The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-08
local MATTERS.


few days In most Of the papers In our city:
Ameeting of the people Of Henrico will be held
| at the County Court House on Monday next at l
o'clock (being Court day. to consider OF and pro-
perly characterize the conduct OF Governor Jonn-
son in the pardon of Jordan Hatcher, and his rea-
sons assigned for the same.
II is earnestly hoped that the meeting win be
numerously attended, as the subject is one OF the
utmost importance to every citizen OF the county
MANY CITIZENS.
In response to the call-irrespective of large
number convened in the court house for court pur.
poses-about one hundred residents of the county
| assembled in the court house yard and organized
| the meeting by the appointment of DR.. Robert b.
LIZ mes President, and James w. Lewellen Secre-
tary The object of the meeting having been stated,
on motion of Mr.. Davis, committee of five was ap-
pointed draft resolutions expressive of the sent
ments of the people of Henrico county in regard to
the Communication of Jordan Hatcher's punishment
The committee was first constituted of Messrs
| Davis, Aiken, Belts Belcher, Bow and McCoull.-
Messrs. Bow and McCoull declining the nomination,
Messrs. Haines and latham were appointedin their
place.
The committee then retired for the purpose of
conference, and soon after returned and reported
| the following resolutions:
| Resolctd l. That in the late act of the Governor
| OF Vireinia-commuting the punishment
| was equivalent to a pardon-of the slave Jordan
| Hatcher, who had been regularly tried ana con
| vcted of murder by a competent and impartial tIi'
| bunal for which he had been condemned to DEAN,
| we have witnessed a gross misconcepnon OF the
| law, fragrant abuse of the pardoning power ana
a dangerous precec ent if not at once sternly re-
| 5uked by the public voice.
| Resolved 2. That in the communication OF Gov
| johnson to the Legislature, signing his reasons
| far fb1,oo fof,1r we
versve of the relations that heretofore existed
| between the master and slave alike dangerous 10
our peace our welfare and our safety-as encoura.
ging INSTRUMENTATION aud justifylng resistance on
the part of the slave the lawful authority OF the
master.
Resolced, g. That while we thus condemn the act
of the Governor, we cannot hold those or the re.
representatives. Of the people and the conductors OF
the public press who have indirectly countenanced
his conduct by their efforts to defeat legislative con
| domination, and to smother the voice of an lndlg
nant people, guiltless of great indi5creton and
violent wrong to the offended community in which
| they live.
| Resolued, A. That In our opinion the conduct
reasons and comm utati0n of the Governor in this
| case are censura5le in the highest degree. and
should be discOuntenanced by every true Vr
| ginian.
The question being upon the adoption of these
| resolutions
Mr. Bow said that he had in his hand preamble
and resolutions which he desired to read for the
consideration Of the meeting, and which he would
offer substitute for the resolutions of the COM
mittee, and the meeting might then have an oppor-
| tunity of choosing between the two series and Sc
lectng that which they thought best If those
which he offered were adopted, he should ask to be
| reinstaed a committeeman. They were as fol-
| lows:
Whereas, Jordan Hatcher slave was in March
last tried by the Hastings Court of the city of Rich
| mOnd, for and convicted of the murder OF William
T. Jackson, white man, and sentenced according
law with the punishment of death and, whereas,
| afterwards our Governor, by virtue of the power
vested in him, commuted that punishment to sale
and transportation beyond the limits of the United
States, and thereupon communicated his reasons
| therefor to the General Assembly on the 18th May
and in another message of the 10Th of the same
| month explained the first; and, whereas, of late
years, the execution of the salutary laws for the
prevention ofcrmes by our slaves, has been tc of.
| ten arrested by executive Observation-Disclosures
| belt
RESOLVED l. That, following in the footsteps of
| his predecessors, our present Observation-Disclosures
eonsclentiousy into great error in the commu
| tatiOn of said Hatcher's punishment.
ResOtred, 2. That while we pleased at the bet
ter views of the Governor, as forth in the mes
sage ut the 18th of May, we hold those of the l1th,
OF the same MONTH repugnant TO the spirit OF our
laws. destructive to the best interest of the slave,
and dangerous to the safety ofsociety.
ReSOtred, 3, and further, That fraternal feeling
and identity OF interest with the slavohelding States
require stringent laws ensure the trans
tstlon OF slaves convicted of crimes, whose punish
| ment may be commuted for that purpose in fact
rather than II form, OF the limits the United
| States.
Mr. B. proceeded to cay that if he had drafted
| these resolutions Immediately after the action of
| the Governor in committing the punishment of
| Hatcher, he should have made them much stronger
In their language than they were but he held that
| his community had passed upon the conduct of
| Governor Johnson. and, therefore, he (Mr b. was
disposed now when cool, to tax the mildest meas
to effect the object he had in view These re-
solutions proceeded to show, first, that practice
| had grown up amongst them, sanctioned by several
| OF our Governors which alike injurious to
themselves and the slave population. 1t had grown
| out OF erroneous deas-frst, of humanity. and Sc
| condy, OF economy-tor it was well known that the
commonwealth had TO pay the cost price of every
| negro executed.
| The second resolution he thought was as strong
as the nature of the case rendered requisite
| The third resolution referred to a subject that
had never been touched upon by any meeting.
| When the punishment of slaves was commuted to
| transportation, the law required that their pur.
shasers should take them out of the T. States He had
been creditably informed that there was scarcely
single case in which they were carried out OF
our sister Southern States. Now, he would ask
any slave holding community whether they would
not complain if other similar communities were to
take their negro felons and send them into their
midst there to renew and perpetrate their crimess
MIR. Sutton remarked that he was not aware that
any other Governor of Virginia besides johnson
had ever pardoned a negro who killed white
man.
Mr. Davis, from the committee, stated that seye.
raj resolutions came up before the meeting in
whose sentiments the committee concurred but
did not think they went quite far enough. Those
reported by the committee were considered suf
| hcently strong.
Mr.. Bow would not press his motion, and with.