you would have Introduced
the ENEMY into the bosol;s OF these two States
and afforded hin. excellent opportunity to produce
u scrve insurfscti.n. Is there any reasonable
man. who for moment suppose that Virginia
aud Maryland would have coded The District Of Go
iumbs 10 thr uucd States, il hry bad entertained
th= sgh,ss, liza 'ha, Congress would abuse ii for