Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-10-29
COMMUNICATIONS.
FUH 7 TIE L.' QUIEIsN.
The Census Law.

The Census Law.
OF all the efforts which have been madt TO preJn-
dice aborng people against the Administration, there
is none more insldinIs or mean than tins So lar as
the enquiry comprehended minute statistics, such MS
"chickens &c, it was exclusively wing measure
Neither Mr. Van Buren, the Democratic party
had any hand lot in the matter. IL was hfst sug-
gested by Wing Edtors-wns proposed IN Congress
by Rice Garland-reported upon by john sergeant
both raGid Whgs-and sustained by Daniel Webster,
and that party ercusireiy. These are fac' and no
man OF reputation will deny them.-Yet, mel knowing
them, will not hesitate TO say that it was Measure OF
MIR. Van Bmren's, by which he was seeking To impose
a direct tax 10 support him in Regal Authority Can
any lust or honest man act with party stepped in
party Injustice and unfarness. But the Editor OF the
Wing, Mr. J. H. Peasants, TO give this charge prom''
nence addressed letter 10 the country unoer ms own
signature excite rebellion against the law as one cma
mating from the throne of yrant But sooner had
he done so, than he found of his own good Wing
friends ecurng him for his unnecessary interference
in matter of their own creation. The Compiler oil
this city thus bemoans the rash act OF Mr. }. ii. Flea
SAINTS:
alt is to be regretted that objections have been made
to the queries which the 10 take the
instructed TO PROFOUND Those queries are per-
haps too numerous and embrace rang articles but the
principal statistics sought 10 be obtained through them
are highly important and interesting. We hope they
may be fully ascerained though the objections urged
are calculated partially to prevent that-particuary
those urged by the senior Editor of the Wing This
country is very much in want of useful statistical ntor-
nation Professor Leiber of Columbia College, Is Co.
before the law framed, wrote most interesting
letter to Senator Preston, in which he explained the
advantages Of such information, and By contrasting our
country with others, showed comparative poverty
in statistical matter THIS very letter, have no doubt
was the prime of aPpendng those queries to the
duties Of the takers. 1t there IS any thing
wrong in the matter the President could only be pa
bic so far az his signature of the bill mig involve him.
Tho hill was the work of Congress-
What renders the affected patriotism OF the Senior
Editor of the Wing still ridiculous is the fact tha,
the law was compulsory which required this Stats
teal information, but rested entirely upon the free
will consent and courtesy of the people, for its
ton This is the sum and substance OF the census
hunbug.
We have seen pamphlet issued from the press IN
Washington city BY the Executive Committee, CON-
posed oi Aboonists and shareholders, in which Ia
bored frt is made 10 prejudice the South against Mr.
Van Buren, on the Slave and or two other questions
We have given il a careful examination, and never have
we sren more disingenueus, deceptive and sophstlca
production We warn friends against IFS gross and
CRYING Injustice towards Mr.. Van Buren,. What
Clarke Truman Smith and Saltonstall, notorious and
ayowed Abol,tionsts seeking to dsplace Mr.. Van Bn
rem in The affections of the South that man Who has
sacrificed every Abolition friend he had in the world to
stand BY the South and maintain the integrity OF the
Constitutional Out upon the hypocres Tie South
They have attempted TO compare MIR. Van Buren, and
Gen Harrison st. "On the power Of the Federal
Government slavery in the District OF columbia.
We tell YOU what Mr. Van Buren, before his election IN
lS3G distinctly sad-that if it should be the pleasure
of majority OF the American people TO elect him rs
their Chief Magistrate, he would go into the Prcsden
;;u chair the firm and nnl!inching opponent oil any
attempt on the part of Congress to interfere with slave
re- either in the District of Columbia or the States
where it exiss-he also said in his Inaugural Address,
I, ahn1a pralnyp IN hp in
trct Of Columbia interfering with II elsewhere He
has declared since that he would veto law to abolish
slavery in Florida and that lie would slgn bill to adj
nit her as slave State in the union General HarrI-
sons opinions On these matters are unknown 10 us
except by referring TO his past nets and letters
his friends appear satisfied with them. We ARE NoT,
ami sroud not BE- even If knew them TO be ms pre-
semi orinons In the absence of any knowledge OF this
SORT we can only refer to them for as much as they are
worth. In leg, he said, such was ms aversion TO
slavery that at the early age Of lo he had joined an
Abolition society this city He was then candidate
for Office in Ohio and he was DESTROYS to secure the
Abolition or anti.slare interest in that State In cl
as member of the Ohio Senate he voted Tor and sns
taned resolutions denying Missouri admission mi"
the Union, without she would first agree to emanc
pate her slaves In his Cipvot Speech, In 1885, he
tod the Abolilionsls of Ohio, that emanc patton
san object near hs heart" and that he would agree
10 appropriate the whole "surplus revenue Of the
country towards that object, though ne could not
then concur with them in their designs to snbvert
Southern Institutions. In 1896 in reply 10 charge
that he had thanked his God he had gotten rid Of
Virginia politics and Virginia Negroes he said il was
sioke" In 1896, he wrote letter to John NlcPher-
SON Berrien of Georgia, denying that Congress had
power to abolish slavery in the District OF Columbia
but he has never since referred TO that letter. as con-
tanning his present opinions, endorsed any compila
ton in which il is to be f0und-he has never said, It
elected he would veto law abolshng savery-on the
contrary he has written many letters to the North the
contents Of one of which only has reached the light
calculated in their and phraseology TO induce
the Aboltioniss to vote for him. Supcradded TO all
this testimony--he nominated at Harrisburg
by the influence of Abolitionsts--hs friends IN
Congress, from the North, in the main Abo-
litionists The Northern Legislatures, where his
friends have majority, are Abol'tionists, ana pass
laws matchmaking the whites and blacks, vIrtu-
ally assnilng The rights of the South by jury laws
kidnapping laws, &c, to protect their fugitive slaves
The Abolition presses of the North support him-the
Abolition Societies support hm-in fine, there IS per-
feet union of Wings and Abolltlonists all over The
Union North and South, TO defeat Martin Van Buren,,
and elect VIM. Henry Harrison. A circumstance has
lust reached our ears, which took place in Surry
county Two members of volunteer company pub
cly declared, that they were AboltIonlss, aud sup
ported Gen Harrison because they believed he was one
and would carry out their views upon that subject
Wbereupon an excitement arose, which resulted IN
meeting of the company, md the striking from the
roll the names of the two obnoxious individuals. We
mention this, not rejecting at all on the wing party
of the South or counienancng the idea that they are
Abolitionists; but merely circumstance TO show,
that even here in the South, there doubtless very
many who entertain similar opinions and support Gen
Harrison for like reason and that IT there be any
Wings, even ONE, who entertains such an opinion
among U.s. not the unanimly among them at the North
at once accounted tor 4:
Cd. 1.-The votes and speeches of Van Buren on the
subject of negro suffrage &c. We again repeat,
upon our honor, as Southern men, that Mr.. Van Bu-
rem deserves we'll of the South for The bold stand he
took against allowing free blacks TO vote in New York
as they did under the Old Constitutlon on the same
qualifications with white men. We could have wished
il had been in his power to exclude all from the right OF
voting, even upon any qualification whatever; hut Mr..
Van Ruren could moi do this The negroes had been
voting before and SO sudden of every
one heretofore accustomed to the exercise OF this right
would have the appreciation OF the people, and
thus would have been lost other wholesome reforms,
which Mr. Van Buren, had hy hard labor, wrought INTO
the new Constitution That he voted TO restrict the
right of suffrage to negroes, and not extend it, as IS
falsely asserted shown by his vote against the propo-
sition of Mr. Eastwood, who moved TO strike out $50