Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-09
WILLIAM L. YANCEY.
To Me Editors CF Me Enquirer:
LEBANON, Tenn, Oct 26, 1858.

. ~ INC L-ut"" " "c I>HIHhoI'
LEBANON, Tenn, Oct. 26, 1853
Gcntlcmen:-l find in an Alabama paper
letter addressed to you, and copied from your
paper, signed Wm J.. Yancey. in which my
name is used in a manner calculated and in
your readers. trust do not presume too
much on your courtesy, i'll asking space in
your paper for few words i'll reply.
This introduction Of my name, in two letters
addressed to You by this gentleman, is but fol-
lowing up an attack made on me BY the Mont
gomery (Alabama) Advertiser" in June last,
in relation to my letter to the Tract Society.
1t is somewhat significant, that these attacks
originated and are kept up in locality where
rival law school to the one at this place. has
been set on foot the past summer, and which,
! am informed Mr.. Yancey is interested in es-
tablshing.
Mr.. Yancey says that in my letter to the
American Tract Society" said slavery is 4
Moral, Social and Political evil" but he does
not tell your readers what else was said in that
letter, what qualifying facts were stated, modify
ing the meaning of this sentence. His sup
preston of these passages in my letter is most
unfair and disingenuouS.
If he had told your readers, as the fact is,
that the letter was an earnest vindication Of
the South. reviewing libelous tract by Chas.
X. Whipplc, Of Boston; that the true state Of
our law in relation to slavery, was set forth.
and that whatever in that law might seem
severe, is the result of Abolition intcrmeddling
and agitation-driving the South, in sclfde-
fence, to adopt more strict discipline than
would otherwise have been necessary; and
that if it were continucd-especalyt to the en-
tent of publishing Abolition tracts by the
Tract Socicty-it would put an end to the
operations of that society South, and event
ually lead to dissolution Of the Union.
The letter admitted that RIGHTEOUSNESS of
white men with negro women did exist to some
extent though not to anything like the extent
charged in the tract; that though this is an
evil, yet it is an evil existing everywhere where
there are interiors and superiors The female,
of the inferior class will, more or less, be pros
tituted to the licentious passions of the males
of the superior class; so that if the female
slaves are licentious to some extent, as result,
the females of the superior class are compara-
lively free from this vice.
The letter set forth the manner in which
slaves are treated South-that they were well
fed. we'll clothed, and not overtaskcd; that
they are contented and happy, and are civil
lied and chrstanzcd. 1t warned Northern
men to let Us alone; that their interference
could only do harm, and that if we had 4 diff
cult problem in the institution Of slavery, ~'
of the South alone could solve it.
If Mr.. Yancey had stated these facts. in con
nection with the sentence he has quoted,
should have been content to permit your intel
ligent readers to judge between us, without q
word from me.
The admission, in my letter, that slavery is
an evil-in the connection in which the admis
sion stands-Mr. Yancey, and every intelligent
gentleman South knows to be true. But ever
IN that connection it is not an unmitigated
evil Like many other things that in our cir
cumstanceS, may be necessary, it has its draw
backs and its compensations. When ! say
slavery is .'moral and social evil" do not
mean that the relation Of master and slave Is
per ss, sin; nor can my language be so under
stood, when taken in connection with the con
text. There arc moral and social incidents
connected with slavery, which every good mar
laments. But these do not effect the validity
and moral purity of the relation.
The idea is expressed by Rev. Dr. Ross il
his book on slavery, in these words" Slavery
though not a SIM is a degraded condition: tn
evil-the curse Of the South; yet having bless
ings in its time, to the South and to thu
Union" (Ross on slavery, p. -
was born and brought up in Amelia coun
ty, Virginia My legal studies were conducted
under the direction Of Richard \. Venable, O
Prince Edward Like my preceptor, ! wa
an earnest supporter Of Mr.. Madison's admins
tration, and an ardent admircr Of the President
adopted most Of his opinions upon publ
questions, and have not been prone to change
i have lived more than forty years in Ten
nessee-twenty.fve of which | was on tn
bench. Twenty-Five volumes of TenneS>e
Reports contain numerous decisions mad
by me, on the subject Of slavery II
1894 | dssented from the judgment o
the majority in the case of Harris "a. Cm
riwa (6 Yer. r. in which it was held ina
where slave was to be free at TWENTY-FIVE, am
before that time she had several chidren. th
children were free. held that the mothe
. was slave until she was twenty-five years OLD
. and that the children born before that tim
were slaves.
In the .St,fte u. Claiborne, Cfeigs' r. Dc
livered the opinion Of the Court, and cightec
years before the decision in Dred SCOTS cast
. / held that free negro is not citizen with
in the meaning Of the Constitution.
. During the last ten years, my lectures in tn
Law School, and my decisions in most court
on the subject of slavery, have been consister
with these opinions.
When Mr.. Yancey shall have attained m