The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-08
WASHINGTON, ID. e.
Bor the National Era
THE SOUTHERN PLATFORM ;
HEUUAL oY SOUTHERN SENTIMENT on THE
sUBJECT OF SLAVERY.

Washington, Jefferson, MGdlsOn and others
CkoV names are c0nSeCrdted in the affection!
Of the Southern PfOple-the Debates IN tht
FEDERAL and State Conventions lchich franco
md ratified tie Constitution Of the Unitfd
S,afss-th9se irhich occurred in the first Com
greSSs, ghich SAT during the administration
at General WdShingtoa-Gnd extracts from
ne Debate in the Virginta Legislature il
1892 NTH UariouS letters, judicial decisions, DC
81 DANIEL r. GOODBYE or NORTH CAROLINA
lcoNuSuEpI
DEBATE on EMANCIPATION, IN THE VIR
GINA LEGISLATURE, IN 1882
The debate in the Virginia Legislature, at
the session of 1912 on the subject of Eman-
1ipatiou. was occasioned by the southampton
nsurrec.ion. which occurred in the preceding
August The minds of the people were ava
kenei by & at event to the continual insecurity
and danger of state Of society in which one
half Of ina people are made the natural enc
goies Of the other; and the press almost unani-
mauly broke forth in condemn alton Of s7s-
ten 10 which they justly traced the diIapda-
ZION and decay Of agriculture the absence OF
arts manufacturers, and internal improvements
and tac prevalent Ignorance among tho b2dy
Of tho mono. The G, ndition Of Virginia was
,OltrG-El WIN tQAJ OF the NOTtHcEu Sldttr, IL
these particulars, and her poverty and degene-
racy demonstrated on the inconte5,able author
..v e official statistics The debate occupied
many consecutive days at the session, and must
be regarded. By all who peruse it, IA one of the
lbles; and. owing 70 the vital Importance ot
the subject one Of tho most interesting that
has ever occurred on the continent. The Vir-
giuan of the pre- ent dav, who would bury in
all &c hot
10 the honor and renown of his country No
where has genius and liberty been more close
" allied than in the Old Dominion It would
be difficult T. find ono illu4trious name in nl
her history. which is not identified with free
dom ia the broadcast sense Of the term; while
those who have signalzed themselves as the
rhR. Mons Of Slavery are stars Of u lesser mag
nitude
Foremost in the ranks of the Emancipation
parry was tho distinguished editor # the Rich
mond Enquirer, Thomas Richie Esq, gen
tlenGn O! nigh character, cool, cautious, and
wary politician, whose influence was perhaps
at thai time and subsequently, greater than
thar &C GuY man IN Virginia. Side bY de
with The Enquirer stood the Richmond Whig
titrd bv tie gallant and impetuous John
Hamdan Piaa3ant4 q man If brilliant genius.
who, for da,hing and racy editorial writing,
has never been ex1ellei in this country. The
pres Of Norfolk Charlottesville, and other
places responded in manly strains to the Rich
mond papers; and believe | shall not be in
v.Iious in saying that majority Of enlighten.
en- men "A ihe state took decided stand in
favor Of Emancipation.
Among the most distinguished advocates Of
Emancipation, IN tie House of Delegates, were
Mr. Moore Of Rockbri &c, Mr.. Boiling of -.
Mr. Randolph Of Albem arlc, Mr. Rive- Of
Gam, hell, General Brodnax Of Dinwiddie, Mr.
Powell MIR Faulkner, and Mr. Summers Of
Kanawha.
From he BIcamond Enq,urer, jan. I, 1892
Editorial
Il 10 probable, from what we hear, that the
Committee on tae Coorcd Population will re-
pert some plan fr getting rid of the free people
81 color But j. this all that can be done Are
~e forever to suffer the greatest evil which can
~cHUrye our land not only to remain, but to in
creas" IN ia 0imcnsiona? We may shut our
cycs and a.ort cur faces if we please, (writca
IN el0q5cot South Caronian, on his return
from rhc Moth, t. few weeks ago. but there il
IT, the dark md growing evil at our doors; and
meet the question we must at no distant day.
God only knows what it il the part Of wise
subject OF this am very sure. that the diff
iercnce--nothng short of frightfll-bctween
all that cXsts on one side Of the Potomac and
al on the other, is owing to that cause alone
The disease il dcepscated-it il at the hearts
oore-it i consuming, and has all along been
consuming. orr yitals and could laugh-ifl
could laugh Oh SUE! sulject-.at the gno-
rance and folly Of the politician who ascribes
that TO TN act Of the Government which ia the |
inevitable effect Of the eternal laws of Nature |
What 70 20 be donei Oh my God, DO not |
know, but something must be done"
Yes, something must be done, and it il the |
part Oh no honest man to deny it-of no free |
pres7 10 affect to conceal it, When this dark
population ~ growing upon us; when every
new cenrn' 10 but gathering its appalling mum
bers upon MS when, within period equal to
that III which this Federal Constitution has
been IN existence, these numbers will increase
to more than two millions within Virginia
when our sst'r States are closing their doors
up0u our blacks for sale and when our whites
are moving Nostwardy in greater numbers
th9n we llkr ~ hear Of; when this the faire.t
land on al this continent, for soil and climate
md SItuennu combined, might become "A sort OF
garden eHot II 1t were worked by the hands of
white men alone can ire, ought we 10 ait quiet.
y lo"n iold oar arm1 and say 10 each 0Jhcr
We'l we'll, thls thing viii not come TO the
NoIs "a our day we Will leave il to our chill
iren. and our grandchildren and great grand.
children, 60 take care OF themselves and e.
bravo the storm" Is this to act like wise men
Heaven knows we are no fanatics-we detest
the madness which actuated the Amies des
NoTS, bat something ought to bo done.
Means, sure but gradual, Systematic but dis
erect, ought to be adopted, for reducing the
mass al evil which IN pressing upon the South,
and will sill more press upon her, the longer
II u put of. We ought not 20 shut our eycs
nor avert our faces and, though we speak al
most without hope that the committee of the
Legislature will DO anything at the present
session to meet this question, vet we say now
IN the utmost sincerity Of our hearts that our
VIA ut men cannot give too much of their al
'''oa to this subject, nor can they give it too
sosn.
shall give only few extracts from the DO
bate
Mr.. MooRE, of Rockhridge, said: 4
Permit me- now, sir, to direct your attention TO
some OF the evil consequences of Slavery, by
way Of argument IN favor Of our maturcly de.
hb'raure 90 the whole subject, and adopting
me thrlent measures to remove the cause
from which those evils spring. In the first
place, ! shall confne my remarks to such Of
those evils az affect the white population ex
"'nslvely And even in that point of view, |
'1n'k that Slavery. AZ it exists among us may
De- regarded rs the heauieSt calamity which has
ever heiaicn any portion of the human race.
i "e look back through the long course of
''m" which! has elapsed since the creation To
'he Frc'"ui moment we shall scarcely be able
60 pom, oct people whose situation was not,
n ntny resp cts preferable to our own and
;hatof the Other States in which negro Slavery
'x.r.. True, sjr, We shall SEQ nations which
nav" Grpuned under the yoke of dcspotism for
"ndTado and thousands Of years; hut the indi
1dnls composing those nations have enjoyed