Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-11
1nlae Editpr, Of he Enanirc,

Messrs. Editors Permit = young farmer to
say word through your columns, Just by way
oi "amen" 10 The views presented IN late num-
Der OF The Enquirer, in relation 10 The law OF
Enclosures" by writer over the signature OF
One Of Them" regret that previous arli-
Gle on the subject, 10 which he alludes, has some
bow or Other ESCAPED my eye, as | read with
Geep interest everything which Indicates The pro-
cabiliiy OF a favorable move in this mater.
have ever thought long before entertained the
least lea o adopting the pursuit OF agriculture
ior livelihood that this law wasa most upright
eous one, and disgrace 10 our statute books;
and assure you nothing has occurred 10 weak
en- that conviction since entered The fraternity
OF suflerers-'qaeruni mnsn@ pars fat"-on the
Contrary, quite The reverse. In my humble Judge
ment, Si.s there are few greater obstacles 10 the
prosperity OF agriculture and The speedy Ieslora-
ton Of the worn oul s'cld fields" Of Virginia,
than This very law. And The reason IS obvious:
The farms Of moderate dimensions Throughout,
the State consist generally Of liie good, with
very large proportion OF poor land; and The
whole ofthe time which man OF small capital,
with his three or four, or ha!idoZen hands, might
otherwise devote 10 the improvement OF this, is
occupied in aeepiDg up an Enclosure around Sc
vera hundred acres OF land, whilst his crop, per-
haPs does no; cover ihy. As for "lawtup
IL
WHAT'S a lawful fence" 10 a hog, that roots uD-
der The bottom rail-an OK, that deliberately takes
of The top one with his horns-or parcel Of
jumping sheep ike some vol of thai can clear
a "len rail" almost without touching? We can
never under Tie existing STATE vi things, be sure
oil The safely OF crop. The wind sometimes, in
tie course OF night, prostrales our fences TO The
ground; the hun,smen, almost every day through
The Winter leave them down in halfa dozen
places; the Court makes 4 public road through
our farms, Tor The convenience OF the neighboIs;
and faith, il does suit their CONVENIENCE astonish-
ingly, Tor they spread The gates open their stock
walk in and help themselves. and The injured par
Iy must grin and endure il, whilst Mey go home,
AMI, with The creates, satisfaction, "tell over" 10
their good danes how many promising shoals
they've "turned our for pork next Fall | am
yet 10 hear the frs. plausible argument in sup
port OF The law, which, as your correspondent
most truly remarks, operates TO the production oil
SO much evil;-and, even we're there The slightest
shadow Of expcdiency in it, lis utter want oil JUS
lice and fairness would entille il 10 the condcm
nation Of every man Of common sense or bones |
y. ] might with equal justice be required 10
keep The door OF my house Shut 10 prevent in
truson from M neighbours stock. Indeed,
Sirs % far as my observation extends, il is
TO lh- interest OF every individual in The
community who owns an acre OF land,
that This law should be abolished There
are lew mechanics, and men Of other occupa-
tons, who are enabled By il 10 raise stock al our
expense. But is it riehI2 Is il just, upon any
principle, legal, moral or christian, that The hard
earned pl!tance OF The farmer should be subject
edto This continual lrespass To mention sin.
gle illustration OF The manner in which the thing
works, there is an individual in my immediate
vicinity who rents hog hut with liule piece ol
piney old field That man keeps four or five
head of cattle, and told me, with an air Of as
much independence "a though he owned hun
dreds OF acres that out Of Ten shoats which he
had turned out" in The Fall, he put up nine The
following Winter twelve months in fine order for
pork Now, sirs, these hogs had the range Of
woods belonging 10 several farmers, with The pri-
plLege OF going into dozen wheat fields where.
eve they could find q gap or loose rail-
The law Of Enclosures, as il now stands is
most manil 81 assumption d power By The Le-
gislalure. Ii is a gross VIOLATE OF those princi-
pies Of natural right which il IS bound 10 main
lain III all lis enaclmenls. Government has no
powers whatever which are not based upon The
inherent rights OF man in his individual capacity;
for il was for the better preservation of these that
it was originally ins,i uled. Now, il cannot be
conteEded that any man, in The rndest age,
had the right to trespass upon his neighbour
More especially IS this true, when, in The pro-
gress al civilization, the right Of properly in the
soil came 10 be recognized. This right OF pro.
perry which was once absolute, is now, how
ever, so modified and limited, that if purchase
piece of land Tor fair equivalent, my family
must starve or beg I'LL can enclose by fence
oil a certain heishl; tor il undertake TO make a
crop Tor their support, my labor is expended Tor
the benefit Of strangers. Really, Sir, this is a
queer sort of lee simple right 4 man has 10 the
land Tor which he has paid his money-liable al
any moment 10 be wresled from him, and placed
in sort of allegiance. In process OF time, il
will scarcely merit the dignity OF contingent
remainder"
l! wonll BE- 4 waste Of words 10 mention the
many evil consequences which result from The
existing lence law III will and misundersand-
ngs Cd mot fail lu arise among neiehbors, from
thing so obviously opposed to every principle OF
justice and independence. II weighs like an in
cubus upon the energies of The industrious young
farmer, who, with hat ardor which ever charac-
terizes youth, in whatever occupation il may en-.
gage, unwilling 10 leave his native Stale in search
OF more fertile lands, and clnging with fond at.
lachmenl 10 the associations OF his childhood, in
ves,s his liule capital in few hali-exhausled
acres. lie commences his labors, animated with
The audable ambition BY juiicions cultivation
and the application OF Improvements daily being
made 10 agricultural science, 10 restore 10 The i'm
povelshed soil lis lost fertility, and inscribe his
name among those who, even in his humble
sphere Of life, may deserve 10 be classed among
public benelactors. The spirit Of The age re-
q1ires that he should be encouraged. Let the
Stumbling blocks, which legislative folly and
ignorance have created. be removed from his
path, and some Of Us perhaps may live TO see the
"deserls," now meeting lie eye in every part Of
our STATE, 'blossom as The rose" My heart
bounded with new hore as gradually fell into
tie train Of thought suggested by your cores
pondrnls alIusinn 10 The vine and ing tree" and
looked forward 10 The time when may quietly
enjoy The fruits Of my labor, and feel that my
fields are my own, whether | choose TO put
fence around Them or not.
ANOTHER OF THEM.
Cumberland Co, Va, March 23d, ls47.