Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-30
From the kanasha Republican
MR. LETCHER. AND DR. RUFFNER's ADDRESS.

Mh. LElCdEh, AMI Uh. hUffHERS Address
DR.. RuFrNERs STATEMENT or FACTS
To The People Of IIiryiaia::
FELLOW CITIZENS The Honorable John
Lctcher has lately come before You with let
ter concerning my Address on Slavery. publish.
cd in 1917 at the request Of himself and IL
other gentlemen of Lexington. Va In this
letter he charges me with having committed a
| fraud on him and his IN associates, in the pub
lication that address. The allegation vague
! ly intinates, that | foistcd in eXccptionablc
! things. This is 4 serious charge. and 10 me EN-.
! tircly new; for never before. during the III
years and nine months since the Address WAS
published, did hear Of any such charge hay.
ins been made by any one, either publicly or
! privately.
Since great ignorance and misconcrption
seem 10 exist respecting the origin and history
Of that Address, will give plain statement
Of facts As few persons have copies Of the
pamphlet, shall have to say something also OF
its contents.
In the Spring or Summer of lSi7, WAS in
formed that debate on slavery had arisen in
the Franklin Society Of Lexington Va. and |
was requested 10 attend. rs the debate WAS en-
pcctcd to be long and interesting. This Socic-
ty embraced most Of the professional and lite
rary gentlemen Of the town. besides other in
tclligcnt citizens and met weekly to debate
questions. ! was an honorary member. but
lid not regularly attend the meetings This
! debate on slavery was continued from week To
week for a considerable time.
When attended, | found the question to be.
not whether slavery was right or wrong but
! whether or not it was injurious to the public
prosperity. Mr. Lctchcr and others took the
anti-slavcry side, whilst some able dcbator>
such as Mr.. (now Judge Brockcnbrough and
Col Smith of the Virginia Military Institute
were on the pro-slavcry side.
No one, so far rs | remember. took the abo.
litionist ground that slavcholding is sin. and
ought for that reason. to he abolished With
us il was merely question of cNpedicncy. and
was argued with special reference to the inter
csts Of West Virginia.
joined the anti.savcrv side, and after 4
while, having collected some statistical facts, |
made the speech which lc'l 10 the publication
of the Address. ! was soon afterwards re-
qucstcd by some of our party 10 prepare my
argument for publication. rs il WAS thought by
them to be unanswerablc and. | was told had
converted several members Of the society |
! hcsitatcd at first and either refused or post.
poncd compliance with the request, not wishing
to appear before the public as partisan on
this question: whilst occupied the Presidential
Chair Of Washington College; though | knew
that nv broken health would compel me to an
early resignation.
But as the debate proceeded, We all became
SO heated under the hammer Of argument, pro
and rcn that we were ready for an attempt to
carry our views into effect | commenced
writing out the whole argument on our side
and when about the time the debate closed.
and we had decided majority Of votes in the
society," was again spoken to. ] consented TO
prepare for publication, not my speech merely,
but whatever else might contribute to the sue.
cess Of our scheme for the gradual removal Of
slavery from West Virginia
But required two conditions, lSt, that those
who desired the publication of the argument,
should present their request in writing. in
which suggested; and, End. that all should
contribute TO the cost printing ! was will
ling Ia come ont, not as an individual. but only
as the organ OF a respectable party, and such |
thought we were, though al the outset few
in number. The anti-Savery feeling had
been prevalent in West Virginia, and seemed
to need only such an impulse as We could give
it, to recover its former strength.
Mr. Lctcher and ten other gentlemen readily
| complied with my conditions and addressed me
the letter which was printed in the foreground
Of the pamphlet In this letter the II gentle
men said expressly, that they did not expect
me to furnish my speech just as it was dellv-
cred, nor did they wish me 10 "conline myself
strictly TO the views then expressed On the
contrary, they desired to have 1.-The whole ar
gumcnt in favor Of the proposition presented TO
the public in perspcuouS and condensed
form" Thus they left it discretionary with
me To add to the matter of my speech what
ever thought proper to give completeness and
force to the argument 'in favor Of removing
the negro population from West Virginia a'
they expressed it. Tie rhole contrnts ct' tie
pamphlet 9ere rrittem eoGy1rwohly 10 tie de-
sire oppressed in tbs lsttr.
Ny colleagues added in their letter, that the
views expressed in my speech, were in ashdpe
which could not give just ca,lse Of offence 10
even those who were most fistidiouS and cN-
citcablc on the subject Of slavery This could
mean only that ms views were not of the "to'
lnionist shape. The address presented the
. same views as the speech, and in the same ar
! gumcntiyc shape. maintained the moral
! right Of slavcholding, and a>sailed the aboIi'
! tionists as q morally insane. malignant med
| dlcsomc and miSchevolls sect, with whom We
would have nothing to do. But argued siren
uousy. as We all did in the society. that slavery,
! in its effects upon the country was perm
! cious institution. &c.
. When the Address was circulated by man
and otherwise through West Virginia, we soor
perceived that most of the editors and poIiu
clans of the Valley would not embark with Vi,
in all enterprise of doubtful success. They ob
! iectcd to our movement rs ill-tined, Will,
! Northern aboltionism was raging. Without
! their concurrence VIC must fail West Of the
! Alleyhany the pamphlet was better received
but in East Virginia some papers denounced i
rs aboltionist.
1t is true as Mr.. Lctcher says, that my col
! leagues did not contribute to the cost Of th'
publication When the printers bill came in
and privately spoke to one or two of then
about it. found. that for some reason, thcr,
! paid the printers bill myself Is several o
them aided me in the distribution Of the paInph
let. and never heard till now the charge o
fraud in the publication. which know 10 D'
! false. imagined any reason but m"r, ana 'hai'
no enquiry on the subject None oi ""r party
ever, to NV knowledge, objected t" the contents
of the Address Now. As Nr Letcncr charge
is vague. call upon him to specify wha, ''cx
ccptionablc things" foisted INTO the Address
Nv sole object is sclfdefence. accuse no one
Let him specify; then. having definite issue
will trv conclusions with him.
HENRY RUFFNER.
K,sAwnA SALrSEs, July 9TH, ls5s.
FROM WARRINGTON CITY.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.-Therc is no truth il