Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-19
FoR THE ESoUlRrR.
To Tie Legislature Of Virsinia-o" the suoJeef
nf FIRE NspT0es.

Of Free Negroes.
have read with much care and pleasure, Inc
annual message ofour able Governor, wnich, 50
d;.I;noui,bed Tor holiness and peTspicuity OF
,bonoht s Justly entitled 10 The highest rank
AMONGST our Stale papers Ct similar character.
Rnt on passing this high eulosium upon MS mes
saop desire no; 10 be understood as endorsing
ali III his opinions and conclusions, particularly
nm Inc subject of Internal improvement. On
this all absorbing topic, | beg leave to cifer
widely. both as 10 the expediency and result OF
general syslem OF Internal improvement carried
ON by the Safe. Whenege they are likely 10
produce much good and yield moderate pToht,
private capa and enterprise is sure to be found
adequate 10 lis accomplishment; and when such
results ale not likely 10 occur, il is as inJnucous
in The STATE, as in the individual 10 make invest
meni. a wise policy, that OF Inc Ola worm
Carolina sage, no less credi'able 10 MS mead man
his hear, never, neuer Ia vote Inc expenditure
OF money in any system Of Improvement, Where
he would deem The same acl lnludlcious IN Nun
self as an indvdu al, had he the means 10 invest
Even nov with an onerous lax, amounting to a
mortgage upon the property OF the Stale for
wears 10 come, we find il insufficient for the
wants of profigae system oil expenditures. and,
II petsiscd in. must impair our good credit al
hane and abroad, and finally bring upon us
diseracelul reputation Of our debts, The very
,honoht Of which should cause every true lover
orhi, mohe. sell, 10 blush with shame
IL wa. ms object, however, TO laud, not 10
condemn. and therefore | earnestly beg your con-
sideration of that portion of the Message reia
tiny 10 the abolition Of the Free Negro race
from our limits. am satisfied, from the Jealous
and eloquent manner this subject is again re-
commented for legislation, the Governor is in
nossession Of facts, received from various por-
lions of the State, that such step is not only
polite, but highly important TO our prosperity,
eminentiv necessary for the morals OF the slave,
ri,hts Of the master, and may add for the ele-
yotion of the free negro character itself.
Looked upon by the slaves themselves as an
inferior race, they are fit tools in the hands OF
the vicious, and form an important link in the
chain of crime between the slave and mean
white man. But il is needless for me 10 at
te,ppt 10 color the picture already drawn in the
Message. although j, portrays but feebly their
injury upon the communities they infest II is
needless 10 advert to facts, so loudly spoken from
our penitcntiary and County jails, of their over
proportion in participation of crime; needless TO
reitcrate the frauds committed upon the honest
laborer, BY system Of undertaking deter
mined at the time TO fict more than sufficient to
make up the difference. Conscious, too, Of their
own degraded position, they can never rise in
pointof morals, or become other than as now,
clog upon the Commonwealth. And in many
portions of the State, whilst our white and slave
population remain almost stationary, from the
+! great tide of emigration, this portion remains
amongst us with their natural ratio of increase,
il being rare thing for the free negro TO re-
move far from his 1aive hovcl.
From the districts, "from the sea coast to the
head of ,ide-water" and from ''the head Of
tide-water 10 the Blue RIDGE" being the slave
portion of the State, the increase from the cen
sus of 1880 10 1910 IS oily 6.259 whites, with 9
population in 1880 Of 375 657; being an increase
of but 10 per cent; of free negroes for the
same length of time, increase OF LAT, with
population in 1880 of 40,9i6; being at rates O
I'D per cent. aud of slaves, decrease Of % ,O66
from a population in 1880 of 4l6,3l7; being
decrease al rates Of more than per cent; show
ing an Increase of free negroes OF more thar
double the whites, in proportion to numbers
The following is the proportion IN Mecklenours
Wines. Free coored. Slaves
In 1880, 747l s09 i2Il.
i