Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-22
The dpol0

Whatever else may be said of Governor John
thing must be conceded-he is made Of
plant material So ductile character has new
or BEFORE we venture to say been cast by the
accident of politics into elevated position
We have published length his explanatory mes
sage. We now desire only to submit one OF two
remarks concerning it. Here is an extract:
81 never Entertained the opinion, nor did intend
tolntlmate, that the slave would under any cir
cumstances, he excused or justified in resisting
the legal authority of his master. The right Of
the master or his agent, to punish his slave. when
ever in his opinion, he deserves it, is legal
rlght-results from the nature of the property it
self, and is necessary forwholesome discipline and
restraint. 1t is founded on the soundest princi-
pies OF public policy and our Courts have held
that the owner OF slave cannot indicted for the
cruel progressive whipping of his own slave. If
commit crime, he is responsible to the laws of the
land alone. The slave has no rights adverse to
those OF the master agent to whom he has dele
gated his authority.
with these views, long entertained, it is almost
unnecessary to say that in my late message, did
not intend to convey the idea that the relative po-
stions OF the white citizens and the Save to the
laws OF the country were the same, or that the
ercise by the master OF his agent of the ample
an e1cusabe or justifable reason for resistance or
an exhibition OF resentment upon the part of the
slave.''
The reader will find appended to these remarks
the Governors first message, from which he will
be able to form his own opinion of what that doc
ument means. We reproduce it, becase its phra-
seology may have faded from the readers mind.
1t appears that '.the views express ed above
have been ''long entertained" by the Governor
This confession is the worst thing that has vet
fallen from him.
1tseems, then, that his ExceIlency sinned against
light and knowledge, for he admits that he knew,
in their full extent Jackson's rights over Hatch
er, to infiict even excessive whipping" Now
we enquire if he was appraised of the state of the
law, why did he not enforce it-and why he allow
I'd Hatcher to XIII his oyerseer with impunity?-
When he pardoned the negro, the governor placed
himsefin this diIemmaeither; that he truly BELLE
we'd in Hatchers innocence, and interfered to save
him from cruel and vindictige sentence, which
was the construction that charitable people
placed on his act; or that he knelC the law but
yet determined in defiance of it, to upset its de-
cisions and take a negro mnn who, without provo
cation, had split white mans blood, out of the
hangman's hands. Now, We charitable people,
ye in whom the milk of human kindness flows
so abundantly, come forward and tell US what YOU
think. His Excellency tells you that he knew we'll
enough the established relations between the
"master Or his AGENT and slave, and the rights
that spring naturally out of those relations-that
he had long entertained the views-and vet, in
possession of this knowledge. with this light
bsauning on his mind, he calmly took the
rope from about Hateher's neck This is beyond
any doubt the worst aspect in which the case has
yet presented itself Governor Johnson is in a
morass, and every effort he makes to extricate
cate himself only plunges him the deeper.
1t is worthy of remark that not word is said
in exeulpation of the pardon of Hatcher, the act
out of which the whole excitement has grown
There is no attempt made to throw veil over
: hat ''deed without name.' But ii is suffered to
emain imperishabe monument of Gov