Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-23
! NUMBER III.


these hig privileges And if there Be In Ills
nalural' cliaracter the elements to make Hin >
great and good man, it is hopeless to * pett
that they will ever be developed under our p0-
llcy. Che inidmanify then cJhsists not in Sch
ding them from our Stale, but in retainiriE
them among US 1t is to ME unatcdHhtaBl6
how there should be dftferedce Of opiiiidh
on this question. Here the free negro is de-
graded by our policv-a policy which vie cab
not relax anti it is in our power to send him 10
other Countries where education, Society, and
all the agencies that contribute to the advahce-
ment and improvement Of mankind. are With
III his reach, and we are to be deferred froih
! this benevolent undertaking by the cries Of
those who affect an overweight tsia1erness s.
humanity! l say to chose who sympathiss
with the negro, who mourn his moral degrade
ton. and look forward with hope to the day
when he wifi be elevated in the scale Of hp-
manity, and placed in a footing Of sdcla' equal
tY with the white man that their hopes. wish
! es and sympathes can never be gratlhed here.
consider, then, that it is cruel and lnhdnah
not TO send the free negro away. We ate
bound to do it as benevolent men, and as faith-
full GUARDIANS Of the best Interests Of our sod
old Commonwealth Thoroughly convinced
/ that this is a wise policy, and is called for by
/
| blessing to the negro and 10 our State, earh-
estly Tecoinrnend immediate steps to be takeh
10 effect this important purpose.
| | recommend the passage>of a law providing
that the free negroes shall be removed by c6uh-
ties. In removing them by counties, no social
or domestic tie wifi be broken. That it be pro-
vided that when a Jaw acts upon a county III
counties, it shall be final and complete; no
| free negro ever thereafter to be allowed to re-
side therein. That they be sent at the public
/ expense to the countries Where Slavery does
not exist as passengers in merchant Vessels,
and particularly to Liberia, if acceptable to her
authorities. Such law, provided with the
proper details, would be perfectly easy uf exc
clifton, and would not cost the State. I am sat.
isfed, a sum per year greater TRAN that Which
was for many years appropriated in aid of our
colonization society Indeed, have received
an informal proposition from the island OF Trim
idad that she will pay half the expenses Of all
that may be sent to her, as well as assurances
from other quarters that they would clfeerfuily
receive them.
The peni,entary institution is not produc:
tive, it seems to me, as it should be. 1t is haf
cult to understand why 2ll convicts, coarsely
! fed, Clothed and kept at hard labor without re-
ceiving any remuneration, should not pay 4
profit. Yet such is the fact. they are charge
to the State, and have been, believe. from the
foundation of the institution. After some exam
ination find that the penitentiary cost in its
erection, from the 9th of May, 1897, to the lst
of Oct. 1906, the sum. Of $l35,546 ii, and
from Oct. 1916. to Oct. 1885, the sum or $685.
| 336 SO, an aggregate of $2O3, 1888 40. have
not been able to And any charge on account OF
the buildings tor the tea years from loUb TO
1916. The total disbursements on account Of
this institution charged to the peniten:iafy
from 1876 to 1877, after deducting the items
charged within that period for buildings, Is
| $50 756 55, while the receipts are only S3l9,-
1923 8, showing loss Of $43i ,033 AZ. This
enormous and alarming result does not present
| the sum total OF our loss, the period from 1905
to 1916 not being embraced in this statement
Every year this balance is increasing. Nor ID
this ALL The necessary security in this insti
tution calls for standing GUARD Of thirteen SOL
ders from the armory, equivalent TO one sixth
Of the dispusable part of the whole command.
In the States of New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts a practice prevails, attended with
highly beneficial results, of renting out the
different workshops and hands to the highest
bidder. entertain but little doubt that it could
be done here tn great advantage. Indeed,
have strong reason to believe that our institution
could be rented out for tan Thousand dollars
per annum retaining its present police and sup
erintendence. As something must be done to
prevent this continual tax upon the treasury, [
hope you will adop. some early and efficient
reform.
cannot part from this subject without again
calling your attention TO the practice which
prevails in this institution of uniting black and
white in one common association. 1t can be
productive Of nothing els but mischief it nec-
essarly makes the negro insolent, and debasss
the white man; it is offensive 10 our habits and
psejudices as well as to our feelings and policy,
and ought to be discontinued. Such persons
are separated by law in the common jails OF
the country where imprisonment is necessarily
of short duration, and why similar policy
should not Sc adopted in the peni,entiary
where confinement is to endure for years, it il
difficult to perceive. In my judgment no free
negro should be sent to the penitentiary. II
is punishment but lightly regarded by him,
Involving no loss Of character or comfort.
earnestly recommend this whole subject to
vour consideration. (See Doc. No 81
In my last message apprised you Of sevef-
al small parcels Of public property daily di,;
minishng IN value and Of no public USE, and
recommended that law should be passed d..
recting their sale. again respectfully call
your attention to the subject.
Our usury laws are in my Judgment. inns
moral in their tendency. and c. ainly injurious
TO the business interests Of society. and ought
therefore to be repealed. Laws cannot pro-
vent dealings in usury. as is attesssd BY uni
versal experiences. The needy will boffow,
the usurious will lend, and-the certain effects
of attaching pains and penalties to such tfahs-
actions. are to swell the premium paid by the
borrower, and to temp, him to become a diss
Why should price be fixed by law oh moh-
ey? Il is PROPERTY, precisely as is bale oil
cotton or hegshead Of sngar, and auctuates al
they do in valle:
About Two Yeas ago, money was furnished
BY the Bank Of England at about three pei
! seut, and she was, by the last sdtiees, asking
and receiving for it eigh, per cent. per annum.
A short time since money was abundant III
\ New York, but now it is scarce; and good paa
per can be had in the Street at discount bf Bile
and Quarter pet cent: her month: In fact