Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-08-11
For ~ ErlNrfF
No. Ill ,,,.,,,
Y OF REMOVING Oh IT.


ON TIE NECESSITY OF REMOVING or 30 or
c,yc ro SLAVERY TIE FREE HEGkoIH w
THE COMMONWEALTH.
w,o,o.ed near the conclusion Of Our hit' u,
ina provisions of the new Constitution ai,I /,
,he free negro population OF the Con'nM ~anu ,f
wiII be gathered from perusai aud con, C,r.r
Oh, sections referred to, how great AZ e'ii l''e
a. ths Constitution regarded the tree netF1 p'r"
finn SINGS the Legislature was en'l"wrIr ., H.,
laws for the 'rc'Jrt Of Nc Comm"""t"m" :, x;i -,
population, .'bg r,nnoc' or o'he'm'$'. rl,v.d NJ,
once be seen that from the phra-e"esy M nr,,o,s..
sl,no., absolute aud unlimited power n .',1 P;J =,
il vested in the legislature. They are : 80, ~
relieve the Commonwealth ol :he popu'",.I, ,s,;n,
muyu or otherwise, with no rrs'i W. IS ,ba
as to unumrr or MEANS Thus did 'ne Hun;e. ,,.r
Constitution speaking for the peopo ;, nrsst soe
anxiety 20 I'D the body polite o' IN,
moral aud political evil " aIlowl,S Tue
an unlimited margin vi po@ers ana oouu'.'e's o,e..e
to:i. Lit US see Low the LeS'si'uo 10 POI ,ln,
cd The duty expected Of them. IL WIZ oe sTcu .n.,
their Legislative timidy upon the ise9 negro Question
49, ~ eraa, They have dealt as ,inEery
with ths ,ph-c; ss child would "'!h Il not poEef.
Wouid ,bcy had banded as csiutiy The resources OF
the Sra;s and showu IS ht;!o FAVOR 70 oanKs anu
mudpike,. ,o;, -, ,L r.,,,,-.
nr..sd ,T act establishing colonization hoard. ard
making an appropriation !or tue removal "l ireo Dc
.roes from the Commonwealth Here! The oc'y sec
Tiou Of he act which il s necessary 10, us 20 n"'ce
ha n EtrS
vide for donations. lim; the sum 10 DC drawn staas
wh-n and how drawn, and impose POI, Ia. on Tree
negroes -, .,a c.,srsl Assem-
biz That the sum OF thirty tnonsana oolass sa' NC
and the sane ;s hereby appropriated, TO bs PAID GU
nually for the period OF i've years, outof any money
In tba treasury not otherwise appropriated, for inc
nurposes and in tho nanuer hereinafter prescribed.
1hs purpose of this fund was to provide for tie
co; If TRANSPORTING free negroes to tie coast o; Afi'
| IT, fsr6 IA n d,
,bs ,he Iayislatare has done towards carrying
out and enforcing the consttutionai pr1TS'onS CO."
carnin., IN, "reliet O. the Commonwealth from tue
free recro population. And even this gigantic enact
man, This abr ms4;:s. is nugatory and Intellectual
for eny appreciable practical good, 10. II Only pro
yjdes for the removal OF such free negroes Us wsh 20
leave and only appropr:aes for the purpose money
ia the treasury not otherwise appropriated, which,
one slightly acquainted with the financial operations
and condition Of our treasury for the last I'VE Years
will readily imagine mus. have beeu Tsry lncpusio'
cradle sum.
We have said that the Legislative enactment, last
referred to- was oil that bed beer dons By the Legs
Isture since tie adoption Of he Few Constitution,
towards carrying out the constitutional provisions
concerning free negross. Something eise "as a..
ttmr.el by the Legislature, or patriotic minority
thereof but without cess. We al!uoe 10 nil
which was proposed during the session OF 1893,
which had it passed would have taken the initiative
step. nay, would have gone Tar to~arcs renewing
tho State OF its free negro population. We nave MOI
before
lection such of ts provisions as appear to Us necesss
nv elements in any plan for the "reei OF the State
We would have preferred sor1.whst different Dill
TO The Que proposed ard which failed bur We should
have preferred that bill to none or 10 ''s o2e we
have commented upon, which, II Wa GiH rot Tnlsa-
ken. was adopted as substitute. poor substitute,
truly
Ths bill! ,-hich wss presented IN 1855 anc lost,
coming nearer ;han cay other IN It's scope towards
fulfilling the requisites for accomplishing the opec's
i, ,sa Nnsngl tspt hi
the public and t!lsn brmbly ofe. such suGgestions
as we think will point on; its faults und prove likely
, 10 amend tEsm.
The BILL proposed aud defeated, contemplated the
removal. tie compulsory removal OF The Tree De-
vrors In this reep.ct il preferable 10 al the
rect the successful operation OF which latter depend
ed upon the voluntary remove! OF TIE tree negroe:i
contamination not TO he expected. The c9ercife leu.
lures of the bill were not to operate Tor three years
from its passage. Thus would ample time have been
given ior preparation aud departure. Sixteen years
were allowed for the bill 10 operate IN lie removing
features. All FREQ negroes, old enough 10 iaoof
who would not leave during the three years grace al
lowed at the expiration of that time were 10 be erred
ont by the overseers of tho poor. until The fluid thus
arising should BIZ sufficient 10: Their removal. IL III
1862 there should b, free negroes stu remaining I'D
the State not reached by the bill, 1t was PROVIDED,
,ha il they did not choose their masters they should
be sold into slavery, aud the proceeds OF their SAFE
applied 10 promoting the comfort OF those sent 70
Liberia, az well as Of thoas permitted to remain IN
Virginia, on account of aye, or bodily or meI'a' III
trinity.
lures of tue bill for the removal OF our free negro
uopuis,iop which was proposed in 1858 put which
unfortunately did not puss IN order thu' II may De
seen from that till stand polut, what lfgsihVe
measures are necessary for the relief OF the State
from this population. In the remarks which W"
shall submit and III the plans winch We sha'I
suggest Tor abstiug the great free negro nuisance We
shall adopt non. Of the features OF this b some we
ball n1auu In
point out, In our confederation Of the f. d likely to
arise from the compulsory hiring ont OF the Tree Ne.
groea, we shall adopt the estimate made by Jonn u
Rutherford Esq, the able and accomplished repre-,
sentative from Goochland county VINO advocate"
tlr bill proposed in 1858 and who.s striking views
and cogent argumeuts upon this who!s subject are
so much better than anything We can oller that re-
publication OF his speech is greatly 20 be desired by
the advocates of removal. We shall bow give our
views: ;.
| To any one seriously rejecting upon the subject,
il will al once occur that for the removal of our free
negroes series of measures Will be necessary, all
combining aud working for the achievement Of the
| same great end The great moral and socla! EVIL al
IRE. neeroisln cannot he overturned by lever but
there mug. be aeverai employed, worked irem diier.
en polDts aud by dl-rent crces, II may be; out al
moving together, or IN succession. and III the SAME
direction. y great evil, that he's been growing tor
wears sending lis vicious roots into soc!ey cannot
| DO removed at once. Fu! time must he taGen-cATe
and patience inust be exercised. l; takes years 10
| build our railroad.-the james River aud hanawha
Canal may not be flushed in the next halt century
vet if il hnd rot been commenced We sho1ld not have
been as nenr It's completion as we arc. We are often
| fully repsid by commanding work though II be
never flushed. So IN respect to the romsval OF our
free negro population. The State will be amply COM
| pspsated by any effort at their removal. land by
"remova" we do not simply mean transportation out
of the State, but include every means by which meg
shall erase to BE- free negroes IN tie STATE, whether ny
| eu.laveulent or irausporaton,l though she should
ultimately fail. For, Il we do not get rid OF all We
shall he rid of some. Even thar would he cnnsum'
nation ,levouty TO be desired. Upon the Legislature
Of Virginia tue Constitution bus imposed The duty ct
| legs!atng for tho relief the Commonwealth irom
frse negroes. II is to our Legislators then that We
| must turn. Lst tue people demand that they shall
commence commence legislation THAT is the chief
obstacle and most important point) TO. Kidding the
State of this great and crying evil. No matter ho
| they commence, bat only let them commence, aud
begin in earnest ,,,.u 49,,
have comaenced and can they no; get right rs they
proceed They seldom ever do commence right III
any case, if arc to judge from the NUMBER oil re
peas and amendments that cunber our statute books
relative matters of the most ordinary CHARACTER
II will not be expected Of them to leap from concep
ton to perfection In working out 60 difficult pro
bem as the question OF removal Only let them
take chalk in hand aud go to the biach board-tbe
p.op's will help them work out the SUN. If they can
NOT gst the answer, let them come close to II q.
they eau. Then they will have done their duty.
In view of what we have said We think the ball o
removal aud relief may be set in motion by tbs uni
ted force of the four following measures list. Vol
uutsry removal. 2nd. Compulsory removal. 3rd
Voluntary ensavement. 4th. Compulsory ensave
meut We say !sw can he MADE by union o.
these MEASURE. which, b. lis gradual operation fol
tho next fifteen yesrs will relieve old Virginia OF the
free negro curse. Not having had the benefit of le
Cs!ave ,rairinc and experience. j; is Eo 10 be eA
pue;ed tina; should 10 able 10 presei; as complete
aud finished law this subject OF the cleo
ted wisdom OF the land can GO. We shall therefore
onlv do the bert We can, and state, substantially
| what such law should provide. First and fore
most, the ia, sbould go forth tina, the free
negroes are 10 be- gotten rid os-thnt Jrce
u gross, as such, can 10 longer remain IN thi;
! Commonwealth This, they should be made TO uu
d.rstaud and believe, b. advertisement and personal
notice given them in ell tho counties of the State
Let them be convinced tia. tree negroes they viii