Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-17

care 10 nrohibil females, minors, paurcrs an
conyicts from exercising the right VI s"uIase.
Political rights exist! not IN stae oi Na'u'e, y.
! when Governmen,s have been in>titulen. 4 d
| members NJ m. Federal Convention were nol u
moran, Of The Declaration Of Independence az
lis PRINCIPLES, but they Tell themselves un.'.I :,
obligation and had no authority 10 carr OUT NV
principles 10 their fullest extent. y pioPo. -
10 abolish the slave representation, upon -
| ground tina, il is repngnanl 70 'he 81 y
| truths of the Declaration ol indeFehuen.e. =, -
what process OF reasoning rah y NC u ~ ~ 90
led, that The representation oi hoho =. *
| M, more co,sonant with the seli-eridehl Ha'ii'
| 10 allow a onalifed representation Tor TWO anu
| hair millions of slaves, than TO withhoiu i.P'e
senla,ion en,irevl Ifthe representation " WI IS
fuhs fayors the implication, that The slave Is u
vested OF ,wo-Gnhs OF the freeman, Inc "''nu'a"
al of ran,csen,aiioa, far from eleyaln% inc Save
| uond have The opposite effect. DENYING,
Messrs Adams and Giidings Go, thai Inc Coh
sliiuion acknowledges slaves 10 lie properly
concedine. as al must, thai slaves are persons,
would seem, that, upon the very pfinGip.eS %
suned BIZ Messrs. A. and Ci, 'hey ouSht 70 di
v,,ca,e sncb a change oil me CONSTITUTION, d
would afford representation loF 'ie N'ag'e nuuue
of slaves. instead oil seeking W Wi''"''a" '"'
qualified representation ~"
u ,hs slaves suffer, in any way, III consequence
% Ire 9Th II their number being represented
,bc ,,sn;sl ~ representation will not elevate o.
;,nrroye heir condition. The refusal OF repre-
senraiion Tor them or The continuance OF lhe exis
lin, arranceren,. will not disturb those se!f-evi'
dsE, ,rn,hs for which Messrs. Adams and Gid
d;nos nrotsss \ generation SO sudden and super
lal;ye The withdrawal Of the slave representa-
Zen wonN increase agitation, and subject The
con.hs,n nsops 10 another and undeserved I'M.
nn,,,;on Tne ahoIiiionsts would ascrbe The ac
n p desire 20 degrade the slaves still more hey
would ,hen exclaim, formerly you considered
slaves AS interior 10 ireemen, but in establishing
The government you recognized them as human
beings, as we'll as property, and you allowed re-
presentation for more Than halt Of their number;
instead OF advancing, You have reiieated, ana ~
Withdrawing The representation heretofore exist
mo you have omitted 10 have them recognized in
The Constitution as persons entitled TO representa-
ian and by that omission have manifested DE-
termination 10 regard them in no other light man
nc mere property" Snch is the language which
The aho!i.ionisls would probably use Tor me NO
Told purpose Of exciting ill-wi against The slave
holder and sympathy for the slave
we are iold by Messrs. Adams and GidGires,
thai The slave representation musl re aoanGoG'a o.
because j! is repugnant 30 tae iDe!tes q ne
,rinie ycay,s ofaN TIC free States :" So sci. cyl
den, did they deem this proposition, that they de-
cl;ned any argument in its support. Pa7t"fnW
montes aasciiar ridiorlus mus. The hjctIs OF
The pecnle Of The free States being now in lnis ent
peril. owing 10 The slave representation, Messrs
Adams and Giddinss believe, that The SAID littr-
ties can be efiecually secured In no other way
than bv refusing representation ior class OF PEG.
p!e the most # whom are living hundreds o.
miles distant from the free States The repre-
aentalion Of large portion G! our population
from the organization OF the Government down
10 the present day: in obedience 10 one oil 'he
plainesi provisions .. tie Constitution, IN com
prliarce with The national expectation and The
national will during all the vicisSiutes Of time
and of party, must now be dispensed with alto
ge,her. because, after la se OF more than halt
century, j: has been discovered ihat The power
which has hcen thus exercised. is iepugnani 10
Lle fGe7tes OF The people OF The Tree States. The
set-eviGen, ,u!hs''-"ihe letter ard he spirit Of
he Constitution rsl and vital principles
); representation" and 'thc liberties Of the peo-
bic of The free States" TO be thus sbameiuy out
"a ged for nearly sixty years, ant no one 10 Know
INV Thug about this alarmin. posture oil affairs,
until Messrs Adams and Gidiinss, boiling over
with patriotism and philanthropy, ccnceacended
o enlishten the public mind ana thereby rescue
he Rernbic How can the country forget such
,cpeiac;ors as these? In what manner adequate
& eviDce lis gratitude?
We supposed, when looking over the elaborate
Repor, made by Messrs. Adams and Giddings,
hat they would no; have venlrred 10 rccommeEd
o Congress SO great and radical an innovation
upon The Constitution, ~ilhou, being able 10 as
sign some reasons which would furnish 10 our
selves and 10 posterily tolerabe excuse Tor tear
, Il .1lor.. .,f,b af
which was consectaled by the good and The wise
% he permanent union of these States. The
reasons assigned are sophi>iical and unsaisiac'o-
nv. They refer 10 no rca! grievance, which the
experience and observation Of an iDquisilivc and
sagacious people, sensitive in respect 10 wrong,
have enabled than 10 point ont The reasons
given were such, as Messrs. Adams and Gid
1ings fatcrcd themselves, would suffice as de-
cent vel, 10 conceal Interior designs There are
many passages in the report, which prove incon.
testify, that il had lis origin in a distempeIed
phiian,hyophy in behalf Of The African race, and
a desire to interfere Improperly and unjustly with
The reserved rights OF The States. If not infu.
enced by such feelings, why did they attempt 10
prove that slavery was condo mned By The CHRIS.
ian religion? aud why use The following Ian.
suage? why is il, thai Virginia, with her foot,
upon The neck OF yran., and calling upon all
W IDliON 4bi "i'H
her own hand, break inc CALLING iei,eIs Of her own
slaves, and cast them away forever? BY this
proposi,icn Of Massachusetts, she invites her SIS
Ter Commonwealth thus by cbolishing davc'y, 10
emancipa,e herself. She says, in substance, 10
her, make your slaves free, and you shall have
eighteen votes in the Representative Hall.
You can accept Ibis proposal without even i'm
pairing The right Of property which your wealthy
planters claim IN their slaves Make them Tree,
as PENNSYLVANIA and New York have done.
Allow them the blessings OF connnbal union; oil
parental and h!ial affection. Class them 10 ION
ger with The bru'es that perish, or with inani-
mate matter, insensib!e 10 human suffering. :
SO shall you no longer have in prospect, rapidly
approaching upon you, an eytermlnatins war
in which the Almighty has no attribute that can
lake your side" il is here avowed, that the abo.
liion OF slavery is the end contemplated by
Massachusetts in her effort 10 destroy the slave
representation. The views Swallowed forth By
the son are openly proc !aitncd by the father
The abolition oi the slave representation was
intended 10 be used as The lever &c Archimedes
"By This proposition Of Tie Legislature Of Mas
sachusetts. she invites her sis'er Commonwealth
thus, by aboliShing slavery, 10 emancipate her
selfn When Virginia needs The advice of Mas
sachnsetts il will be asked for, and until tina
period arrives, Massachusetts would act wisel,
by attending to her own concerns and by en-
deavorins 10 acquire more conciliaory temper
and charitable spirit towards her sister States
and by striving earnestly 10 'eElancipate herself
from The pernicious influence OF deluded agita
,orsand visionary phiianhropiss. The "cxer
minaling war" with which scnile inaualioT
threatens Virginia, in The even, Of her refusal Il
accept The gratul,ous advice Of Massachusetts
will not be undertaken. Break the calling iet
,crs'-"class them no longer with the brutes tina
rerisii"-"allow them the blessings of connubia
union, Of parental and flial affection" are the
terms used in describing Virginia slavery. Hero
is the madness of poetry without its inspiration
or its beauty. The description given is such as
nigh, be expected, not from sober statesman, bu
a quondam professor Of Rhetoric. The portrait
exposes the bunslng daubcr, butihe resemblance
between The portrait and the original canno
be recognized. When men ofage, influence ant
learning, who have filled the highest stations, ARD
enjoyed admirable opportunities Of acquiring cor
rect information, allow their passions thus 10 OBJ
scurc their perception oilruh, or their hearts ic
become insenstle 10 its high obligations, villa
49, Y, ovooa,.l fropo iheir fripnde and fnlln,y