Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-13

their labor and carefulness That, however, bare af
fectation-a mere prelence for fence law converts
the whole State of Vg inia into vast common; and
honest industrious man, who has accumulated an IN.
dependence, is, by our fence law burlhened with an
unjust aud oppressive discriminating duty, in Ia.
vor Of every and any worthless vagabond who may
chance to rent or seize upon dapdated tenement, IN
adjoining old field, and has generally by thet)
surrounded himself with few meagre cows or hogs
More than that-it an honest man has honestly com
piled with this villainuus law, and enclosed his hardly
earned homestead with legal ence-and one o! these
vagrant lords Of the soil (and they The only lords IN
Virginia who put whole districts Of country anu
hundreds of honest under contrbution) shnil de-
beatey break down that fence and turn in his cattle
the honest laboIing has efficient redresS-ioF
how IS he 10 prove the exact damage: and unless ne
prove il, he gets nohng-lf however, he has the
spirit of man, and redreSses his own wrong ny Hog
ging the scoundre and killing his catle-he gets sued
for assault and battery, and has (under the fence Jaw
10 pay double The worth Of the animal killed -What 10
the justice Of such Iaw'-What is the policy of such
law?-What is the effect Of such law? AS to the
justice Of such law-ils injustice is too manifest 10
need demonstration. If it is just to convert, by law,
private property into general fund.- the fence.law IS
just-and the principle will justify all and each OF
the mad schemes and theories of the famous Fanny
Wright.
AS to the policy of such law-it is only runous
but infamous-t is essentially agraran. II is The policy
OF taxing industry and honesty for tie exclusive oeneht
OF deness and dishonesty 1t is the policy OF offering
rewards 10 lazness and roguishness-and imposing Pc
nates upon industry aud virtue II is the policy OF SOW.
ing tares instead Of wheat, and cultvang brers and
thstes instead Of corn and oats 1t is so, and more;
it the Whole State with galls gules and old.
field pines, instead Of comfortable country houses and
rich lots OF clover 1t is the policy OF warming into life
viper that is TO sting you to death for your folly AS
to the effect of such lazy, it's TO convert one oil The
choice spots of creation into dcsolae waste-a howl.
ing wilderness-and 10 drive the " bone and sncw OF
the Slnle TO the Western wds to escape more fright
full train Of evils than wild beasts and savages; and to
ro iuhI do nnI imunu nrIShm M
all, except the dssoute and worthless! what has
all this CALLING oppression been in favor Of In IA.
Of cows, hogs, horses, and sheep!!! But while
il has borne so hard upon man, has it benefited the
beasts of the field oh, no 1T has been 10 them
like the OF the prostitute TO helr- has pro-
missed them al! that pleasing and jnyous-but has
stripped them of their food and turned them loose upon
the community set of poor impoverished deVIls-bae-
ly able wag along under load of indecent bones that
point, like boards TO their wretchedncs9 and
| the folly and misery of their masters Although our
fenceIaw imposes such heavy tariff upon agriculture
in favor Of cattle &C., Eastern Virginia has to buy work
horses and milk cows und pork, which proves the law
not only private oppression, but public tcurse VI
sheep Eastern Virginia does not possess enough 10 cothe
her sparse population. If any man doubts or denies
this assertion, let him find out what amount OF wool we
export and what of woollcns import-and If
honest he will not doubt or deny it. Turn to the ex.
port of -four and tobacco, and you will find the products
Of that class OF the community, which has been tarlited
for the benefit of class who make very little to eat
and literally nothing 10 SELL Compare the stock OF
who keeps them upon his own land with the stock
of that who turns them adrt under The mgs OF the
fencc.law, and You will be convinced that every man
ought 10 take OF his cattle, instead OF making
them public nuisance. The has plenty of meat
and bread, and that good while the other has but little
Of either. and that Of the most inferior kind
see from the vast schemes of Internal improvement
in agitation that Stale is being (at last aroused to
action, and that Legislators becoming acquainted
with but dare hazard the assertion, that the
repeal Of the fence law, and tie enactment OF d!n
me!ricaly opposed TO it in principle would do more 10
raise Virginia from her fallen slate, than all other i'm
provements put together But while they do this, the
other ought not TO be left undonc5ut 10 begin with al
lerng law of enclosures would he 10 begin at the
slonewhile leaving that and doing the other
proppng up the roof in The air. and raising the body of
the house afterwards.
For the present will stop; bu, am not done. Quixo-
tic may think il, intend tilt at this giant
evil until him TO bite the dust, prove II ~ be
wind mill.
Ii my brother planters and farmers will join with me-
and talk and write, is not hopeless case as
some may think For years have been canvassing
this subject and in that time only sensible man has
differed with Iae, and he candIdae-und no IN
dusrious poor man scarcely opposes it. Two years
trial Of it, and power short OF an armed force, could
Impose such upon Firg inia as The aforesaid
fence law. In my next (Which shall write as can
catch scraps of tme propose 10 show that the present
fencelaw operates greater injustice and hardship s upon
small planters and farmers commonly called the poor
people, than upon large planters and farmers, commonly
s,,p,,n
the other is not rich PLANTER.
T. S. The Wing and all papers, that take intercs,
in the prosperity Of our good old State will please insert
this and the other numbers Of Planter they sproul up
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
Dedicated 10 Hon. Daniel Wcbsttr Hon. JOhn e. 4dams
Sir. Siade, and Mr.. SrJt: &c.
Know yc that on the End day Of June, 1883, Con.
vention Of our wise and good men and PATRIOTS asseI
bed in Convention, by authority Of the free people of
Virginia, at Richmond the day aorcme noned, 10
take into consideration the ratification Of the Federal
Constitution, according 10 the conditions and provisions
therein contained, aud the most mature considcra
lon Of oil its parts and BEARINGS came TO the following
decision, viz q omit every other subject, except the
present agitang question the right Of Congress to
free The slaves Of the purchased (or otherwise coded
District Of Columbia Of ten miles square, and The right
and authority of Congress, in its legislation over that
District, according TO The true intent and meaning of
the parties, concerning the premlses) mean plain sail
ing, intend 10 give you the extracts from the jour
nal Of the proceedings Of that body; and let them speak
for themselves.
First ,ays 32-Pomcr rirn Gr Tho Virginia Delegation in
Convcnton faica,ion
District.7rticie of the Constitution, resolved that
"Congress shall have power committee appointed pre-
exclusive legislation and report such amendments
u whatsoever such shall By them be deemed nrces
District mot exceeding 10 miles TO be recommended
sluae] y ccsson OF part the ID Resolution viz rasc
Congress become the Rored, That previous
Government s. ratification OF the Cunu-
ecsc like authority pa iun Of Government,
by the Oiled By the late Federal Convention
the L. sisItuc of the State i'll declaration Of rights asserting
which the shall the securing from eacroacmon
of FORTS magazines, arhc principles civil and
senas dock yards aud religious liberty and the nnarn
f budngSnnd make all able rights of the people, together
laws which shall and with amendments To the
proper carrying parts the enid Con-
the and all other tuon oiCorenmcn ought 10
powers by this Cotu hc referred by this
the Government Of the the other States in tho American
States department onfcderacy for their consca
fcer thceoC.n Ition. Wacreunon the following
members appointed the
niltcG, viz. (p % Geo. Wythc
Harrison, Matthew's, Henry. Gov
Randolph, Geo. Mason, Nicholas,
irayson Madison, Tyler, John
MARSHALL, Monroe, Ronald, Bland
Won. Smith, Paul Darlington, In
hes, Hopkins, John Blair, and
Simms."
Now, their report that clause Of the lst article
and 9Th section in the Federal Constitution. say,
ugan-et it speak for ITSELF the sentiments Of the Vir