Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-03

The bill now pending IN the la,i,
for the removal or sale into slavery .,
free negroes Of this cOmmunwcain ,,-
questions Of immense importance. sr3 10
command the calm and iisp4s,rYng- .'. 3.
GRAFTON Of that bod Y, and ot the r...,.
large. From what we know Of is,r., d.
we are decidedly and irfiexlbIy orr..
its becoming law. And the reason,
opposition We shall here only bin, Z.
elaborate.
10 the first place, as question Of ~.
policy aud expedlency y question ..
litical power-this bill is deserving .
seyerest condemnation. Apart irJm,r.
that it will require money, AID great g.. .
it, to effect the removal p7op,,ei, ~! a..
tune too, when neither the State north .,
ole arc in condition to incur needles.
pense, what would be the iuev,rataae..
the removal Of the free negroes Ol tie
monwea LTD, a. q matter vi State policy
political power? There are proJat,
less than eighty thousand free per.ar,
color within the limits of the State Of L..
MIA at the present time. Let them all b..
moved out of the State, and is it no, .-
that the removal Of such number o.
population would greatly diminish the
teal power Of the State in the halls u T..
gress? Would it not DO equivalent 10
t. the loss Of about one member Of Clar...
Equivalent 10 the loss OF ab"ut one thli,..
part OF the political strength Of Erg,
the House of Represent ,tlSe,2 And !,
consideration of no Importance III the u.
OF the advocates of the bill now pea!rrt.
We submit it 90 them tor their calm AL d.
rious reflection.
This bill, too, is inhuman ani birb4.
The free negroes OF the State were b)rnu
in the State, and have lived witLinItal...
DAYS. Their local attachments IRE as ,....
as those Of the withstand u ruleIy
unnecessarily sunder the ties which b..
them 70 the little spots they call their -.
would be a harsh and An unchrlsuan at'
deserving the anathemas of the whole
Though indDlent and thrIttle--, this ea.
our population are lnoifensiVe sud haTu
the instances Of ylcIOusness btug alug-
exceptional. Besides, in many portion.
the State they are at times exceedingly
yenient and useful to the whlte,-Jeing
only laborerS to b. procured by many ". F.
during harvest time, and other periods
the pressure of labor is upon the mec1s
and the small farmer. In short, these .r
negroes for the most part, are orderly
we'll behaved, Obedient to the whites,
looking upon the whites as their superb,
ways, and most generally AS their guar,
anu masters. Why, then, disturb thtl
Why force the alternatives Of remove
slavery upon the whole Of them, because,
few Of them may be vicious and dih.g
controll Faithfully execute the law 90 p
gard to them. rs IL now stands -lnc'el"
you choose, tho restraints OF that las.
no lust complaint, We undertake 10 ,ay.
ever be heard-with exceptional ci's.-
regard to the free negro population d
Commonwealth.
But if any thing is to DO done-iltsr
absolute or urgent necessity Tor some
to he done in regard TO tbem--we :. 70
infinitely prefer their being sold dlrec'Ol
slavery, as far more humane ant
method of disposing Of them than tlr
removal. But we see no necessity irE
thing being done at all, except t. Pl'
them such needful aud salutl-y RESTRAIN,
may be thought best for them and safe,
the whites. We trust, therefore, lbs,
abOminsble and atrocIous bill, now pen.
in the Leg lslature, will never become as.
We trust that there ~ yet justice 30!
manity enough in the Virginia Lnsi,a..'
to say nothing Of political policy 90.
pediency, 10 arrest measure 50 lmW
and ill.advlsed in all the aspects IN VII.
can be viewed. To enact 1t into law ".
be TO impress upon the character o.
Common ealth an indclible STAN, d.n
it's political power, and intiict the gr"
and cruelest injustice urOn class Of
population towards whom we should sta.
in the attitude of guardians AMI Prosea'
Rich. Whig.