Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-10-30
THE VIRolNIAN.

voR rHEsTArE sEsArE,
BENJAMIN r. WALKER, OF APPOMATTOx.
Letter Frolm Mr.. Summers--One
Gum Spiked.
We have paid hui little attention to the
prepostcrous charge of ~abolitiouism. made
against Mr.. Summers by certain locofoco
presses in the state, because we felt conf
dent, that no man, unless he were blinded
by prejudice or besotted by Ignorance.
would atiach any importance to such N
accusationagainst q native VIRGrNrAN, who
for the greater part Of twenty years has
been in public life. the representative Of
Slaveholders-himselfa Slaveholder-with
all Of his opinions and acts subject to the
public scrutiny; and for the additional rea-
son, that we felt confident he would
trample the foul SANDER under his feet,
whenever he should encounter it.
We have tho satisfaction now Of copying
from the Petersburg Intelligenccr, a letter
from Mr.. Summers. which VIC think will
very ef~fectually silence this most absurd
and senscless charge. These few senten-
ces. says the Times, scatter to the wind the
unjust allegation ofhis enemies:
II ro,ei to insert that provision in the new Con-
stitution which specially prohibits emancipation. l
stated expressly, TINT. in my opinion, eocn rahom
| such a clause, THE LEGISLATIVE WOULD HAVE 80
RfeHT TO EaAscIrATE.
lam sLAvgHoLpEn aYsELF TO A coSsipERA-
BILE AMOUNT, and live in tho largest slaveholding
county Of the West. ! AM AS FIXED IN MY
OPPOSITION TOALLA AND EVERY SCHEME.
AFFECT THE VALUE OF SLAVE PROPER
TY, AS ANY MAN IN THE COMMON
WEALTH.
SANDER ON George w. Summers
Refuted-Lctter from Mr. Sum-
mcrs.
1t has been roundly charged that George
w. Summers. the Wing candidate for Gov
ernor, is now an Abolitionist. This most
serious charge is founded upon a speech
which Mr.. Summers made at the session o.
the Legislature ensuing upon the horrid
massacre in Southampton in 1881, and ii
is moreover asserted that Mr.. Summeas has
never changed the opinions then expressed
by him, and the Wings have been defied
and dared to intcrrogate MI. S. on the sub
ject, and to publish his reply. Soon after
Mr.. Summers was made the subject Of this
enormous charge. the Editor of this paper.
with several other gentlemen, addressed a
letter to him informing him of the charge,
and requesting him to visit this part Of The
State and in person refuteit. Annexedis Mr..
Summers reply. which most effectually
| blows to the winds this SANDER upon his
good name, and imposes upon his ~revilcrs
the task of raking up some other charge e
qually absurd and ridiculous. This letter,
as Mr., Summers says, was not written for
the press; but as We do not mean that our
opponents shal have the shadow Of an cx-
cuse for saying that we have dotted an 4
that was not dotted, or crossed a. that
was not crossed, orgarbled the letterinany
manner. form or shape, we publish it en-
tire. tits a manly, frank ~letter--credita-
BILE to Mr.. Summers, and should be over
w~helming in its effects upon those who
have SO ruihlcssly and unjustly assailed
him. viii Mr.. Summers, accuscrs com
forward now and do him j~usticel Will
they make the only atoncmcnt now in their
power. by re-publishing Mr.. Summers let
ter, and frankly admitting that they have
done him a great wrong! We shall Sec
1t will be seen that Mr.. Summers express.
ly disclaims making any charge upon his
competitor, Col. johnson, but is naturally
indignant that he. a Virginian born and
bred. and stakeholder to boot. should be
charged with being an Abolitionist by q
party who are now straining every nerve
to elevate to the Chief Executive Office of
the State a gentleman who was born and
bred in the State ofNew York, and who.
since his removal to Virginia, has resided
in the smallest slavcholding district Of the
State. Here is Mr.. Summers letter.
kANAwHA C. H., Oct. 10th, 1851.
Dear Sir:-I this morning received the
letter addressed 10 me by yourself and
others. inviting an early visit to Peters
burg and the adjacent country. l feel
the utmost anxiety to be in that quarter at
the earliest practicable period. | set out
in the morning for the South West. and
shall either go from that region down the
Valley. or to Eastern Virginia. 1t will be
impossible to canvass the whole State. /
must strike for important points. and none
do ! regard more so than your n~eighbor-
hood. | can only say that | will be with
You as soon as possible.
AS to the use sought be made of the
occurrences in the Legislature Of 1882, ii
IS easily met. l took occasion in the late
Convention to review the transactions al
ludcd to, and send you by this mail a copy
of the speech ] then made. You will find
from page z to IA what relates to that sub
ject, and it might be well to insert it in the
"Intclligenccr."
l voted to insert that provision in the
new Constitution which specifically pro.
hibits emancipation. l stated expressly,
that. in my opinion, ever without such a
clause, the Legislature would have no
right to emancipate.
/ am a STAKEHOLDER myselfto a consider
able amount. and live in the largest slave
holding county in the West. | am as fixed,
in my opposition to all and every scheme,
State or Federal, calculated to affect the
value or security Of slave property, as any
man in the Commonwealth. And yet this
ridiculous and false apprehension is feigned
by those who will vote for Col. johnson, a
gentleman born in the State OF New York,
and who came to Virginia in mature life ;
who. perhaps, never owned a slave, and
who lives in a part ofthe State having less
interest in that property than any other part
of the Commonwealth.
l write in great haste, and with the free
dom Of a friend, for your own eye and not
for the press-though you are at liberty to
use any of the facts above stated. make
no attack on Col. J. as a foreigner or on
any other account; but l may, be excus-
able for feeling some warmth at the course
opposition to me mentioned in your letter,
and which is at the same time so ungener-
Gus and so unfounded.