Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-05-17

In 1880 I became a candidate for the Reform
invention, and, in q District largely opposed
me on general politics, | was elected by q
aior;ty Of more than 1900 over such a man
4 II Stuart, ESQ.,, late Secretary OF the
,ter;or under President Fillmore. In my own
u,ntv nv neichbors and friends, who had
aown me from childhood, who knew every
ing connected with the debate in the
hnklin Society, and the publication OF the
hffner pamphlet, gave me an o'er"ne'ln'
i, majority Of the votes pollcd. In the coln-
T. Of Augusta, where my conhec''oh WIN
Il Rufner pamphlet was sought 10 DC use''
aiinst Inc, and where there was a wing Hia-
jdty of upwards of 700, | carried the county
bIa majority Of more than 500 votes. no'h
tn counties Of Rockbridge and Augusta were
athat time, as they are now, deeply interested
inlave property, neither would have votea LOT"
ma who was unreliable on the question IN 'ne
comfy of Highland | also received a large ma
joIy Of the votes cast. These three counties
Toned the District.
.fer my service in the Convention closed, |
WI, in the fall Of 1851, nominated As a candl,
dm for Congress, and at no election have ! had
regular opposition. At those various elections
i've not only received the votes Of my politl-
cafriends, but | have also received the votes OF
a rgc majority of those politically opposed to
m, Such is the evidence Of my ncighborS and
associates, and | take occasion to say, they are
a S sound and reliable on the slavery question
as.ny men in Virginia, and will be as prompt
toIcfend the institution whenever assailed.
have said that many in Eastern Virginia
en.rtained the opinion in ls47, that slavery
wa socially and politically wrong. Amongst
thee who entertained such an opinion was
Mes c. Bruce, Esq, one of the largest slave:
holers in Halifax county. On the 18th OF
Jul, 1876, Mr.. Bruce delivered an address be-
for the Agricultural Clubs of -Nsekfe"bnrg
eoutv. Va, and GiramriHr, ". C., from which
| etract a few paragraphs.
Il doubt whether every man who OWNS
MOI than ten working hands, would not be
bettr off, by the sale or removal OF all beyond
that number. But it may be said, shall we
parwith so large Il portion Of our labor. anu
ieav our lands to waste? CSrt"iniy,. u me
MJo be u~nprodurtire, IL is .joHy 10 keep y.
Theiare adds nothing 10 tie moral and Phy-
icastrengM ot'the country, AID ifhM M6"r
be roftiess, Of course he is u nuisance. ""d
the ,oner re rid ourselves Cf'him tie betfr.-
His 2lacc uiU soon be supplied ~iM a bfttsr
popuation. and in the meantime the loor'f'
Iand uiN be hroun ont Of cultirntioh.'
"lut, gentlemen, there is another view of
this question, uhich should urge rs 10 inmedi-
ate ~-onoral. al hok to the period rhen tie
nero must leare Virginia and North taT0h-
MIA.
There is now a demand for this population,
and he new States Of the South are anxious
to receive it. The time is approaching when
the 9mand may cease, and when their doors
may be closed against the admission OF our
slaves. Is 10 prudent to lose the present oppor-
tunib! Is it not better to ommencc the norG
at one, and to do now what we may be unable
to do when the emergency becomes more press
ing" ,
If tic slaves were removed from Virginia and
North Carolina, MS Mr.. Bruce has recon-
mende( he SAYS We shOuH soon hare Il dense
population which would give schools 10 "m'
chiGirG, a market 10 0nr turner's, and th".f
railroads which we nov clalnor for, but which
orr poterty and sparse popaM'i0" places jar
h.yohd our reach"
Such were the sentiments avowcd by MIR.
Bruce, in u strong sMrtho'ding "ction Of Var.
ginid, near about the time of the publication
af the Ruffner pamphlet.
In lS49, tnO ytars atfer the publication oil
the Rutfner pamphlet, Robert Z. Scott, EST. n
distinguished citizen of Fauquier county and 4
STAKEHOLDER, gave utterance 10 the following
sentiments on the subject of slavery:
I'm our dealings, therefore, with Mexico, We
have departed from the principles Of our own
and proceeded upon those Of other Govern
! ments. Ought we now to force upon this pco-
pie domestic slavery against their consent:
An INSTITUTION REPROBATED BY
! THE WORLD, ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE 4.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EVIL"
I'm contemplating our condition, w e may
have the courage to acknowledge TIE DlS.AD-
E.ANTAGES which flow from the institution !;
there are few among us WHO WOULD NOT
HAIL WITH SATISFACTION TIE PERIOD
THAT WOULD PUT AN END TO 1T FOR
EVER, 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
hatar, Hon. d. II. Bolts, a distinguished leader
Of the Opposition party, used the following
language in his speech to his constituents, re-
spcctlng slavery:
~ am of those who think %sitrery in the ab-
stractis much to be deprecated; and whilst !
think that, as at present organized in the South.
ern States, it is n humanizing, civilizing and
| christianizing institution, as all must agree
who will take the pains to compare the present
condition Of the slaves with the original .Alrl-
can race; yet I regard ii as calamity that it
should have ever been entailcd upon us, and I
should look upon that ma as tie .frst ana
greatest Jeneyactor Of his country whose wis.
dom could point out to us some practical and
! satisfactory means by which we could, through
our onn instrumentaiity, and without inter
ference from our neighbors, provide for The H.
innate emancipation and remordt Of an the
slares in the conntry."
Within month past Mr.. Bolts has re-afiirm-
| ed the opinion thus expressed, and without a
| word Of condemnation from the leaders OF a
party who arraign me for o want of fidelity to
the institution. These extracts demonstrate
clearly, that not only in 1916, but even late as
~, so, leaders Of the party opposed to me in
Eastern Virginia, considered the institution So
cially and politically wrong. Since lS4I. IN
both the East and West, a change of opinion
has been steadily going on, and to-day slavery
rs an institution, is more firmly established III
Virginia than it has ever heretofore been. Ex-
animation has satisfied men that the institution
is in all respects-morally, socially and politi-
cally-right, and ought to be cherished and sus-
tanned.
In nv letter to the Editor of The South
last Summer, | stated what my opinion OF
slavery, socially and politically was, in 1877,
and my reasons for declining to endorse the
pamphlet issued by DR.. Rutiner. In this adj
dress l feel it due to myself to 90 somewhat
more fully into the question than did on that
occasion, though not moro 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 lust cause Of offence to even those who
(werc) are most fastidious and cxcitablc on all
subjects having any connection with the sub.
ject of slavery" and that such was the charac-
ter of DR.. Ruifncr's speeches. This is not only
clear from the letter addressed to DR.. Ruifner,
but also from the general tenor Of DIR. Rultner's
reply.
When the pamphlet made its appearance.
were its views such as could give no just