The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-08
MIR. fletcher ON sLAvERY-TROUBLE IN
THE "OLD DOMINION"

Sol ,e of our readers may recollect that many
years ago we copied into the Era extracts
from IN address against Slavery, delivered by
the ! ev. DR.. Ruffner, of Lexington, Va, and
whicl produced at the time considerable sen
satiol in that State. We were not aware till
latel, that John Lstcher, M. G. from Virginia,
now ,ne of the most thoroughgoing Pro-Sla-
very men in the House of Representatives, was
one # several signers to letter endorsing
that address in the strongest terms, and
CALI g upon DR.. Ruffner to publish it. The
Was ington correspondent of the New York
2adlt gives prominence to the fact, in this
wise
Z. ONE time In August, l947, the Rev. Hen
y h <tfner delivered an GRAFTON at Lexington,
Va, before the Franklir-society of that place,
for abolition of Slavery in that State. Up.
on Il occasion, Mr.. Lstcher, with others men.
tion' J below, addressed him the following
lette (;
LEXINGTON, VA, Sept. l, l847.
DEAR SIR: The undersigned, believing
that he argument recently delivered by you in
the rankin Society, in favor of the removal of
the egro population from Western Virginia,
was }ot only able, but transferable, and that
Its ALLEGATION will tend to bring the public
min to correct condition on that momentous
quet jon, request that you will furnish US with
q tu statement of that argument for the press.
Z" Our desire is to have the whole
am nent in favor of the proposition presented
TO Il public in a perspicuous and condensed
form And, believing that your views were
not My torci6Le, but coaacLusiue, and that they
are resented in shape Cd which cannot give
just cause of offence to even those who are the
mos tastldious and exciting on oil subjects
havi e any connection with the subject OF Sla-
vers we trust that you will be- disposed cheer.
fully 70 comply with our request above express.
ed. Very respectfully, your obedient servants,
S, McD. Moore, John Letcher,
DSyid P. Curry, James G.. Hamilton,
6 1orge A. Baker, j. H. Lacy,
JN an Echalls, James R. Jordan,
J-fob Fuller, jr., D. E. Moore.
90 RE ReU Henry Ru6ner, d. D.
81 will now quote the arguments of this
lear ed divine on the nature of Slavery, which
the sa1on. Mr.. Letcher says are nanswerable,'
takes from the published response of that Mr.
RuttHer. will be as brief as it ia possible
Bot all the West, on due consideration,
cons:ude that Slavery is a pernicious institu.
hOAs INV Musb VIC SAouudil ECulOfou. II age D.
"'tWhilst we Of West Virginia steer our
coul sc in the safe middle way, and seek to re-
NOV the plague of Slavery from our limits,
withNut tncurrItg the charge of ultra abolition
ism on the one hand, or of ultra Pro. SIarerv.
ism or whatever it means, Query, in Kansas y
on he other.-Page 9.
So All that we ask of our Eastern brethren,
in ,sgard to this matter, is, that if Western
Virt -inia shall call for q law to remove Slavery
from her side of the Blue Ridge, East Virginia
shGti not refuse her consent, because the meas.
ure nay not be palatable to rself'-Page 10.
"hAnd, then, on the subject of Virginia's de-
cling in general prosperity as State, he pro-
'cee8s: VI
"sWhst has done this work of desolation :?
Not war, nor pestileRce-not oppression of
rules, civil or ecclesiastical-6m Slavery.
1t is in the last period of ten years,
frots 1880 TO 1910, that this consuming plague
of aGrery has shown its worst effects in the
old Southern States.'-Page L.
I" The true cause of the unexampled emf
gr8 Jon is, that no branch of industry flourish.
es 'r can flourish among us. so long as Slave.
ry~i established by law.-Page IL.
. hat @. pity that so rich and 80 lovely q
lam should be afflicted with this yelloU fever
anS This black yomit-Page go. -y.J.
. Northern farmers and ** look
ups ell Virginia as an infected coGntry-AND
So e 1s.'-Page So. - q 4-
q In those parts west of the Allegheny, upon
the Ohio and it's nayigable waters, where her
wa, t of roads and disputed land titles did least
infty, IN these, too, the corrosire touch of Sla.
yer has also shown its cankerous efscts.'-
Pa-e 3D. ,.ya.l4-I I'll 81. i.-4 u.
81 have thus, sir, given proof enough in the
for going extract which Mr.. Letcher has 30
wa nly endorsed, that consistency in politics,
as fel as in the private affairs Of life, is very
rary jewel nov a.days.- Mr.. Lstcher is one of
the Southern phalanx of Lecomptonites, who
haze undertaken to read Judge Douglas out of
the Democratic party for sustaining the princi.
pls of State Rights and Popular Sovereignty"
.this publication has given rise to good deal
Of trouble in the Old Dominion. Mr.. Letcher
is /, candidate for the nomination of Governor,
an { is specially favored by the extreme men,
rel presented by such papers as the South I"
ans; the South Side Democrat. At FIRST, they
We disposed to deny that he ever signed such
a Ltter-shen, there must have been some mis-.
tale about it BE must have acted through