Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-05-18
From the Ne,S York Herald of Wednesday.
N DOuTNToN SO0IEry M NEW YORK

ton oil tins society was held AT the cooper luSuVe v"
Monday evening. Among the gentlemen present were
ex Gov Seymour, of Conn; Adam NOrrie, Col Duryee
and Peter Cooper.
The proceedings we're opened with an eloquent pray
er by Rev. DR.. Hoge, of New York. and late oil VIZ
ginia.
Col VIM NJ Peyton, the Vice President of the Old
Dominion Society," then explained the objects and nten-
ton of the meeting. He cOmplimented the ladies and
gentlemen who were assembled that evening TO COM
memorate the formation of the Old Dominion Society
He paid high compliment to the New England Society
aud its various officers and he spoke of the St Ncho
las Society the Cornhan capital OF the social column
of the Empire State. Applause) He spoke OF the uni,
of the States the greatest glory OF the nation aud
concluded by introducing Hon. George Washington
Summers.
Mr. Summers was received with loud and continued APP
plause He began his lecture by abiding to the crcum
stances which had led to the formation of the Old Dom
Mon Society. He then gave very lengthy and inter-
estng history OF Virginia from its first settlement, and
during its existence colonial dependence OF Great
Britain The ancient Indian names OF many OF its towns
and villages and the heroic deeds of the early settlers
he also depicted in vivid colors. On the great question
of slavery which agates the country he discours
ed great length, pointing out the form and manner in
which abotonists have distorted the facts of the
to suit their own views He concluded his able and
elaborate lecture in the following words
Abstruct opinions slavery not applicable to that
system exists in the Southern States at the present
day. We profess 10 be, and are practical people,
Now, if slavery abolished in the Southern States
tomorrow who would be benefited by the act Not
the slaves who would be helpless paupers aud TO whom
labor is a necessary condition, whose very nature
prompts TO dependence and reliance on others; who un
restrained would become the victim of every vice, aud
unprotected the easy and certain dupe Of the designing
and unprnciped Are they to be subjected to such va
grant acts as prevail in the free States by which vicious
idlers and paupers are withheld from beggary and
crimey How infinitely preferable is their present cOnd
ton which to them constant and certain sup
port the sympathy OF known friends religious instruction
and medical succor Motives Of humanity and of interest
unite to guarantee kind treatment. It would be difficult
find elsewhere a lAbOring population so looked after
and cared for free from the burdens and anxetes of
life happy and joyous as the negroes of the South
ern States. II any desire 10 see the children OF toll
dant in smiling conentment free of dread that their APP
plcaon for employment may be refused their wages
unpaid exempt from the pressure OF debt or the fear OF
want to hear the ready joke the ring of the merry
laugh let them visit Southern plantation If YOU wish
see specimens of gayety and fashion, the incest cut of
the mustache the most approved extension OF crino
line make acquaintance with the cOOred ladies and gen
amen Of our Southern cities If YOU desire TO look in
upon devout and orderly congregation of three thou
sand worshppers and hear the most stirring choral
music in America, 90 TO the African Church at Rich
mOnd Would the free States be benefited by enamel
patton Let the neighboring British provinces, already
sensible of the burden thrown upon them by compare
lively uconsideable accession of free negroes
the inquiry Are the dependent dborers of the free
States themselves prepared for the disastrous competi
ton which might be Occasioned by the Liberation of some
four millions OF slaves Is there less difficulty to be
found in the financial view Of the question? The slaves
of the South represent in value property at least
g 500 100000 The last annual export of their labor
reached 5000 900 600 Of which cotton alone Of the
value OF 900 900 Is the country at large free States
or slave States prepared for the consequences direct and
remote 70 be brought about by the auu!httou Of this
amount Of property and Of production i the city Of New
York the great commercial emporium of the nation
be benefited by emancipation, Is Boston, whose
chant princes go down to the in great ships: Are
the cotton mills of Massachusetts, ready for such
trouLes need not point 10 the condition Of the South
in such an event. We ask our Northern brethren
member that slavery with differs from the ancient SER
vitude of Judea OF Greece and Rome and from the vii
ainage OF England and the seridom Of Russia With
the subordinate is cut of by caste. No change Of
legal status change their actual condition They
could never be incorporated in the body polite adj
mit,ed TO social equality. II they remained all would
be as slaves If permitted to remain free negroes
they would be free in name only, but cut of from the
privileges of ireemeu. We ask them to believe that
there is as much Of humane public opinion with US
MS among themselves aud acknowledging the de-
priyy and sntuuess OF our nature, claim be sin
rre Christians as they We beg them 20 leave the fortunes
and the fate of this in the hands Of those upon whom
they have been deyo,yed and 10 tie good providence Of
mat Being who has permitted the relation for wise aud
benefceut purposes and who caring for all His creatures
and IN his way, open up for them peaceful deve
rance. utterly deny that there is any "rrepreSsible
conflict between the people the States of this Union
The diversity of Institutions, of climate and production
which exists among far from being of dsJe-
sion the strongest bond o. mutual aud reciprocal de-
peudeuce. The adamantine chains Of interest would
themselves hold MS together were there not still nober
dc, TO aid in uniting u.s. Why, cannot cast our ewes
upon the corfguraton of the country iuhabit the
course OF its rivers the position OF its bays, lakes and
eHH I.rr.r pa "a.
that was designed to be the home Of great and united
people Why was decreed that the Mississippi having
lis source in a high northern latitude should take It's way
southwark and rolling It's mesuc Hood through milder
cmes should deliver us mighty tribute in the Gulf al
most under the tropics furnishing the single outlet 10
the ocean OF the fertile and expanded basin which
the sun in bis annual circuit shines upon aud WHITES -
Why was it ordained that its tributaries flowing from
remote head springs either side, and penetrating
gions wholly dissimllr IN soil aud production should
themselves become the boundaries aud ligament- ofindc
pendent States upon their marginy Why we're Virginia
aud Maryland ndissolubly united by common nterestu
the Potomac and the Chesapeake? Why Maryland and
Penn-ylyana ythe Susquohauna Pennsylvania and New
jersey by the Delaware aud New jersey and New York
by the Hudson aud your noble bavy Where could the
line of separation be drawn Could Louisiana Mississippi
Tennessee and Kentucky be cut OIL from Indiana Illinois
and Ohioy Could Virginia and Pennsyvania-the great
centre States OF the Union and united by many
res-be sundered from each othery Aud where in such
family disruption, would the Empire State take her
position Could she 10 be separated from the
exporting States. Could she ignore the glorious recol
ectous OF the past Could she forget that if it
New Yorker who led the attack the redoubt at York
town. il was a Nrgnian who headed the "fOrlorn hope
no Stony Point the key the Highlands of the Hudson
Could she forget wha, to the joint abOrs Of her
Hamilton and Jay and Madison that it was
here in her great CITY that Washington installed the
first President OF the United States: nation NAV have
is birth amid the throes and commissions OF revolution,
and spring into life at single bound-ike the tabled
origin Of Minerva-or planted in weakness and colonial
dependence may be permitted TO review the history
Of It's growth and expansion until in the circle of years
il ataius the strength aud proportions of mature
hood So, too by the madness of ambition and power,
nation may be subdued and eXtinguished in day;
the slower workings of corruption and msrue may pre-
serve miserable existence through centuries of decay
TO final and gradual extinction. But for a
State in the prime of its vgor-in full possession of all
the attributes OF national vitality and perpetuity-havng
the duties of its rulers and the rights of its people de-
fined aud prescribed by written constituton-withou
external pressure violence, TO come to sudden de-
strucou by internal ACKNOWLEDGMENT would be without
historic precedent as it would be without rule for APP
the infinite niamy Of the act, or its disas
,rous consequences. We are not destined to such
We may be subject to the ordinary mu-
atoms incident 10 mortal existence whether in the in
dividua or in the aggregate But this government
not formed to be destroyed in day, Clouds have
lowered upon horizon and overpread the sky but the
Of faith has steadily held its place. and emitted its
light through the gloom, and the bow of promise and
Of hope again spans the arch cherish the belief that
this favored land is the appointed theatre for exhb
ton Of human greatness and OF national power and du
ration hitherto unknown upon earth. have already adj
yerted the admirable and peculiar structure OF our
government and its nice adaptation purposes of safety
and expansion. To this let it be added that its operation
has been and will continue to be upon the mingled pro-
duct Of the best populations otthe world brought together