The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-28
A CARD FROM Mr.. Bolts.

To tie Editor ofthe Wing:
| have recently received ms ay letters from
different parts of the State, ask x for copy of
my Powhatan speech, delivered in 1850, which
it is impossible for me to furnish. as have only
some half dozen copies left. Al he best means
of supplying the information so .rnestly sought
by those friends who are ankle - to ascertain
lchdt horrible sentiments utter on the subject
of SLare,y, which have been re entity to great
extent substituted for the "frsi, negro" mis-
representation, have concludes to publish for
the benefit OF the Imposition party in particular,
everything in that speech tina: relates to the
question of Slavery; garbled et acts of which
have already appeared in sma portion of the
press of that party-many OF Is "a, seeming to
think there was no great amour of capital to
be made out of it, have decliE to notice it.
The following is the portion 9jected to. /
said:
There are, sir, two parties "A our country,
distinct from all the rest, of WON l wish to
say word. The one in the North, called
'AbolitioniSts, and the other IN the South,
known 'Disunionists. / al not sure for
which of the two parties / hav the least SYM
patty or respect; and | am NJ, sure to which
attaches the largest share of ~ responsibility
for the chief difficulties with ich the nation
has been lately afflicted. r
THE Abolitionists seem = estimate the
value of this Union land To hoi% as a condition
and price for its continuanote, by the dLoli
ton of african Sidoery. WIKI the ultra men
of the South, or Dsunionists, .eem to regard
the perpetudtiOn and extension & Slavery as the
chief bond that can hold them md the Union
| together. For neither of thes.l parties have !
| any sympathy. / hold to the t~Iion for far diff
ferent, and, trust higher and 9bler purposes.
1t is for the peypet,ldtiOa of ADs icdn Freedom,
| rather than the abolition or erpetudtiOR Of
| Afiicdn SiaUery. am one of lose who think
| Slavery, in the abstract, is mp- h to be depre-
Gated ; and whilst think thas -as at present
organized in the Southern Stat :, it is human
izing, civilizing, and christianiSng institution,
as must all agree who will to e the pains to
compare the present conditions. of our slaves
with the original African race,get | regard it
as great calamity that it should have been
entailed upon us and shoul(. look upon that
man as the first and greatest beneiactor TO his
country, whose wisdom could point out to US
some practical and satisfactory means by which
we could, through our own instrumentality, and
without interference from our aeighbors, pro-
vide for the ultimate emancipation and removal
of all the slaves in the country. | speak of this
as desirable thing, especially to the owners
of slaves, who | think, are the chief sufferers,
but at the same time | fear it is perfectly Ito
plan to attempt it, but | have seen too much
difference between the enterprise, the industry,
and the prosperity of the free and the slave
States to doubt the advantage We would derive
from it if it could be accomplished"
Now, there it is let them make the most of
it. | will add, that | said it all at mature age,
after full and careful deiberation, honestly be-
lieving and thinking all that it contains | have
seen no reason for modification. recdntatiOn, or
equirOcatiOn. What | thought and said then,
| HP 0fl
terms and hold, that he who objects to the
sentiments conveyed, to be consistent, must
not only be in favor of reopening the African
slave trade at this time, but must take the po-
| sition, that if no such thing as Slavery had
ever been known to or introduced amongst US,
he would now favor its introduction for the first
time for if its original introduction is not to
be deprecated, but justified and approved, why
would he not advocate traffic that holds so
high place in his judgment and regard |
do not know how many there are IN this State,
| or in the South, who set themselves up as ad-
vocates of this revolving trade nor do care L
! have only to say, that | am not one Of them,
| and that, as a humanized, ciriijzed, and chris
tanned, member of the community, should
be utterly ashamed of myself, if could enter
Atia any other opinions than those l have ex-
pressed; and should deserve the scorn of all
men, if | could permit any condition of the
| public mind to induce me so far to de6dSe my
self as to render me capable ofexpressng any
other, for the purpose of catering to morbid,
| vitiated, and corrupt taste, or TO an affected
and artificial sentimentality on the subject of
| Slavery. These were then, ana are now, my
| honest convictions, and | think all who have
participated in the clamor that has been at
tempted to be gotten up, for the opportunity
afforded me of proclaiming them from the
house tops, to the humdnized' cieilized, and
christianized world and hope the Imposition
press, throughout the State, will publish them,
and that their candidates for Gubernatorial and
subordinate honors may read this my last dec
laration on the subject, wheseser they may
speak.
In another part of that speech j said:
"What l would ask and demand of the
North is, that they shall not inteffere with Sla-
very as it a4ists under the Constitution that
they shall not touch the question of the slave
trade between the States that they shall carry
out the true intent and meaningsot the Consti-
tuition in reference to the restitution of fugitive
slaves These are the true issues between the
North and the South and would go as far as
he who goes farthest in exacting them, at all
hazards and to the last extremity And what
| | would ask of the South is not to suffer itself
to be led off, without due consideration, upon
false issues, presented by incorporate or over
Jealous politicians, many of whom delight in,
and live upon, agitation and excitement and
many more, perhaps who owe their ephemeral
fame and position to a pretended, erctus.re
championship for Southern rights. Southern
honor does not depend upon making unreason-
able and untenable demands. The interior