Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-18
A "REMINISCENCES

at the Clerks table. The charge will be 81.
A "REMINISCENCES.
The Union publishes the following remns-
cence, which is interesting as exhibiting with
fidelity the state of public sentiment in Virginia
on the subject of slavery at the two periods to
which, refers:
We have another Renaissance of 1919 to lay before
readers. AT that day, present, when the pub
lie mind Is excited upon any policy connected with
I ne b Snn6 6u open %
Interference They say, truly, that ii is subject with
which Congress has no connexion and the other States
ought not to NEEDLE The other States do not suttl-
GENTLY understand It's operations, nor the remedies
which should be applied TO any evils which it may
produce But in 1919 the incendiaries OF the North
pleased to quote the opinions of Southern
against slavery and among the rest the greatest orator
which this country any other has ever produced
Patrick Henry They published letter from his PEN
addressed to his daughter in which he eXpatiated with
much force upon the objections to slavery. 1t was at
this uncture that we prepared the following article for
the press. 1t was published in the Richmond Compi-
Ter, daily paper, which then edited and for many
years at the same time conducting the Rich
mond Enquirer:
From the Richmond Compiler, 1919.
PATRICK HENRY.-An extract of letter from the
Eastern papers, taken probably from his lite by Mr..
Writ We beg leave to lay another extract before
them taken from speech OF Mr.. Henry in the Virgin
Ia convention of 1889:
AS much as deplore slavery, | see that prudence
forbds its abolition. deny that the general govern
ment ought to set them free, because decided ma
loy OF the Sta ties have not the ties of sympathy and
fellow feeling for thosewho interest would be affected
by their emancipation. The majority of Congress is
on the North, and the slaves are to the South. 10
this situation, great deal OF the property of Viz
glnla in jeopardy, and their tranquility and peace gone
away repeat again that would rejoice my very soul
that every one OF my fellow beings emancpated.
But practicable by any human means, to liberate
them, without producing the most dreadful and ruinous
consequences We ought to possess them in the
manner we have inherited them from our ancestors,
their nanumlsSon is incompat ibe with the felicity OF
the country. But we ought to soften much pos
sble the rigor ottheir unhappy fate. know that, in
variety OF particular instances the legislature listening
to complaints, have admitted their emancipation Let
me not dwell on this subject"
Our eastern brethren will see what this great man
says on this delicate subject Mr.. Henry, as it were
by anticipation, gives them impressive caution
against OF the wild theories into which they would
precipitae u.s.,
We consider such occurrences to the past par
tcularly valuable at the present time, as sustain
ing the opinion which we have recently more than
once advanced, that instead of receding before
Northern legislative encroachment, the South has
not only maintained every principle for which it
commended il The early days Of the Republic, but
assd toadvance and strengthen It's posi-
4Ssl,s
Torun rapidly over the argument The states
men of the revolutionary era entertained senu-
ments which would now rank public men as lit
tie better than undisguised Abolitionists; They
practically carried out their views by enactng the
celebrated o dinance of 1887, i'll the Congress of
the Confederation, which possessed more limited
powers than the Congress of the United States;
They confirmed that Ordinance by the Federal
Constitutions; Their speeches and letters fora long
period show that they regarded slavery as
grievous evil, which the highest consider of
policy and morality should constran us by every
legiti nate method to remove; Many of them
had very loose views of the powers of the Gene
raj Government to regulate the subject; At
later day, when the Missouri question came up,
the North was united in denying the sovereign
right of State to permit prohibit slavery it
pleased; The South carried that point, whilst
Southern administration, unanimously, Gnclu-
ding even John C. Calhoun hmself,) and ma
iority of Southern members Of Congress, ac
knowledgedthe constitutional power of Congressto
prohibit slavery in the Territories; But, when
the issue came on with respect to the Terrific
ries acquired from Mexico, the South marched
forward from its position of 1880, and, with
almost entire unanimty, denied the auth oritv of
Congress to prohibit slavery in the Territories;
The North yielded the point, it had before yield
ed the Missouri restriction, and Territ rial Gov
ernments were organized without the Wilmot Pro-
viso; Moreover, the South for the first time, gained
an enacted acknowledgment of the obligation of
the Federal officers to enforce the provision of the
constitution for the recapture of fugitive slaves.
Who can candidly review this unquestionable
history of the Government and concurin the tale
of the modern agitators, that from the beginning
of the Government the South has been continu-
ally losing ground, until now it occupies degra-
ding position, in the sight of the world? It may
be the result of a cheerful and hopeful tempera-
ment, but we look with pride rather than regret,
upon the attitude of the Southern States, and trust
with unhesitating confidence to their ability, no
less than their determination, to maintain the
right IN all conflicts to VIII ch the future may give
birth. The progress of the Government has thus far
established the paramount principles of the in
violable sovereignty of the States, the incompe-
tency of Congress to discriminate in the Terri
tories against the citizens of the slavehoding
States, and the duty Of the Common Government
to prevent ole SECTION of the Union from assail-
ing the rigS4 81 property in slaves by promoting
their escape from servitude. Never until now
were these great Southern rights so fully ap-
preciated or so soiemnly acknowledged. And in
exact correspondence to the formality of the ac-
acknowledgement, is the certainty increased that the
direct violation of these rights must produce
rupture of the federal compact.
RAILROAD MEETING.
See the notice for meeting tomorrow night
We hong there will he larcrn attnndancn