Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-06

Where are hey7 Look at the grog. .sbops the stree,
corners, the res negro settlements; along the rail.
roads, highways, canals, Sc, and you will iud them
The anticipation OF this holiday does No good wa all
know. IL comes, es matter OF course, and affords
no stimulus whatever; and no man Of common
sense will contend that this idle, louEpinp, rowing
drinking, and otherwise misrhief.dot1,g week
ts ths negro in the least degree for the discharge of
his duties. In tho name of III. aai i. sensible then
let farmers in every neighborhOod throughout the
Stale talk II over and agree to abolish the prsclice
1t Is very common now to give negroes holiday for
day, or half day after busy seasons during the
year. This can be done with good eRcc, but lei
these standing holidays be done away with
But, Messrs. L itors. tho object of this cummupi
cation is to urge attention 10 subject of even more
importance than that which have mentioned, viz :
the FREE NEGRO POPULATION. Shareholders of Vir.
ginla-yes, and non-slave owners aso-this evil
must be erad'cated Or as sure as the sun shines. it
will prove The viper to destroy u.s. Ii il utterly use
less to dwell uPonit. 1t would be the greatest anon
ally that ever occurred in the history of man. if the
two classes of the same population could live inter.
mingled as the! do here with us, without mischief
We can see why the slave population in tho aggre-
gate is better off than the free But the slave canuo.
understand this and If be did, it would make no dit.
ference with him. He cares not for the futurs he
sees the free negro free from compulsory labor; hs
dssipates and lounges with him Sunday, and leaves
hun to spend Einnday in the same way If he chooses,
while he himself must fall into the ranks. He SEE.
him toll by his eide for one day, receive his dollar
more, aud disappear to spend it. He steals, and finds
purchaser in bis free negnb0r, who has tune and
leisure to dispose Of the pluuder long before tho
theft is discovered. The free negro is traveller,
and gives the restless servant much "ye!uabe nfor-
matloni" and such ia their number that the difficulty
of determining between slave and free, is of the
Rrehtest obstacles 10 the arrest OF fugtye5. There
10 no possible light in which it may be considered,
that We do not discover, in this class OF people,
a serious obstacle to the contentment and
morality Of our slaves, without any correspond
ing good to them 1.-THE free negroes to the slaves,
10 ourselves. And that is not all. There is good
ground for the opinion that they are equally nju.
rious TO the lower class OF our white populntion-
They associate with them, deal with them and co.
habit with them, thereby becoming us degraded aud
unprncipled; and while the free negro s restrained
by fear from going beyond q c>rtGt. limit In the in
dugence Of his bad passions, the white man is unre
strained and becomes tenfold greater nuisance, be
cause there is none to molest or make him afraid
Checked by the public opinion Of his own class, bis
dePraved instincts are easily attracted by and freely
INDUCED in one where he loses no caste.
Aud now, Am asked what is To be done with the
free negroes7 just take the bull by the horns and
do any one Of two or three very easy things: Sell
them into slavery or send them away, as they may
choose Send them rhere? To Lberia-alI who
want to go. There are many, especially te-
males, who would choose slavery in prefer
encs TO Liberia. Let the State fix fair price or
them and let them choose their masters, or put them
up To s highest bidder. end use the proceeds 10 fur
sh the outfit and expenses Of those sent to Liberia
If that is not sufficient hire out the able bottled OH
the public improvements for one year or more, until
funds are raised. The hire of will pay the travel
ing expense, of three. The s0le of one will ship u
score. Now, there is no use in talking about cruelty
inhumanity, or any of that nonsense. If it i. cruel
TO remit the free negro TO slavery for good and sufi
oent reasons it is cruel not to lberate all the slaves
II he tc be free, send him where he be free for
he is not free here, except 10 do mischief. II he in
siss upon remaining here put in the traces which
will provide for him aud make his fellows belter saiis
fed. Now, Messrs. Editors, l have just skinned
along IN rough way over this subject but rert SAL
and let U.s. if anything is to be done, be prepared to
to tell our next Legislature to doi it.
Yours, truly, G. F. n.