Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-01-02
for :rS rq's'FeT
On tue Consequences 81 Abolition Agitation,
mud 0f IhN HrrnruIion NJ lItr (minn.


t.aDns the evil cun", u.:n, - The -"Iiii Il" So
raraIicn from Tic north il snpp"-, ~ ~ re"-
that the a,mlit.Om rc.'ur %: the r"rih |"uli te
thereby stimulated and increased, and the e':rGi-
wuu:d render the preservation 81 slaves and Tie
existence OF slavery 'ngch nnre prsc.ri1us than
while the relation cf Union continues. There il no
ground 20 expect increase at tis evil action ar oil
lts e!iccts whether in the state Of o sa"r,
and good reasons for the reverse.
The main cause of the ability al the nh'!itlos's
To operate our slaves, to nss discomfort. AID 10
seduce them to abscond or IL rebel - IN b. i"und Ill
The existing relation which the hostile incendary
agents from the north bear 10 US. in being also our
!eow-clti1ens. The worst enemies OF Inc snhih'
even regular and the most miachevous agents "i or
ganzed associations for stealing slave7 AMI exciuns
insrrreci0n and massacre, have Row every iaclhty
10 enter tie country, and TO soi0urn wherever thAy
can beat operate. ANY prciey Of business "a enough
TO serve 10 account for their preapncr anu there Is 10
neghbortc0d in the southern states into wi'ich hn'
KEGS have not penetrated, and could freely operate d.
abolition agents. Under the federal constitution
they citizens Of any southern state IN when they
temporarily reside. and their conduct and procerd-
ings cannot be questioned, so long ~ thers Is ca"
tious cOncealment from white witnesses OF any ie"
NOUS or neendiary acts Not only have these ages
our fellow citizens, the protection OF the consinu
tiOn o! the United States, bu! We the people nl VIZ
gna, and also of all the southern states anorn |"
these most dangerous Of incendarles the tar greater
protection of our own laws. by iorbiddng the esl'
deuce Of negroes TO be heard against any WHITE
person. In these csae, Of incendHry attempts
| to sedace slaves, or 10 plot with teih 10
excite nsurrectiou and massacre II Is next 10 Isii
possible that any other than negroes shou'a nav
heard their communications anu oe aoIs % RI.
thsr proceedings Consequently, not one case III an
hundred, OF which negroes could and oiteh "ou
readily testify, is detected and pumSned' s,
stronger reas0n for changing this policy ID 'hat w'.
the existing mpuuity the abolition aseh' 49,
he may safely attempt to dclnde or seauce my -
as no statement OF the negro eau conVict MN: E'e
il suspected at the worst he has only 10 sn.'' a 70
sidence to some other place where he Is NOT h' III
and to operate as before II te not'ne.m on
subject by our laws to be tried and condemns" On
the evidence of negroes, he would Dc AZ houie ior
apy other felony, he would not venture to incur 'ne
great rsk of communication. Thus nearly all such 10
| ton would bs prevented.
own mistaken lega! policy in regard TO evidence il l..
| no wonder that abolition agents are Numerous and
efficient in the slave holding states. They arc nuner
GUS in the southern cities especially, where they may
IN ssfe even from suspicion in their various ostensi.
! he or real cmployments o! traders. mechanics and
sbo!ers, sailors. III every county they have pro-
! badly entered and many have remained to operate
rs pcdlars and sellers of northern commodities and
patent rights, solicitors for subscriptions 10 northern
publications, beggars for societies ct various mora!
and regious pretenSioDs tsachers botn male and ID
male and ministers t4o estcemcd of the gospel
of love and peace. Until within the last few Years,
md after numerous discoveries Of such incsndiary
! action and many convictions, (alnong them vt two
northern preachers, aud two at citcent times OF the
came northern lady, these agents had the most unre
straned access 10 all our country hsbltaiions and 10
our slaves.
There had previously been no suspicion entertain.
cd Of such system OF villainy. The primitive and
general hospitality Of our country served 10 admit
every apparently decent eiraDger 20 ou- bOuscg, u
welcome guests. And thus. az minutes, they had
every facility afforded them IN. decriving our aares,
and mplantug discomfort, rs well rs l,r aiding their
escape, when any 1T subjects were found With su b
facilities for agents, and with the mitigation. aud aid
If money, Of the northern organized associations,
and with the general spirit OF the northern people
and their state governments to encourages such acts,
and 10 screen the crimnHis II Ia not surprising that
these offences against the south have been every
year increasing The counties OF Virginia bordering
On usylvaDia, Ohio, and even on the Potomac
above Washington, have lost 80 many slavea, and
their possession il hazardous, that but few remain
and property in slaves is there Of such uncertain
urc, as to be OF but little value. The city OF Nor
folk, aud its close vicinity, in year preceding tic
late state law affording partial protection lost about
lou slaves, Of the most vsluab. description, all %!
which were doubtless forwarded bv northern agents,
and taken oil In northern vessels. In aud Rich
moud, the losses havo not been numerous, but
stl!l very many. There, several agents have been
detected and punished.
! But thee. peculiarly losses In slave property and
even the decisions aud discomfort produced iu many
more slaves than The actual fugtves, nothing
compared TO the other evils which abolition agents
have the like facilities for encouraging aud abetting
| ana which tney are equally reHly anu Zshfius 10
bring about In insurrections OF the slaves with all
the horrible results Of the attempts however uEsuc
ces.ul "a they all must be, 10 reaching their great
object or Indeed any considerable effect in general
and political affairs The continual efforts 10 excite
putiny and instruction, even if falling 10 produce
| any open violent act, cause discomfort and nm
! happiness, and splrit OF characterization In Inc
slaves aud much injury 20 their owners and 10 the
| Commonwealth. II actual rebellion. plotting 10
rebel, is attempted IL must always end in utter fail
k,i fh.. 6T,I
quonces nj such plots, or actual outbreaks, have
| BEEN and will be- lard the only spilng If b0nl
except Ia the single and peculiar ca-e of the South
! gmp;on insCrr-cti0,,l has been la the heavy pun
isl;ne;ts which hsve fallen upon the d-lui-d victims
Of tbs ahol:ici.awhile the far more criminal. and
i.nmedat- iustigatur. have generally escaped-snd
their employer. have remained anf- their northern
BONES TO continue pharisaichiy to thank God that
they are free from the Sin Of slayeholding
Even pinoe the writing of these pieces was begun,
Their. have been more cases OF discovery Of these mi
qutou. operations and CT more wide spread extent,
IMAM have been known before but not more than
nigh: have been expected from the ample means and
facilities az command. Plots for Simultaneous out
breaks or instructions tesid 10 Ut Chrsfmgs)
have been discovered several remote points i'll Tr
ginia, in Kentucky, Tennessee and other southern
states. ALL doubtless, were instisa'ed ey abolition
av.nts, aud induced By their deusi,e representa-.
lions, and gome of these insgators luckily have
been secured. though others have escaped. Pruba.
bly, all ,hes. alleged p!oings and their incidents have
been much xagg"rnted. as usual, by iaias reports,
and some OF them may have bad no existence. But
there ia enough certainly true to produce much un-
easiness AMI extended pauic Among many o! the
whites and To cause much suffering, both deserr ed
ar undeseryed by the implicated negroes. These are
dreadful aud deplorabe results OF Theses aboli'
ton efforts and the only results they can ever have
save one, which will be also the only good result
This il. that these numerous and far extended designs
will be universally aud truly inferred 10 have bcenin
s,gated and forwarded by concerted abolition action,
and TO have been The result Oi, and connected with
the recent sectional effort to elect an abolition Presi
deu;.- And the greater the Immediate effects my
be OF this mos recent ncendlery iustlgatlon. tbs
more will be the beneficial ultimate result, Of inducing
the souhern stacs 10 ward "f, by The only ef-ciual
mode all such future and effective operations oi hos
tile northern aboil,ionsts.
The mower of the abolition agents for mischief, and
their security from detection and punishment, and
all the evil consequences oil their iuc-nd:ary aciions
are owing msiuiy 10 their privilege OF czens IN tia
south. Ii the southern and northern states MADE
two separate political communities these agents
would be deprived OF all their present Tree access 10
our slaves aud of the facilities for their operations.
Neither the agent. nor th-r employers could hnd
any substitutes 70. these facilities in their new rca
ton 10 us, OF foreigners In peace, or enemes IN war
II i. true, that then q fugitive slave who may pass
tue line OF division will BIZ sae from pursuit But II
is nearly "a now-and the legal remedies or means
|, ior rec Oering fugitive slaves within the northern
states. nre null in fact, even when moi expressly
iNdilt NJ ny INV" us u u"
4 mode OF redress which cannot lac obtained once in
hundred cases Of wrong, aud which, even when
most affective, costs more than the value of the OBJ
-ct sought, is clearly worthless. Therefore, the
south would lose more by The immediate hDd IN
tire repeal Of the present deusive "Iugi,ive slave
law Of Congress, aud by the cessation Of Ill future
attempts to recover fugitive slaves from tine morth
As n certain result Of AL independ ut dominion
and government, TIE snuh oud guard against such
future action Of enissGres by strict examination o.
northern -migrnnts, aud & proper investigation Of
the objects aud proceedings cf those newly arrived
and unknown Ii pcrndlgries would be safe on ,hs
northern side Of the limo Of division, they, could he
far more easily watched. detected, aud by more
s,rinyeu: laws, speedily hung, &. scon ns found su
w. the disposition 10 Interfere aud agitats
remained. twh CHI would not be- there would be IL
I.rtG c- u, he -eI. The NV