Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-09-21


Tns WAY THE ELDER OGoAS USED TO Talk
A Eut FIR the O,yon merit door.-Thc Rich
mond Enquirer, just now, is down on John
Letcher, alleging that his antcccdcnts arc not
sound enough on the niger question for him
to think of ever becoming the Chief Magistrate
of this State. A distinguished gentleman, for
merly Of this State, has enclosed us an editorial
from the Richmond Enquirer Of Sept 9Th, 1921,
which would very properly and peFtinontly
come in US SOFT Of an addcRlum or supplement
to the Ruffner address which "honcst John," in
an evil hour, endorsed and for which the En-
guirer las so belabored the poor man. 1t
appears to US something like the old inconsis'
teucy of the pot calling the kettle black
Read this and judge:
"EprEcrs or SLGvERY.-It is a fact, which
cannot be denied or contrOvGrted, that there is
something in the present policy Of Virginia de-
cidcdly unlavorablc to her speedy advancement
in those political and internal improvements
which have elevated some Of the Northern States
TO a pitcl, Of cnviahlc eminencc, who, but few
years ago. were our interiors in rank, wealth,
and apparent prosperity. And il the same
causes continue 10 operate during another such
period, las they in all probability will. unless
We arc aroused from our lcthargy,) the State of
Ohio, one Of the youngest in the Union, and
formed out Of the will fragments OF IirgInla,
bids fair to rival in population tho Ancient Do
minion itself. With these facts staring US in
the face, it becomes the duty Of every friend to
Virginia to pause and reflect, whether there is
still any Just cause for the foundation OF that
State pride which VIC have hitherto cherished;
and IL not, to cndeNVor to point out some OF
the causes Of this retardation Of tho general
prosperity.
"Thcrc can be no doubt that Stdrery, that
inert mass Of our population, is one great cause
of all our misfortunes; forthut is the deGd'rcght
which mars all enterprise, and clogs all the
wheels of our political machine. No man who has
given the subject proper consideration will deny
that if Virginia could by any means exchange
the whole number OF he blacks for only oae.hay
that number Of whites, she would then be ready
to take fair start in that race Of active improve
ments, now running by most Of the free States.
But encountered as she is with her black popu-
lation, with prospect Of that circumference
increasing to considerable degree, sue VIII nnu
more occasion 10 Tatch than to improve her
condition, under her present system.
Slavery, even in the mildest form, is still a
kind of civil warfare, where the servant per-
forms but half the ordinary work OF iteemenn,
and piLter all they can with safety besides. 1t
is useless to expect pure honesty without pure
morality; and who will deny that the whole
intercourse between masters and slaves consists
in demand for gain and passire obedience on
the one hand, and authority on the other Z
The sooner, therefore, We make the beginning
of an attempt to relieve ourselves from THIS
grievance, the sooner wc shall discover our true,
aud rely on our own, resources; and thenceior-
ward be prepared to advance, with confluence
and rapidty, in the enviable contest for i'm
proven ents. We have too long done nothing
more than talk and lament the existence OF ms
acknowledged erH, founded on disregard Of all
fr't principles, M6 iaitiO:' and the world now
expects and demands some evidence Of sincerI-
~, and longs to see the commencement OF some
system that may promise eventually to Gradicatc
THE stain from our national eScHtcheOn."
When VIC write such an article ms this and en-.
dcavor to show, as the Enquirer hnS done in
this article, that the Niger is curse to us here
in this State, why there comes up in response
perfect torrent Of abuse from every little brat
of Weekly, in the backwoods regions of
Western Virginia, They cry abolition" and
begin to talk like Parson Drownow in Philaael'
phia, about "white women marrying buck mig.
gers" That's their way of dispOsing of all such
articles You emit get one of them to meet
you on the merits Of tho question at NIL.