Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-17
lNCENDIARY vISITANTS AND HOW TO
TREAT TtJp>r

ciety. Ibis warming was given long prior to the ru
mors OF serVile insurrecton, which, about the Christ
mas holidays caused oimuch uneasiness in Virginia
and other OF the Southern States. We believed then
that many OF tho persons to whom we referred were
emssaries OF the abolitionists, who came into our
midst to tamper with our slaves; and the develop
nents Of the past two months have amply vindcated
thejustce of our suspicious aud the necessity for our
caution.
Within the period named, we have endesvored to
acquaint ourselves fully with all the facts connected
with the rumors which prevailed so extensively about
the close OF the last year. From all that we have
gathered, we have come to the conclusion that there
was not, in this State least any concerted or well
digested plan Of rebellion smsng the slaves. For the
most part this GLASS had heard nothing of any such
design and would have been ignorant thereof to this
day, but for the noise which made about it in the
newspapers. There was, however, in some places
the exhibition of spirit of impaence under 70
straint and tendency to characterization among the
slaves, which might well excite alarm in those parti'
cular localities They .ew and far betweeI the
slaves in most pla a4s being well contened with their
condition, and devotedly attached to their owners
Where characterization and contempt OF authority
stance to the Vaccinations of white men, who passed
through the rural districts OF the State pretending 10
sell table cloths, window shades and the like arti.
cles but in reality laboring to nclte discomfort
among the slaves. to poison their mind, by false and
seditious words and by artfuly contrived persua'
sivss to excite revolt and lead to the murder Of
slave owners. These pretended psders passed
through the State in shoals during the last fall and
credulous friends in the country, suspeeng no
evi allowed them to 60 unmolestsd II was only
when too late that the farmers discovered that the
strong Yankees, whom they had received and
sometimes Hospitality entertained. had abused their
confidence by tampering with the slaves, with the
view to ALLEVIATE them from their masters.
The fact is now asoerianed beyond all question:
To enquiries, earnestly pressed in various coun-
ties, We have had replies which might well arouse
our people from their unconcern and Indifference
In various quarters we hear that, during the last fall,
pedlers Of every description and organ grinders
were peranbulsting the whole country, and, wherever
they went, sought interviews with the slaves aud
urged them to rise and murder their masters. Per-
hnps these precise words were in no case employed,
but pregnant hints, aud significant usinuations, were
the peculiar phraseology used with the slaves by
these Infamous incendiaries.
Our nornants in several counties had their infor-
nation from the slaves themselves, connected with
such minute descriptions Of The time place and person,
that their masters had no difficulty in ascersning the
truth ofheir statements In some instances, such dis,
closures were made by the slaves with evident reluc
tanee, in Others questions were cheerfuy answered,
and in others, the information rendered volunta
riy. Some instances have come to eur knowledge
where the masters overheard the. conversations with
their slaves, and chastsed the white scoundrels as
they most richly deserved. It's TO be regretted that
oil such worthless were not lodged in Jail, or soundly
a0gg:d Sy the very negroes whose destruction they
What ia past cannot be mended, but the recur-
renee of similar incidents may be prevented, If the
people will be vigant and wise. Every good citl
zen of the Commonw ealth should feel il 10 be hi.
solemn duty to rid ths community Of all the vermin
that periodically pours through the rural Districts
Tho whole hos:e Of Yankee pedlers are nusanees
which should be abassd however much of sacrifice
and Inconvenience it may involve. The safety Of
each family demands this; the we'll being and happI'
ness of the slave demand it, the highest good Of all
cla.sss in the Southern States requires it.
1t may bs accomplished by several methods, and
that is the better which will be most etfectua and
thorough. Some of our farmers run the rascals of
their plantations with their dogs, aud thus relieve
themselves Of the offensive visitors That is the
simpler aud less troublesome way but, it ia liable to
several objections chief among which we reckon iss
Inconsistency with good order and law. There is
another plan which we prefer, and which We earnsst'
y recommend to all our readers That il, to deal
with these adventures offenders against the reye-
nue laws Of the Commonwealth. 1t may not be
generally known that to be engaged as hawksr or
pedler, in selling or trading in goods, wares. msr.
chandse or other articles without having hrst OBJ
tanned license, subjects the individual to fine of
not less than twenty, nor more than one hundred
dollars. Yet, such is the provision of our law Zee
Code, page 2lO, and Session Acts 1883, page IL.
The large majority Of the pedlera who are wont to
visit our cosntieq, ostensbly for purposes of trade
pay no heed to this requsition Of statutes They
are seldom asked if they have license, and, as it
would absorb all the profits Of their business to OBJ
tain one for each county they visit, they dispense
with it altogether, thus dsrsuding the State while
! they are meditating the death of the citizen.
Primarily, it is the duty Of the Sherfs, Constables
Commissioners Of the revenue and the Justices Of
the Peace that all hawkers and peders pay the
tax and have the license required by law but it is
no less the duty of every good citizen to see that the
revenue laws Of the State respected and obeyed
and the performance Of this duty is dictated by o
| proper regard for the interest OF the citizen.
Money is not very abundant in the public treasury,
and every dollar which the citizen puts into it, tend,
to tighten his burdens 1t s probable that there
one thousand pedlers in this State during the
past year. AID il tLsy visited two counties each, as it
is amoat certain they did, the income at the treasury
from this ought to have reached at the very
lowest two hundred thousand dollars, whereas, ao
oordng to the returns made to the Auditor Of Public
Accounts, it did not exceed fifteen thousand
dollars. Important the enforcement Of the
revenue law 10 seen to he. when viewed from
pscuniary standpoint the other view to which
we have already alluded, is far more important
II would seem that it the design of the legisa.
ture to rid the State OF Eeae perpsetc traders alto
zehsr especially such as are not residents OF Vlrg.
ria. What else oan be inferred from the language
of the thirteenth section of the act concerning taxes
contained in the Session Acts of iSa5-6, page Is =
The ssston, after fixing the tax to be paid by every
uedlsr, concludes thus: provided, however, if the
hawker, pedler print.seller, person obtaining sub
sorptons to BOOKS taxsu unueF 'ns secpon' noe no'
been resident In the State two years, and in the
county one year, the tax shall in each case be two
hundred dollars" The tar, when the person has
been thus resident in the State and the county, ranges
from twenty to one hundred and sfty dollars, and
this discrimination against non-resdents can only
lsyo been intended to deter them from prosecuting
their trade in this State at ALL and if the law was ri
gdy enforced it would have that effect, as the tax s
so great that no man could make money, or even g
livelihood, by peddling.
This then, is what would have all good citizens
do: When they are visited by any of these person
ages let the 6rst inquiry be, by what authority do
thna ha-ul hln-i