Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-10

fore Wei must quicken our efforts hencefortt
in behalf at this institution. It viii become
necessary for US not Only to protect i, but VI
must legislate to extend it We are, in fact
hereafter to become slavery propagsndists.-
This government In order to guard tho danger.
that environ this country, must step forHsrc
and give ALL if possible, an interest in this in
stitution, in order to increase md confirm hi.
zeal for the protection and advancement of the
institution; snd, as pron,otive of that end,
hope this Convention will so frame the organic
law as 10 furnish safeguard for the people ol
this Common weaith under the Dew order oil
things
Mr.. HArxosn.-I belicvo and maintsin that
the right of citizen 70 bis property is abso-
lutte, and shall never attemp. by any action
OF mine, to prevent any man from disposing ol
tis property as ne poay see a..
Ihs etscs OF this amendment, If adopted,
will be to deprive tie owner OF slaves to eman.
cpste these Slaves and cause II to descend 10 his
heirs like any o,her description of property,
as if no will had been made
Now, sir, for one while AIN willing to 90
to the utmost .eX:s"', - have gone, tor |
! H.es ssGIr4ed ali tns lac promotion Of q
principle and tina protection of all kinds OF
property vet am not willing to say that those
who o~n s'lves shall not dispose Of them as
they thi: !; roper. never can 60 10 that ex.
tent W. have gone far enough in that fss,
ture c! the Constitution; and for my part, I
DO not mean to suffer myself, under the inaa-
encs Of passion or otherwise, to vote for such
an amendment as the one proposed BY the
gentleman from uelia, (Mr. HAEyIE) and
apply to one description rule which | would
be unwilling TO apply TO any other II a slave
owner should desire, as the gen,leman "a
marks, to purchase for himself plsce In Heaven
| by emancipa:ing his slaves, lot him exercise
| that privilege 10 his oTn peculiar Esy. il is
90. for US TO question his motive Ia doing this.
We should no: violate the rights of property
| because tie ect Of emancipation was dictated
hy that or any other motive.
trust it will not be the pleasure Of the
Convention to adopt the amendment; bat that
they will confer upon the Legislature dsore.
| ton to deal vith this mattar 10 such way
as t. them shall seem b=st Any action on
| the part OF this body. impsiring the right Of
property, as this to certain extent would do,
would be productive of serious evil, in ny
opinion, and I trust tho Convection will set
no such dangerous example.
Mr. kISpREp.--1 shall sustain the report Of
the committee, believing that. no matter
what may B.. the views OF gentlemen
with Tespec: TO ths policy Of imposing re.
strictons upon the rights of slave owaers to
emsncipats the;r Slaves, tleir views will be
sufficiently attained. II vii! bs seen, By
reference to the Goth section of tie report,
that unlimited power IS given to the General
Assembly upon this subject, even to the exc
tent OF prohibiting owners from emaacipa,ing
their slaves under any circuusssnces- That
section reads:
This General Assembly may luposs such
restrictions and conditions as tnay shall deeu
proper on the power Of slave owners to ema--
cipate their slaves aud may pass laws for the
relief Of ths Commonwealth from the FREQ regro
population, by removal or otherwise"
II has occurred to me, cir, that there ia too
much inclination in this Convention to legislste
in detsil. In framing constitution, it is
enough, suppose, to lay down certain general
principles, leaving to the Legislature tho duty
Of carrying then ou! in detail, as may be re
quired by tho varying public interests. Be
s:doe. With respect to this subject Dow under
consideration, it may be that 10 our anxiety to
do everything to protect and propagate this
peculiar kind Of property, and rhat anxious
wish, admit, to animate ali, we may defeat
our own purpose. 1t may that this uoaltsrable
prohibition in the Constitution, on the right
to emancipate, at all, in the State, may deter
slave owners from migrating to the State.
Is it not possible also that any unnecessary
restriction upon the right and power Of &c
owner to dispose Of his property in sccord-
ance with bis o~n wishes may operate as
check upon the accumulation Of property
The conviction that every one will have the
power to dispose Of his own, subject only to
his own will is one OF the creates. incentives
to the accumulation Of property. But shall
rot pretend now to express an opinion upon
the proprlety Of such policy. II is only my
purpose at present to say that this is not the
proper body to settle this question. l shall
most chee.fuily support that section Of the
report Of the committee which prohibits emsu
cipated slaves from remaining 10 the Common
wealth more than one year, and waich makes
the duty imperative upon the Legislature to
enforce it I shall 90 70 the extent Of sup
porting that section which coDfsrs power upon
the Legislature. absolutely and nduncondisioualy,
to pronioit slave owners from emancipation or
not az the public good, in their discretion,
hereafter may require; but shink it not iu-
dicious to insert xa unqualified prohibition in
the organic law of the State at present
Mr.. BoULDN, Of Oharlotte.-I feel very
an opinion, which nigh: bs construed as in.
tended OF calculated, in the slightest degree,
10 interfere with the right of property. But,
upon the question before the Convention,
have f.ed opinions, and desire very briefly
to present the reasons why shall vote for the
amendment Of my friend from Amelia Mr..
HARrlk)
1t has become the ssttied policy Of Virg:nis
to prohibit emsncipated slaves from .emairios
In the State This Is cur present policy, and
no ono On this foor will deny that such, 10 sll
human probability, will continue 70 be the
policy Of Virginia Banishment Of the slave
mus, a.tcnd every set ctofensacipstion- of Viewed
in this respect, the question becomes one not
merely Of policy, but Of humanity. II you
send the emancipsted slave away from the
home of tho STAKEHOLDER you send him from
the only spot On earth where be can safely
live-ir my opinion, the only place On this
Continent where the fres negro has real pro.
lection, aad may enjoy 6 reasonable degree OF
security. is here in the Southern States, and
2moog Southern Shareholders aud if the poll
oy is to be regarded az settled, as presume it
is, that no slave hereafter emancipated shall
remain fres In the Southern States, where alone
they can remain Ia safety, then, as matter OF
humanity, | say emsucpate not at all. Is
there gentleman upon this foor who will
rise in his place and say that be believes the
free negro Of the Northern States Is IN better
condition than the slsyeof the South Scarce
ly one. should suppose; end few there are.
if any, who are prepared 10 say that his condi-
ton will DO smeliorated by being sent back
to the burning sands of Africa. Yet what Is
1t We are asked to dor To concede the right
of emancipstion-to accompany the exercise
of that right with the condemnation OF the
emancpsted slave to speedy death or ultimate
barbarism That is what we do, if this right
is allowed, and the existing policy of Virginia
maintained
We hass been esked With some emphasis, if