Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1858-08-02

cell aud 10 other gentlemen Of Lexington, Va In thi,
letter lac charges With hAsog committed fraud ON
nm Ana h's 10 assocates In the publication OF that AID.
oress Ihe allegation vagusl, ln,imstes that Ois,ed In
e1cepnonsols thing. rns 10 serious charge and 10
me entirely ne~ fnr before during the 10 wears
ana n'ne months since the Address ~as published d
hesr o. any such chage having been mad, ey any one
eitner puonciy or privately.
Since great ignorance aud mssoncsp,ioa sesm 10 e,.
rspeeung the origin and history oi tina, Address uin
give plain stat~ment OF facts. AZ lev persons have
., we pamphlet shall have to something also
IT. the spring or sumner Of lstr. vi, ,vs,,u,a ,s..
debate on slavery had arisen In the rrankn Sccy Of
Angon, a. And was requested 70 attend, as the de-
bate Was expected 10 be long and Interesting This So
cety embraced most Of the professional aud literary yen
uemen OF the to~n besides other Intelligent ctixsns md
me. Seeky 70 debate questions. wss an honorary
member, but did regularly attend the ueetns. This
considerable time. -
When attended, I tOuod the question to b., no,
whether slavery right wrong, but whether or not
t vas Injurious to the public prosperity Mr. Letcher
aud others took the anti slavery SIDE whilst soms abs
deosters such asA (nou Jadge) Brokeubrough and Col
| slavery side.
No one. 20 lar as remeussr, sssk the .bol,iooi.,
ground that ssssholding is sis and ought for thu,
reason, TO be abolished With us w.s merely ou..-
on Of eIpedeocy aud argued ~ish special reference
70 the inrere>ts Of West Virgins.
joined the anti-slsvery SIDE and after While having
collected sous statistical i'cts l made the speech which
/
requested by 81 patty pr~paa nv .rsumep,
Tor publication. Thought BY % De
able, and vas told had converted several members Of
the society. he-taed at fret aud either refused or
postponed compliance with the request not wishing 70
appear before the public partisan on this question
whist occupied the Presidential chair Of washr gton
College, thoueA knew that 10Y broken health would
| compel me to an eaily resigpseu.
But as tho debate proceeded all became 30 heated
anas, Aes ssssoiess Pra Asa se~. tina. We
commssc ss ost .be chs SfrSiss, on our side:
and wbeh about time ths debate cosed and 70 had
decided m-io, 81 votes in the society, again spo-
ken To- consented 20 prepare ior publication not INV
speech merely, but whatever else might contribute TO the
success OF our scheme tor the gradual OF slavery
| from West Virginia
Bot required loo condition. lst that those who d.
sired the publication OF the argument shou present their
request IN writing, 10 terms couormable TO the plan of
publication which suggested and 2od that all should
contribute to the cosf printing / sihng TO come
out not as individual but ooy a. the organ of ,e
spectacle party and such thought No we're thouch AZ
the outset lie" 70 humber The antislavery ceiling that
had been prevalent In Wet Virginia and ac<med 20 need
only such an impulse could give IT, to recover is
former strength.
Mr.. Letcher and ten other geatemen readily compiled
With my conditions and addr.ssed the letter which
was printed in the foreground Of the pamphlet In tbs
letter the eehtemen said expressly that they did NOT
expect me to furnish my ecb jass Il delivered
nor did they Ssh conhn. myself st ctly 10 the
views then expressed On the coutrary thew desired 10
have "the shoe Argument Ia favor OF the proposition
presented 10 the public perspicuous and condemned
'ofn lhus ueS teit ~ discretionary with add
the matter OF ny speech whatever thought proper 10
give completeness and force the argument Sin favor of
removing the nero population from West Virginia "A
they expresedit The rhole oosfeats OF tie aIapief
lseTe written eoHforRd6ty TO Me desre oppressed in h
| letter.
Ny colleagues added in their letter that the views
pressed in my sprech in shape which could not
give just u offence TO thOe who were most
iNs,d Gus and eHctable the subject of sayery This
could mean ou that my views we're not OF the abolition
at shape The address presented the same vie vs. as the
speech, snd iu the same agunenuve shape maintain
ed the moral right Of sayehodg aud assaiIcd the sbo
uonists a. morally insane malignant NEEDLE some aud
mschryous sect. with whom We would have nothing 10
do. But argue strenuoasy; all Odd in the .scie-
~ that slavery IN its ses upon the couniry was 'pet-
| nicious institution" &c.
wise through West Virginia perceived that most
ot the editors and politicians Of the Valley would not en-
bark Slth Us IN enterprise OF doubtful They
objected 10 movement III timed while northern alb
olitionism rsgipg Without their concurrence we
must la West Of the Allegheny the pamphlet uas bet
ter reeeived but in East NghIa papers denounced
| it ~ abohtiouiSt
not contribute 10 the OF the publication When the
Prntsrs Hill iu and pva,ly spoke to one or t.o
OF them about IL found that for reason there was
dsinciuaton 20 CONT butte Therefore paid the min.
sers bill myeiL A Several OF them aided in the dis
tr.bution Of the Phle aud heard till nos the
charge OF fraud in the pubheaiion which kno~ TO be
sfse imsgired k1y but that and made no enaa
~ OF the subject None Of party evrr 10 my know
edge objected 20 the cOnteHts OF the Address. Now
-tAt "sssspopas thiss"( io!sted Into the Adares-.
/ Ny cole s,fjee. IA seli-ies>(s .eeu1 no Que Lei
Liso spse Tier. 1sriHs esf",.s is,gs .Il Try CON
eln.ions eith hiHt-- HENRY RUFFNER.
Inlu