Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-12-13
l can with great confidence recommend to your ia
voTable consideration

Nothing Is more necessary to the administration
OF justice by justices Of the peace, than book of
forms adapted to the existing condition of civil
and criminal law. The want of such book is ex-
tensively and seriously felt, and will, hope, re-
ceive your early attention.
The law of bail, as it now stands, is frequently
productive of great oppression. 1t gives one who
holds the obligation of another, whether due or not.
the power, by his own will, TO hold the presump-
tive debtor TO bail and to mprson him if unable to
give 1t. 1t is power Inconsistent with the hui
name and enlightened spirit of the age, derogatory
OF the rights OF personal liberty, and wholly unne-
| cessary to the ends Of justice. | recommend that
the law of bail, now applicable to open accounts,
be made general, suspending thereby the law as it
now stands in relation TO bonds, notes, Sc.
| The State owns several small pieces Of real
property of no public use whatever, which are
subject TO frequent depreciation, and are daily d.
furnishing in value. advise the passage OF a law
directing them 10 be sold.
| herewith communicate the various reports in
relation TO the Penitentiary. They should receive
the most careful consideration. The Peniteniiary
agent paid into the Treasury SIC, 500 during the
past fiscal year, So, 600 during the year preceding
and 81 200 in the years 1916 and 1876. On the
first day of October, 1885, the balance in his hands
was 500 80; On the first day of October last
it was only $3l ,0l6 35 cents so that nearly one
moiety Of the payments of the last four years has
been at the expense OF capital; and it is obvious,
that the latterng conclusion of the worthy agent is
altogether faacious. The report of the superin-
| tondent is equally deluslve as TO results. Nowih-
standing the annual investment in ''permanent i'm
provemens, amounting in four years 10 about H.
500, which are intended to afford increased facl
ties to manufacturing operations; notwithstanding
the large capital employed in this institution and
Notwithstanding we are habiually notified, in the
annual reports OF this officer, Of its increasing pros
pery, The fact is undeniable that the penitentiary
is an annual charge upon the treasury. Now, how
and why is this The result has always existed
under every administration. 1t involves no charac-
ter, as far as am informed and must therefore, be
question ofsystem or management, or BOTH In this
state of things, again recommend that one or more
or all, of the shops be rented out. This policy has
been adopted in many of the states, with decided
success, and is no experiment. But if this
policy he unacceptable, then advise that no fur
Their payments Of any kind be made at the treasury
on account of this institution but that be requir
ed TO pay all charges, of every description preserv-
ing at the same time its capital from diminuton-
Such policy would, have no doubt, produce very
valuable reforms; 1t would, least project the treas
ury, am sure, from further claims on this account
by the Penitentiary report, also learn, that
the first day of October last, there were in the
Penitentiary 10 whites, 81 negro convic,s, the
white population contributing about Is for each
lOO,OOO persons and the free negroes contributing
from similar numbers of their own race, about 100
persons, to the Penltentary proving that the free
in proportion To numbers as the white man. This
statement, verified by our legislation, presents such
picture OF the moral degradation of our free nero
population, as is well calculated to excite the SYM
pathy of tho philanthropist. Without meaning to
enter into any discussion az to the moral and intel
| lectua capacity OF the negro, as 10 which have
heretofore very fully and distinctly expressed my
opinion ask how it is possible that he can be O.
Their than he is, under the laws to which we sub
Ject him J.! Born In howell, the companion of the
slave, and the tool Of the vicious white man he
naturally sympathises with the degradation around
him. by law, he is forbid to intermarry with the
whites, 10 bear testimony against them. to learn to
read and write, to preach the Word of God to his
fellows, to bear arms, and to resent insults from A
! white man. Many other laws of the same char
acteT statute book and in every -elatioD
! from the cradle to the grave, he is never allowed
to forget that he is of an inferior BY the pro-
violence of God, such is his destiny and according
to naturasts, history, and all the experience Of
mankind, he is regarded the third or inferior spe-
cles of the race Of man. But not content with this
by all the arts of legislation, we force him below
that position in the scale of humanity 10 which he
is naturally entitled. And is this state of thinos
forever to continue Are the promptinos of he
nevolence and the pleadings of philanthropy to be
in vain? ] am aware that our policy. as indicated
by laws, cannot be relaxed the stern necessi-
ties of our condition forbid it. But there is way
in which would hope the condition of the free ne
gro might be aleviaed it is to deport him, TO send
him beyond our limits into communities where the
disabilities which Cypress him here do not exist
where his moral and intellectual qualities NAV be
developed and the great problem solved of his fit
ness and capacity for freedom. Shall it be done
gentlemen will you still retain this class amono
in a state of hopeless, never ending derradaio
In my former messages, presented this subject fol
consideration. and was denounced from different
quarters for the inhumaDty of my proposition
n nd he ic q, ~.
liable TO this charge he who wishes to remove the
free negro to other places where he will be freeC
from soul degrading legislation, and where he
would have right to learn to stand UP and feel ant
say am manor he who persists in retaining
him IN our midst, subject TO the memorable lepsla
ton to which have adverted? This question
leave with you, and with the country, without TN
easiness or apprehension.
But the objection TO the removal OF our free ne
: groes, upon the ground of its inhumanty is no
well considered, in other respects. 1t is impossible
that such population can have strong local attach
nents. Indeed. it is feeling very much weak
ened with all classes of our population from thu
habit of emigration, which has long extensively pre-
vailed. Scarcely family Of the highest respecia
9 6liity ana wealth which has not sent out one o
b uore OF their members TO people our Western val
c cys Our slaves, too, with better habits, and viii
feelings of a purer and more domestic chatacte
J., than those usually possessed by free negroes
are daily emlgrated TO the South and that frequent
ly, 0rom the necessities Of masters,) without re
gard 10 domestic ties BY law if slave be freed
e he is compelled to leave the State no matter how
d strong may be his attachments, or what ties maj
c be sundered We also familiar with the polio
OF removing Indian tribes by force, upon a Iarg
e SCALE ana wlthIn lew years past and indeed w
are indebted TO this policy for the homes we occu
g py, and the noble State Of which we are iustl
proud. With all proper Difference, then, 10 ihe o
is Pinions of others, conclude that there is in thi