Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-30
uLAYruI IN al.ANs: AAhai:

ihn! .I"s'jcc EgGin.
Tie nature ul the labor employed III our ug:Ir"i'
ture is the eXt subject for orr consideration IL =
most important element in the cost amount and va
In. of prndur ton. | very frankly avow the opinion
that mixed labor of free white men Ut European
origin aud slaves Of the African race 10 as well a'ia-
ed to the public aud private ends OF our agriculture ~
any other could be, making our cultivation not less
thorough, cheap and productive than it void be i;
carried on nv white labor alone. and far NOR so Than
the blacks by themselves could make It ana, 'hcre-
fore that il has beneficial influence Oh tr prosper
jty of the country aud the physical aud moral sale ~
hath ru,Cs rendering bntli better aud happier Than
either woud be here without the nhcr. oi cot -,
am not about entering into that controversy winch
nm. connected itself with the contentious OF sectional
f,,,us struggling for political power. Ii i unnr-
nn.ory tLut should, l,r every one Is aware. | be-
li.ye OF the nature at the controversy and tlIc ni"
tyes of the parties 10 il. II Ii one III the cn6erva-
tive effects Of slavery 10 impress on us dep con
,ictou of the incstimhblc value ut the UnlnI aud
,rofuud reverence for the constitution wlicl
t,lit and hence habltuny cherish good feel
inc M of brethren towards our fellow citizens If eve
rr State and any deed or word tcnliu. 10 inn mir the
nrrprIuitv of the Union, and the efficiency of the
slituiiOn and the laws passed III accordance with H.
or 10 alternate the ELECTIONS o the people of tl differ
emf States from each other, IL seen with Impotence
and frowned an with ndiena"n. Indeed, i there
were anything in slavery, or the Interests col rce't
| with IT, incompatible with that fundamental law. ]
,oubt not that our people would willingly Aide By
TINT sacred instrument, though 1t should III; of
right hand pluck ont right eye. But there will
be 10 occasion for display {" our loyalty in ut
| spcct, since the constitution CLEARLY Recognizes nur
Slavery .lstans the rights Of ownership, and cnlur-
ces the duty of service and am persuaded ta tin.
obligation ui those provisions and Their execution viii
be ultimately pronounced anu carried out by those
on whom the constitution itself concrs the authority.
Nv purpose now, however, is merely 10 lna.ntnin
that slavery here is favorable 10 the inter.,ts ri agli
culture in point ui economy and proi, anI not un-
wholesome to the moral and soc ial condition OF each
| race
In support of the first part Of the propositions lie
cisiy, argument is furnished by the fact that the
amount and value al the productions ui slave labor
in thu, country exceeds those oi similar productions
nav o all Ohpr agricultural prndurtions--uf an
ruI number at men III any other country IA far
ry can be ascrrtainel. In sUe localities, indeed,
and in respect To some articles ul great value the
production would censr. or nearly cease with slavery
since the blacks by the constitutions inherited from
their African ancestors can labor without d"t:inemt.
uulcr DEGREES of heat, moisture, and exposure which
urr found 10 be fatal {" the whites whose sy>rrins
nro better adap,ed Ia different conditions Of the a.
,no,hcrr In truth, II the Tree men III Those States
in which slavery prevails be allowed credit for COM
man sense and the capacity to understand tlcIr own
want. md interests the utility OF the employment o
slny, lnbor and it, product venes- are csiabi-i" b.
youd controversy, simply hy the 'ac that IL done
N,u who are thoroughly NrrScd III TIE practical upe
! rn,;nu If anv institution r"rtaiHy will mo-: t. ,irir
nwn rr,iudirc, uphold II from g"ncrall"n I" Sen"ra
tiou n, cling the closer 10 II rs, BY lis natural
,,u,ou il becomes more and more drsrICiHc II il
N. said TIM, the cuutnuuIc. at slavery does l"t Prove
ia utility 10 the Commonwealth BECAUSE 1t w0a con-
Timed of nrccssi'-:, and wruId lIrvc been, however
mpulr i might be found, We mus; own soiEt force
in In. suggestion by itscii, rcc al MI times after lis
introduction it woad hay" been G'ciit TO get nj "t
| IT, and thst officially has been continually increasing.
| I, wns much clssr for those who now c"adcina 90
s,r.,,,uusy our turr;!iinu Uisavery tn Catue ana
slave the helpless Africans, and bring them here, than
for us without crime Yet more hc'nou. t"fciiilce our
dominion over them, and turn tlI"in loose other own
discretion and .cstructun Their iat. would soon
| he that Of our native suvagcs or the cnranchsed
blacks of the West Indies;he miscrn! lc victims ri
dlencsS, want, drunk cnnes- and other ,cn"uchcfieS
| Sut the argument goes only 10 show that VIC would
have done right even lhou. IN enforced thereto by The
necessity spoken Of, in still holdn. tosc people III
bondage. II i. far from showing TINT slavery would
not have been and out not 10 have been maintained
though there had been such iypo.tic"i i!ece''.-
IS for doing Furthermore, there are hah"r"a"
facts To- prove clear opinion I" the contrary Ia c'c'y
class al our population. When did any man, Tor ~
ampic leave North Carolina III order % get cIe!r #
hi, slaves or of slavery, We have, indeed respect
ublc and peaceful religious suc.ciy-.cs7 muinrr".s
| than fora,cry-who ar. forbidden, by nii article n
their creed, from holding i"n III shHcll Even 'hti
never wurrrd or runtcndri HsaIr.rt h.- IiSItu"d
here, nor suuSh 10 seducc spr. away thcr iI"iGh
bors slaves: but, ike the quiet and Christian incn
they progressed Ia be, they left us ara linliErat'i
chiefly 10 the States OF the Northwest, IN wh!ch
slavery did not exist. With that slight "Hcrpt'.n'
! III" public sentiment Is GENERALLY satisfied VIVA
| the existence of slavery and lis lrnprcty here,
| that i, may properly be called universal. Some
IN. have clIicipard SOHO or all I" iIcr slaves D..
sanding chem t" other States. But ki"w not "i m
Instance in which tn" former owner want WITH them
or left North Carolina h,CauSc other owners would
not follow their example. On the contrary, when our
! Shareholders remove they carry hrr slaves with
them further South, whcr" slavery ~, possible more
firmly fixed than here hecaiIs" they expect the thr
oi the slaves 10 be more productive. Besides, there
! ;,,I, Of
! sny.s-somc from choice and some from inability to
purchase then and, nevertheless they Hrc c"chtca
| 10 abide among lie and our slaves. Ana II IL a'"
true, ti,d even when those migrate much the
larger part Of them likewise 80 10 the south o' IL III
t.l. thick of slavery brcau>" they horei" Innkc Il
yrcu,cr profit from their own eAcr"ns. These tacts
which cannot he denied will b"nr reflection and iur'
ui.h evidence sufficient 10 satisfy any fair 'nd that
there is unanimous convir"m ~ our pe"l.e thai
snyrry rs il exists here, Is neither unp"tiGc nor
i,upolitic nor unwhoc4uiuc: for certainly. though
shareholders. nny claim I" p"Ns-"ss rs e!e!r IN.
dcrs:nlin.s aud ~ clear CnlsCIcccn ~ generally ia
! 10 the lot at other men,
IL would, Indeed, be- otherwise, II IL were true. IA
supposed ~, forth by srin", that Hr',ry '"-ri"cs
free, laur and, consequently, tia; "ur i"Iu!a"i are
too proud too lazy t" work, and become, cnI"c'h
| Is slavc-uwmerS disa"ui" aud rutii-nr Ia morals
"A wei, n, Gtrocous iyrlIils. But that IL no; !:uc-
| not Ut all true; nud there never WAS grcaicr mis-
take than 10 suppose true. II cannot but excite II
smile in III, wli" know the contrary well, when we
arc told that white men do not work here, and that
| they TO no. because ii is considered dlsgraceu.-
WHY, there is not country On earth III which honest
labor and diligence in business in all GLASSES AMI comb
lions considered more rsprrtabc,ur is more Respect
ed. We. like every other lnpic, have the idle ana thc
| vicious among But they are chiefly those who
have the least conncXiun with slaves, and particularly
those employed in agriculture, and ARE I" be found,
without means, lounging about cities aud villages
Many nost independent farmers. wh" own slaves but
not enough tn make their superintendent ul eau
81. ,h..ir flInr
slaves; aud il is that one here ever treated
Them thou. Int Of them dlsgracc by II. Indeed,
every Oh. who, BY Intelligence integrity, ani indus
try, prov es for himself and his household, either IN
the field at the forge any other mechanical pur-
suit, IL as highly respected here in every other
wcll-ordered community, and many oi them are OF
great and useful influence III society.
II is mistake, too, equally notable, that slave
holders ARE above or exempt from the cares and the
business NJ III. and 1t IL gross calumny 10 repre-
sent them the ruthless and relentless tyranis, Of
whom persons delight Ia draw charged and
| exaggerated carIuaturuS. Although the labor of Il
large STAKEHOLDER is not manual yet il IL not tho less
eugrossius ard nnrrnus; and IN. feeling between
masters aud their slaves in the great bulk ot our
population IS kindly on the part o the former, and
aeciirnatcy faithful the part oil the latter. Slave
| ry, indeed, IL not pure and unmiXCd good Nor l..
any TINT II huinai There are Instances at crn" ai
dcvilish masters, and Of turbulent and refractory
slaves, who cannot bc controlled and brought into
subsection but by extraordinary severity. But t!rs"
are exceptions, and rare EXCEPTIONS Treat severity
in masters is rs much opposed IL the usagcs of our
people 10 the sentiment Of the ag", and indeed, u
the interest OF the master Moderation in the punish
racmt OF dependents is founded in nature: and umj:,st
excessive, aud barbarous cruelty is not to he pre-.
suncd but quite the contrary. The meek man who
led the lsraetrs through the wilderness, and lcgisn-
ted Tor them by Inspiration, understood this better
ian those Who paint US $" fr!ghifuiiy without know
!ng much ab"Tt In treating OF th" ditirrc: lie
grces Of homicide lIe had regard To the known mo.
tvcs OF the human heart, aud thereon founded the
presumption that the aayin. Of slave by tn.
ter Is by mi~advcntue, "hccuIsc he is hs money
unless il should bc rchukcl by such excess in the de-
mr. Iurutinu nft inf Ia