Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-21

beyond that number. But, it may be said,
shall we part with so large, portion Of our
labor, and leave our lands to waste Ger
tainly, if the labor be unprodu I've, it is
folly to keep it.. The slave adds nothing to
the moral and physical strength Of the coun-
try, and if his labor be proftlcss, Of course
ne is nuisance, and the sooner we rid our
selves Of him the better His place will
soon be supplied with better population,
and IN the meantime the poorer lands will
be thrown out of cultivation. But. gen.
tlemen, there is another view of this Dues
ton, which should urge us to immediate
removal. All look to the period when the
negro must leave Virginia and North Caro-
lima.
There is now demand for this popu-
lation, and the new States of the South are
ready to receive it. Ehe time is approath-
ing when this demand may cease, and when
tEelr doors may be closed against the .ad-
mission of our slaves. Is it prudent to lose
the present opportunity? Is it not better
to commence the work at. once, and to dc
nov what we MAY be unable to do when the
emergency becomes more pressing"'
If the slaves we're removed from Virginia
and North Carolina, as, Mr.. Bruce has REG
commended, he says ''Ne should soon have
a dense population which would give schools
to our children, market to our farmers,
and those railroads which we now clamor
for, but which our poverty and sparse pop
ulation places far beyond our reach"
Such were the sentiments avowed by Mr..
Bruce in d strong slayeholding, SECTION Of
Virginia, near about the time of the pub
lication of The Ruffner pamphlet.
In 1910, two years after the publication
Of the Ruffner pamphlet, Robert f. Scott
Esq distinguished citizen Of Fauquier
county, and STAKEHOLDER, gave utterance
to the following Sentiments on the subject Of
slavery ; ;.
I'm our dealings, therefore. with Mexi-
co, we have departed from the principles of
our own, and proceeded upon those Of other
governments. Ought we now to force up
on this people domestic slavery against their
consent?. an institution rsproJoted Ia
the uo,ld acknowledged to te soc,at aid
Political eri1.
''In contemplating our condition, we may
have the courage to acknowledge the disad
yantages which flow from the institution :
there are few amongst us VINO WOULD NOT
HAIL WITH sAT1sFACTIoN THE FEHIob THAT
WOULD PUT AN END TO IT FOREVER, if at the
same time we could be relieved from the
presence Of this unfortunate race.
And again in 1850, in the county Of Pow
hatan, Hon. John NJ. Bolts, a distinguished
leader Of the Opposition party, used the fol-
lowing language, in bis speech to his con-
stituents, respecting slavery:
Il am Of those who think slavery iii the
abstract is much to be deprecated, and
whilst think that, as at present organized
in the Southern States, it is a humanizing,
civilizing and outstanding institution, as
all must agree who VIII take the pains to
compare the present. condition Of the slave
with the original African race ; yet I regard
it as calamity that it should have been en-
tailed upon US and should look upon that
man as the first and greatest benefatcct5r Of
his country, whose wisdom could point out
to us some practical and satisfactory means
by which we could, through our own in
strumeutality, and without interference
from our neighbors, provide for the ulti-
mate emancipation and removal Of all the
Saves IN the country"
Within a month past Mr. Bolts has re-
affirmed the opinion thus expressed, and
without i word Of condemnation from the
leaders Of a party who arraign nse for want
Of fidelity to the institution. These extracts
demonstrate clearly, that not only in 1916,
but even late as 40, 80, leaders Of the ,ar-
ty opposed to me in Eastern Virginia con
sidered the institution socially and politi-
cally wrong. Since 1917 in both the east
aid the west, a change of opiniaa has been
steadily going on, and to-day slavery, a:s;an
institution, is Eaore firmly established than
it has ever heretofore been. Examination
has satisfied men that the institution is in
all respects-morally, socially and politi-
cally-right, and ought to be Cherished and
sustained
In my letter to the editor Of the s'South''
last simmer, stated what my opinion ESQ.,
cially and politically was, in 1917 and my
reasons for declining to endorse the pam
phlet issued by DR.. Ruffner In this ad-
dress I feel il due to myself to go somewhat
more fully into the question than I. did on
that occasion, though not more fully than
[ have on several occasions in my speeches
before the people. All the facts justify the
conclusion that the debate in. the Franklin
society was conducted in such manner as
to avoid giving any ''just cause Of offence
to even those wh6 (were) are most fastidi-
GUS and excltable on all subjects having any
connection with the subject Of slavery" and
that such was the character Of Dr. Ruff
ner's speeches. This is not only clear from
the letter addressed to Dr. Rufner, but al
so from the general tenor Of Or. R,uh'ner's
reply. When the pamphlet first made its
appearance were its views such as could
''give no just cause CT offence to- even those
who are most fastidious and excitable on all
subjects having any connection with the
subject Of slavery p Allow Dir. Ruffner
to answer the question, as he does frankly
and candidly in his last letter 'That the
pamphlet, written under excitement pro-
duced by long debate, contains some cpl
thets and phrases concerning slavery rather
harsh, T readily admit I saw after tie
pamphlet came out that they were in bad
taste" This statement superseded the ne
cessity on my part Of responding to u.
Rhfner' 8 previous appeal to point out tie
Objectionable passages in the pamphlet, and
hence no reply, was made by me to either Of
his letters; The terms ip, which he had
spoken Of slavery as a"''olack von1fit," &C.,
and the proposition to educate tie negroes,