Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-19
DOMESTIC.
THE LATE ABOLITION OUTRAGE ar NEW DEp'
To The Editors Of HE Norfolk Beacon:

DOMESTIC. =
THE LATE ABOLITlON OUTRAGE ar NEW DEp''
To The Editors Of HE .NortoM Beacon:
IN. H. Il nv first
Sirs: The newspaper TO which | alindfeaders t!a,
number omts no occasion TO convince, oralive tone
Aboltionsm is dead. Assuming ansnion il reprayes
as if it had right to dictate publf subject alive; de-
other public prints for keepinGe it will 90 out Of IL
cares that if they will let il that nothing contributes
SELF like neglected free effort to pn, ii down. We
30 much to sustain H. 2ery number, that public OPT
are assured in alm9' sound and that only few OBJ
Mon at the Norris individuals are any longer NOV
scure and PoEr. II does not enter into my present
ing IN this re that AbolitionisS are increasing, and
design tcc with rapidi,y wholly without precedent,
increasmilar association. Neither shall pause to
IN ohat their bodness and audacity keep pace with
< increase Of their numbers. On these points, no
man acquainted with the facts, and capable Of the sim
plest process of reasoning, can hesitate moment
Look Abolilions,s halls OF sdiion we see
them daily forcing themselves upon Congress, IN spite
Of all the rebutis that they have received This year
for the FIRST time they have reporter ri MeH o'rn,
sitting as guard the members, ready To record
and praise whatever they may say, favorable to the
Abolition cause and to represent IN the worst and most
unpopular light, all thai they may say against II; with
hundreds of Abolition papers ready 10 spread all this
before the people, with distinct political organza
ton, influencing and oten controlling elections, as a
distinct political party: do all these things, argue that
they few in number or weak IN power: What
fact now notorious that The great State Of New York
has taken up The Abolition cause, IN her corporate 20
,cal character, and add Also what IS lie necessary
consequeuce-ihat Slaves are nov more frequently
taken from Than heretofore, and that II IS absolutely
impossible to reclaim one. in any Northern STATE Is
there any thing IL TINS state Of facts 10 Justify Sona
newspaper, in reproring the suspicious, icli'ng
tue vigilance, allaying the resenlens and dis2ourag
ing the resistance Of Southern men: lie. Southern
men answer this question Tor themselves, and lei the
cd If he
he can with this return for the patronage which South
ern men have bestowed him. All these matters,
must ere long, be the subjects Of ANXIOUS nresyaion
IMPRESSIVE commentary and joia action, the part
of the South. ! for shall be ready Tor Tie occa
son but my present business Is with lie a;a'r at New
Bedford.
We are told in the letter Of the gentleman, who was
the subject of this outrage that "the uaiveFSai se3ti
ruent with the respectable portion o; tile community
was horror and disgust al such outrageous
and not man among tiem who did not blush tor thus
stain upon the escutcheon OF his State we are also
told that respectable member of the bar interested
himself to prevent IT, and even went SO lar as to appeal
10 the humanity Of those who concerned in it.
We are further told that the Outrage committed BY
ga mob of negroes, headed by tiso white men, calling
themselves Ministers of the Gospel" These facts are
very eloquent. We are sure 10 be told on oil such oc
casons that the portion Of the community
do not approve of abolition movements and hitherto,
under the influence of certain Of editorial counsel
lors such aceLo has been quite sufficient for us !:
so happens however, that all such occasions, the
respectable portion o; the community proves to be
sj.iier very small portion indeed, else they
islad to GlsapproVe, without cxeTtng their influence
10 prevent, these disgraccul abuses. Now and them
an abolition meeting prevented or broken mp, BY tie
force o. public opinion, or rather as suspect by the
mere love of ra,sehievous sport in few idle boys and
lockguard men. Eut in no one instance, phcre Mc
erfg of particular siege has been nroired has public
opinion ercr taken sides i as master. On the con-
,ary has invariably taken part against hun, and so
~
retain or reclaim his slave absolutely hopeless and
VAIN The present case affords the strongest possible
proof OF this Here, the slave herself did not ask her
!:eedoul-did not wsh itcntreaea that 1t might not
he forced upon her Other persons were permitted TO
assert her supposed rights against her WILL and in spite
Of her decided opposition. These men were "a mob Of
negroes, and 'T.eo white men calling themselves Mi
nisiers of the Gospel, and they characterized By
the letter "a band cf scoundres. So oppos-
ed the slave to their interference. that she is de-
scribed "persecuted and ormened By this horde Of
A5ol;ionisls. The voice of respectable gentleman,
member of the bar is raised in vain, and the "horror
and disgust Of the respectable portion OF the commune
~ are equally poweriess. "Tco white men and !
mob of negroes" perpetrated the act, in manner
shocking to humanity aud public decency, and IN
der circumstances which caused it to be regarded
"a stain upon the esutcheon of their Stale. =
Surely, if there was occasion which pub.
lie opinion might properly display Itself, and exer,
its influence, thls II IL faxed here,
we have little 10 rely il. any other
occasion Ii white men, obscure position and
scoundrels in character, aided By mob Of negroes
can effect such purpose under such circumstances
and in snch place New Bedford, contrary TO pub
Tic opiI;cp there can be decisive proof of the
weakness oftbat opinion and of its utter worlessness
as security for our rights This is not peculiar
except in its enormty In every other case involving
the same question, wheresoever It has occurred, the
agency has been employed, and the same result
has attended it. II public opinion cannot secure our
slaves 10 u.s. when they have desire 10 leave and
when they invoke our protection against freedom in
Which, they nothing but evil, aud when only the OBJ.
and the degraded, attempt to force It upon them
What reliance can place II. when the slave HIM
self Chooses 10 assert his liberty, against US?
Sirs, We have deladed ourselves too long, upon this
point. |, s Notifying 10 reflect how often and how
grossly, the easy confidence and the unsupported
dniy OF the South, have been imposed on by these
people. Such Inns been their success and such is their
present reliance upon their oSn arts, and upon our
rnbiliiy, that they laugh in our faces while they
deceive Look TO the case now before US and ask
yourself If II is possible that such scene could have
Leeu enacted under a sound state of public opinion .
Nothing can he evident, than that the Abolition
s,s engaged in that transaction, were, the letter
writer describes them, ga horde, so numerous az
10 he able to trample upon public teceney, ont.
rare humanity, and TO bear down and orcrpower
nil the lovers Of Justice and constitutional right
With such evidence before as this-not standing
alone and unsupported, but taken in conBe1'on with
similar incidents almost daily occurring, II not worse
than childish attempt TO persuade us that the Adolf
tonists are powerless, that public opinion at The
North against them This, a, least, our experience