Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-09-19

|. What idcG have You Of the destiny Of the slave
population in the United States!
=. What is Your conviction with regard TO the prac-
t%icabiiiiy and usefulness 10 al concerned o. the colo
nila,irn scheme
3. If q slave asserts his liberty and runs away, do
you feel that he oGS!,. - be recovered, or has he n
naturG! right ~ escape II he chooses
/. Docs slavery west OF Georgia and III he south
west differ inuch as 10 severity from that III the cast
crn and central southern States!
D. l. emancipation desirable or possible in any view
Of il, il! the blacks are 10 remain herel Where did
John Randolph's slaves find refuge at last, after be-
ing driven out by several free States!
! do not propose to Use your name, bu, your views.
4 fen lines from you soon on the foregoing
topics would greatly obllsc me.
Very respectfully and truly, yours,
\. ADAMS.
Hon. II. 4. WISE.
ONLY, near Onancock, .Accn,nac, Co., Va,
AUGuSr -, lSJi
DEAN SIR: received yours of the 18th inst, yes
tertay. 1t is Il letter which cannot be satisfactorily
answered in brief terms. 1t Is so deserving Of my re-
speci that | cannot ioreSo 4 reply 10 il, and yet lis
questions are so full OF matter rs 10 require more time
and labor than | can devote to I topics which are so vi
tai that they ought not 10 be touched az all, unless
treated fully enough TO comprehend their essential
bearings. l must reply, then, III a synoptlcal view,
and sketch n mere skeleton, which you must fill up
yourself, ami take all the chances vi making many
wide mistake. \ northern man-a non-s!avelolding
mal-iS sure to make gross mistakes on this 'ponS as.
sin0rUm" subject of African slavery III the United
States. You first ought 10 comprehend our feelings
as well Is. our relations in the matter. I" make You
understand these. YOU must a!iow INT 10 squeak right
on like Il "plain blunt man. and 10 treat the SHb
icct in the most natural and unaffected tone IN which
the ideas relating t" ii arise i'll my mind. To the ct-
fort. then
What are you writing to nc about! .Siaroy-iE-
riraH Shrrtr y-in the southern States OF this Cnion.--
A yrOy'rf y-propcrtv by the iGr .; III" St";e<-prpp-
crty protected by The constitution u dta~S 81 Nc iH'-
ted S.0t:S-prtc0tc property, held by individual pro
r,riptprS bV the same lutlDrtv of SnyerIlyuti,S. anu al
constitutions, and of statutes, us houses, and horses,
and lands, and ships. aud goods, wares, and nlcrchan-
disc of trade are held. Sacred as property, because
defended by the ~l0roi a. well is m~um'cI11' law, ma
king i: mine, and not yourS. Mine, and not yours, 1t
i in the forum of conscience, between me and tod
alone, and not yours in any sense between You and
me in any conceivable relation between Us. Mine,
and not yours, in any sense Of responsibility respect
in. any relation between Inc and the slave. What
business have you, then, 10 interest yomrSct about ii!
Why take II thought about hcHctitins the racc of my
slave more than about benchtng the race OF "ny OK
or my ass" or anything else thut is miEc and not
yours? You shall not covct my IMAM servant or
maid servant" moro than my "ux or my ass or ANY
thing else that IL mine Oh. .y"H mean no harm
YOU merely mean to inquire how 10 "livcr; the north
crn an,agonIsm I" slavery The northern an,ayu-
nism To it, then. does mean harm-GOrs mean Ia us5uil
this prnpcrty-dOtS covet my man servant and my
maid servant, and would take away and destroy this
property, without regard to law, human or divine
Now. why should it be allowed 10 do this in rcspcctto
M. species of property any more than III respect to
ANY other kind of property! Ii Is lawlcssncss let
loose upon lis: and would YOU have US compromise
with the moral mob So AZ 4" bring about Il 'matn0|
tForf" between lis to plan for the good of the African
race! Before the r"pcrty-holdersc can be brought to
purlCv with the brute force which assails their legal
RIGHTS, the mob must be diSarlucd AMI Subdurd. The
sovereign authority of con;rdcrated States mus. be
.xrr;ol 10 fulfil the faith ri Il federal compact Of
uniua, Property is gone the moment ii recognises
Hry right Oj interference toy amy one excerpt ND$t >tGHG-
ing IN n pirate Of rSt4''"E 10 RSft-i: i zone III" mo-
ment i allows Intrusion, especially by an ALLEN enc
INV" Northern antagoniSn ,S "nlua' and northern
;Intagnnism ~ "rHcmy to Il.
Suppose the houses standing this side Of Mason and
D;xnufs line were all Cssailcd 10y Il rude mob, con-
stan.iv hurting at them fiery torches, missiles lit with
fum,r<, Just as if they were block houses on the from
tier attacked by Indians armed with arrows burning
10 light the roofs; that no State laws ar State efforts
were made to arrest the iaccrrtiury wariS." %: liar one
hrlt the population sided with the mob: tina: the Ge al
the ;aiis was refused ~ hold The criminals; that the pul,
pits were preaching AMI the schools wcr" teaching this
IL he all right. morally right, and Justified 10y the nigh
or law" OF God: that Judges a!I jurcs couldn't br
fnu!ri 10 administer Justice 10 mrldcrcrs and marau'
Icrs; that il was more expensive 10 seek actress than
+" sHhmj! to UrOEg under tlc sectional aggression;
tha, political parties were organized aud public uii-
GERS elected on the ground oi oheyimg the mob law,
against the faith of c"ntcdcrntId States, aud against
the saMctity OF constitutional and statute laws and the
oa;hs and duty OF citizens to support them. Now
how long would you expect lis To listen patiently "a
such meek and quiet and wcil-lnc;nimC appeals M
thar YOU make 10 me, much more submir to such in,
sul.s and uu.raScs! Iuucouid not expect good neigh
borhuni 10 exist lang between us and our encinies.-
All common feelings would soon be destroyed al
brotherhood would cease: nothing short of war would
soon rage on, Il" utter ruin of everything precious III
the bonds which hold u> together nS one people. No
the Union don't rest III the bonds of law, II must abide
in the minds and affections Of patriots. Gaugrcne
their feelings towards each other. and the bonds OF
the Law become fCt;erS-b"udS su:c enough. And ful
the South 10 rate the nsgrcSsurs and not 10 reSist
them, would show the south 10 be 10, only provin.
cialiLcd and cirslavcd. bat ii. in be hunhled and trnd,
den upon. Well, slavery il properly as much As the
houses axe. Ii il assaulted uy "nurthcrI antagonism'
rs dangerously rs ever the block houses OF our from.
tier were hy Indians in their most savage mood
IHiS house IS taH 81 c0IajnstthLc materials. 1t is
II house 'not made with hands" and is endowed
wIn human wit AMI human passions more in
tammable than sunpowder. Ii hns some reason
with which to conirive mischief itself. 1t can itscl
mid the enemy. 1t contains n magazine OF iguo
rance. superstition and passions, and prcjuaiccs.-
Its explosion would be fuller of horrors than tire
and c0ncussiou could bring 10 fathers and mo
theirs, and husbands and wives, aud whole faunlics o
kindred, if sleeping in security; and the very leas. np'
prehension of that explosion keeps them from sleep
ing a. they should be allowed by brethren to sleep
IN security. The threat of Tint security makes th'
aggression really a c'ca r0T, without the rre and Tho
swurd-H0t ~iaJRt tic horrors! This is the case.-
What is the remedy! lOg propose a G'rerStoR'-
Heaven defend Us! Is that the best your pliianthro
py and patriotism can suggest! a diversion lnit
what! a diversion of the mob with the missiles ane
fiery darts, thus threatening our peace, Into a nnitla
effort with the South 10 plan the good uf the African
race" Don't you perceive, sir, the statement Of toe
case rctutcs the plan What them Why, sir, jus,
iet, our property Gion', and make yoa- people obey tht
aIS cog respect onr rights Of property. Go to work
at home, n the North, correct the evil there. Teach
them that they owe Us much at least to their orr
race as TO the dJ'icaa. Teach them that they are no,
Teach them that the mole they uursne j.. maj nnI;,;o
towards their own end. Teach tlrm Tint the frs,
duty is no more owing to til. Stare than to the mas.
Ter Of the slave; and if they would have liz unite in
any mutual effort with them, they Must show ;hem.
Selves the JrteadS OF masters as well us OF shares: tina,
ii they would DC instrumental in doing good to the
latter, they must win the hearts and confidence OF
the former. If they cannot do good 10 both, let Ii.
a!one-JuS. ta rs Gonc. 1t is safer for us that they
SHOULD, either for good or for evil, interfere with any
other species Of our property rather than with thii
subjec; Of slavery. SO much for the first impulset
on reading YOUR letter, before I came to its questions
You ask frs. UWhnt idne boya ron ~ The 3.st;nr ~