Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-02-28

government protects slave property within the
borders of Virginia, and it is here that they
have struck fatal blow at US.
Mr.. Speaker, look at that map. Take the
country there North Of the kanawha river and
West Of the Allegheny With one-iilth Of the
white population Of the Commonwealth, there
YOU find but eight thousand slaves. give the
facts as they are stated in the official documents
Of this session. In that country, West of the
| Allrghany mountains and North of the Kama.
wha river, that vast country-an empire in
itsclf-with two hundred thousand white peo-
| pie, accumulating annually at the rate Of two
per cent, We find but eight thousand slaves
! And why are there not more there? The gen
| tlenan from Putnam county (Mr. THoMPsoS),
informed me that so profitable was this labor
| in that region of country, that he did not be-
lcvc that any man was making money by
farming there. except those who were using
slave labor That vast rich country, one Of the
richest countries on the continent-a country
with resources more capable Of being developed
by labor than, probably, any part Of Virginia,
| stands there this instant with two hundred
thousand white people i'll the slave State Of
! Virginia, and but eight thousand slaves. Why
arc there not more there? It is because this
clause of the Constitution is 7 dead letter. 1t
! is because these people cannot keep their slaves
-bccanse the law does not protect property in
that country That is the fact sir, disguise ii as
! you may. Wearc talking here about protecting
! slave property in the territories, and harng 4
slave Code, while here in ou: own domain
within the borders Of Virginia, one.fi(tl OF onr
white population are prevented from holding
! slaves. because property in slaves is not pro
tected And, sir, could a dea;l!cr blow be
struck at the integrity Of the Commonwealth
! than by drawing n geographical line in our
midst--a line beyond which slave property can
I not go? BY the inevitable necessity which
, compclS these people to abandon slave labor,
! that valuable territory North Of the kanawha
/ and West Of the Allegheny is comparatively
prohibited to the Shareholder AS an illustra-
! tion, Mr. Speaker, friend sends me this
note while / am addressing you, (hnd.
! ing up Il piece Of paper stating that
one man in Harrison county lost ten slaves
! in one tight. That was in Nirg gina. 4 citizen
Of Virginia having rights Of property glaran-
. tced by the State having rights Of property
! guaranteed by The federal Constitution itself
+ stands here this day-herc. within the borders
OF Eirginia-aud has ir0m ten to fifteen th"nS
and dollars worth o! property taken from him
! in one night, and there is TO power Of govern
ment anywhere to afford him protection or re.
! lief Sir, does it not make Virginian's blood
boil to contemplate such things: Docs it not
! bring to the mind Of every man present. that
I the power Of one government or the olhcr-thc
power OF either State or Federal government
should now bc exercised in the most efficient
! manner Of which it is capable? that We should
prepare to apply i remedy, or bow down and
! submit 10 the evil until it overwhrlms us ::
But, Mr. Speaker, the Northern people are
. not content to pause even at this point. They
are not satisfied with the absolute nullfcatiOn
! Of the Federal Constitution in reference to the
reclamation of fugitive slaves Their territory
! is not only to he the theatre Of permiSsivc in
! jury TO the slave property Of this country but
! it is also to become the fortress from which pos
| tive and active aggressons are to proceed. In
the last yuar or 50 new act in this great drama
! has been opened. The protection Of fugitive
! slaves is not sufficient to appense the anmosity
OF our Northern adversarirs. Bandit gangs are
! organized, and encouraged 10 make forayS into
the slave States. to initiate the movement Of
slaves in large bodies. What 4 melancholy
! commentary upon the existing relations OF the
slavcholdins and nUn.slaveholding States Of
! this Union. is suggested by the uncontradicted
: statement Of John Brown that he had entered
! the slave State OF Missouri and escorted into
! Canada without swapping gun. band of iu
! gitive slaves. e.. sir in time Of profound
peace, bandit gang actually organizes in this
! Union, lnrades sovereign State, scizes upon
! the property Of It's citizens, holds its open
march across the territories Of sister States and
delivers the stolen property to its conirdcrateS
in Canada, without provoking opposition enough
! to require the swapping Of gun More still :;
/ the iclon chief Of the horde returns to Clevc.
! land, in the sister State Of Ohio, avowS his act.
offers FOR sale the very horses which he had
stolen to assist his designs, and makes sale At
! public outcry, an2Sa the highest prices. All
/ this passes without legal notice and scarccir
attracts attention enough to OCCASION a paia-
graph in the local newspapers. The next stage
in this line of aggression, is 20 organize an en-
=. petition agains: this Commonwealth, with yet
more and more extensive views. the history
OF this transaction is 50 fully and minutcly
given in the Report oi the Joint Committee.
and is so familiar To ercry one here, that SHALL
net rccapitulatc it, When that neC.rious plot
was frustrated, and TIE nalcmctors concerned
in it were turned over to the mild hands nj
our judicial authorities, such is the active car.
nest sympathy for those who had thus violated
the public peace. and such the known facilities
afforded them within the territories Of our ais.
ter States, that an army had 10 he organized,
and the course nf Justice preserved in this State
! at cost Of $3.50, 500, for the l,ia and cyecu-
ton OF tiyc Of thu viIeSt criminals.
Now, sir, in this state OF things who suffers!
: II is the border States That suffers. Can any
man look ut the map and tell luc how any State
can sutIer more than Virginia, in the absence
Of that material wealth which she must have
had had the provisions Of that Constitution
been carried out? This recent assault has
aroused the aiad Of Virginia Our interests
have been tra;npicd upon before; orr rights
have been assailed; ami now, sir, our honor
has been attacked And now comes the duty
Of Virginia. as the leading border Stale, us the
ancient Dominion. as tpc assaicd State Of the
South, To lay down, III positive, nnqncsiionable
and Clear language, the policy which she means
20 pnrSuc. And then, sir, when sue has policy
Of her own, when she enters calmly and resu-
lutc!v upon means Of defence, her sister border
State, ard the States further South, cannot fail
10 rally around her standard, with that enlhu-
siasln and loyalty with which the Scottish
clans rally to the standard Of their chief. Then
organize your system Of measures, and II there
is any practical spirit in the South, if there is
any Of that sympathy OF which we hear SO
nlnch, il w'!l be displayed. 1t is not necessary
that you should seek new departments of Go
vcrnmcnt to grt union Of action for practical
purpoSas in the South.
What, then, sir, is our remedy? 1t cannot
be possible that the Virginia Legislature will
SIT here, witness ali that we see and do no.
thing No government, no system OF govern
lueut will be continued, which in practice de-
monStrates its own incompetency to protect the
rights and the interests Of its people. If our
present system Of government contains in
itself no principle which can meet existing |
emergencies it will be abandoned 10 do no
thing is sooner or later therefore, 70 preciptate
an Abandonment Of our existing SYSTEM of gov
ernment-a dissolution of the Union. Let no
one, then. advise Us tu sit sill and do nothing
Whcrv lies the remedy Are we to seek 1t
bv the publication. on the part Of Virginia, or |