Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-04-02

lively day, by that very Government, forced into

lively a day, by that very Government forced into
compliance ny band of reckless fanatics
MIR. Speaker, more striking instance Of the RAPID
growth and the uncomprumisng character of fanati
could not easily be produced than the one to which
have just alluded One of the wsest and most prac
Teal governments on eurth had encouraged and fos
tered institution for more than century, until l
became Of great national importance. OSE MA.
commences a upon il. He enlists those great lie
vers of the moral world, the pulpit and the press l1t
strikes the most sensitive chords of the human heart
! He appeals to mans love for freedom. lie works
upon his superstition. lie Hampers with his conscl
ence. In the beginning lie IS not denounced, but ht
is laughed al and dcrided But by him and his follow
sthe effort is persevered in, until within the space
one mans life II is trlum phantly successful, and
great natiora! institution falls before it, nation
large majority al whose people are the most misera
bic Of slaves ground 10 the dust by exactnns OF every
character laborlng FIVE days the week to sustain
oppressive Government, and hut one 10 support them
selves, reduced 10 ask for increase OF those
burdens. already almost nsupportablc, to cmancIpatt
i. oi ts;Dgs IN no respect III worse condition
than themselves far substantial comforts OF liit
are concerned, simply because being slaves they
not nsulted with the mockery Of being called feemen
Let me not be told that mistake the progress o
freedom for the triumph of fana;icsm. Sir, it is
fact winch cannot be Denied that British abolition Of
West India slavery, was an act OF pure and unadulte
rated anatclsm To prove th!s need not refer To the
historical truth that during her brightest days she
the greatest saye dealer EARTH hut may upon
he fact that sic was at the lime Of West India
clpaon, the greatest stakeholder in the world and
hired out her slaves for profits
The success of abolition in England gave power
iu impulse TO It IN this country. have shewn thai
the Abolilionists triumphed in England about 1890
Before that time the subject had been but little ag,ted
here except on one memorable occasion by the citizens
Of the Northern States Before that time, but few of The
people OF those States claimed the privilege of regula
ting domestic concerns for Until then, except
he occasion To which have referred when the poll
cians attempted 10 convert II To their purposes, tlr
agitation Of the subject OF emancipation confined
II few peaceful Qnakcrs. They occasionally pct
toned Congress upun the subject; their petitions
promptly rejected and nothing was heard Of them
thereafter. Their rel cotton gave To agitation
nt after the success OIL! abolition in England, petitions
from different class Of persons, began to pour into
Congress- until IN lc36, Mr. Pnckney Of South Caro-
na in an ill.faed hour moved To refer them to a Sc
ect Committee. Yielding 10 the fatal delusion that IA
natcs are TO be reasoned with, he undertook to
with them in congressional report His vain effort
resulted he ought L, have anticipated. His rebuke
produced about much effect upon the Abolilionsts
did Canute upon the waves and the one had about
j as much excuse the other for making the attempt
Mr. Pinckney made very elaborate and able report;
but far from It's alaying excitement predict
ed il only added oil 10 the flame. Under his resou
ton the petitions Of thirty thousand petitioners
were laid upon the table In 81 the petitions Of
hundred anu Ten thousand petitioners were lau upon
the table under Pattons resolutions And in ISIS frf
huudrcd thousand shared the same fate ! have no
seen any computation of the number since that time
but | presume they have increased Here we have
seen that the number Of petitioners had increased, in
three short years, from thiryseven thousand 10 FIVE
hundred thousand And this only includes the number
presented the House of Representatives; those pre-
scented in the Senate not being taken into the estimate
1 Besides this proof of the increase of AbolitIonists
will refer to the increase of the votes al each
sve against the resolutions providing for lay
mr. Abolition petitions upon the table without debate
The vote against Pnckney's Resolutions ranged from
10 To ID. Against Pattons it was 60. Against John
son a. the last Congress, II was ~.
In addition 10 this, will refer, as proof OF the in
crease Of the Abotonsts 10 the rapidy OF the increase
IN the number Of their societies In May, lS there
were in the IT, ;. two hundred and twenty-five Adolf
ton societies. In lo36 they numbered five hundred
and twenty seven. The number had risen in 1887 10
one thousand and SIX. And in May, lo'S, they had
run u TO thousand three hundred and fortysx :!
have not statement OF Their increase since
then; bn doubtless they have augmented in the same
ratio These societies contained IN lc35 one hundred
and fifty thousand actual enrolled members. derive
these facts from the annual returns OF the societies
themselves
These facts, Mr. Speaker, will give you some idea
of Tie rapidly with whic Abcltlonsts are increasing,
and of their present NUMBER but there Others not
less important In reply TO the enquiry, What pro-
portion do they nhe Abolltionsts bear IN the PoPula
ton Of the Northern States: and what in the middle
non.slaveholding States: Mr. BIrney, the Secretary
Of Tic American Slavery Society," and the best IN
! formed Abolitionist in the country, replied:
within the last ten months (the letter from winch
read is dated the h of March, 1898, and is addressed
10 Hon F. II. Emore of South CarolIna,) Z" have
travelled extensively in both these geographical div.
sions | have had whatever advantage this, assisted
by strong interest in the general cause, and abun
dant conversations with her best informed Aboltlonsts
r, fair estimate of their numbers
In the Northern States should say, there were one IN
icn In New York. New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, ont
~ t,rca,yof the whole adult population. That the Abo
!itions,s have multiplied, and that they are s; multi
plying, acquainted win TIE smailness OF the'i
numbers at their first organization few years ago. and
who has kent his eyes about him since, need ask
In tho hotter he goes into details TO prove these state
men,s. In speaking Of Massachusetts,, he says:
"TAe recording secretary Of the Massachusetts, so
cict- stated few weeks ago, that The AboonIs,s IN
,hiriv If Ac ,rioe popu'aon. The proportion OF Abo
l,,,onsts 10 the whole population is greater III Aassa
chuse,ts than in ans State except Vermont.
or Ohio where, few years since, law was passed
10 facilitate the recovery Of runaway slaves, ne says
uEcr S,nrc,nc Court is intelligent and hrm II
bas lately decided virtually against the constitutional
f. Of an a.l Of the legislature made, in effect to Ia
yor Sonrrn saverY by the persecution OF The coorec
pcople within her bounds. She has already Abolition
,s enoua TO turn the scale in her elections, ana an
abundance of excellent material Tor aughenths Tux
number"
A few years since, have already said, law was
passed in this State providing for carrying into eiiec
The provision of the Constitution OF the united States
in relation 10 fug,iycs from service. TINS law was
passed in aid of the law of Congress upon the subject
and is faithful ulilmcnt of that Stale constitution
Il obIiuaon But this law has given rise to great r
element in the State. 1t formed m important item III
the late elections. It's repeal is most vociieronsy de
handed II is denounced as the "BtGck .7ct Ana
should it be repealed, doubtless its advocates Will g.
10 another extreme and pass law cmllar 10 the law Of
/ New York.
ur CaTkson who was Of the first agaors IN favour
Addition was present Worlds Convention IN Loh"o"
held in June, lsSn. = -. .,, or mo
rhe British appropriated very large sum OF mo
ucv A. compensation West India planters Tor TIC eh""'
pa,ed slaves 80 ,aaa ,,E,s,J in London
! page 22l ,.,
ucoyrR:nESr SLAVES MALAFAR-He knn" 'na' y N
!, mn, servant Government in the South oil lnd WHO
Intimately acquainted with the alarming fact thai humorous
thousands Of his eered down LOT re
daa,drd destiny Of slavery. We know that ihese
re- moi, as in other countries serfs Of the SOIL ana c
nos Of being transferred, the pleasure OF thelr @
nc 10 another MOI they daily sold IKE oae M
proprietor another the husband IS separates i ND