Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15

Peace Conference plan relcr altoSetneF y Il
Territorial question. In regard TO TINS
Territorial question, I must be allowed 10
say that I have never been able to unoer'
stand upon what principle Of The relative
yalue of things it has doomed up, into
the importance which seems to DC at-
tachcd 10 it in all parts Of tho country. nave
not btoa able To eco upon what principle II ~
that the people of this mighty nation, llIs
mighty State Of States. have been wrought up
to the extreme Of passion, sectional strife, bit
t~erilness and hate about this Territorial q1es'
ton. Hhyf 1, IL moi q matter perfectly H.
uilisr 10 every member Of this Convention
that in regard to the present Territories OF the
United States, re have NO: one foot OF Terrific
ry that is 6t for the employment Of slave LABOR Z
Is il not a matter perfectly notorious and known
to every beginner in Geography and politics,
that We have not sEy Territory Of the United
States this day into which any sane man, as on
investment Of his money, as IN employment oil
his labor, would carry slaves Tor private edTan-
Iuges Il is true that in the Territory Of New
Mexico The officers OF the army stationed there
have carried along with them rs members OF
their families their body servants aid thsE
mouse servants and owing 60 this Tact there
ere, perhaps, fifteen to twenty and perhaps TWEEN
tv.lvc slaves in that Territory. Although that
rqrritory has been opened for settlement With
Out any prohibition ter the last ten years unGcT
4 Territorial Government, yet there have never
bscn found moro titan twenty-five slaves there
in all that time. | believe IL is conceded by
zen Of al shades OF political opinion that that
territory is wholly unfit for slave labor. |
understand it is thought by SONIC that there
will he silver and quicksilver mining carried
vi in some portions Of that territory in which
~tiares Nigh. possibly be employed to advan-
tnge but | suppose, in a country where
Mexican pecns are TO bs had almost for the
asking, it vii! hardly nay TO transport negroes
ryrth & thousand or fifteen hundred: dollars for
the purpose OF working :belr silver or quick
silver mines. That is not tae sort Of labor
ior which slGves ere adapted and | believe
it is the unanimous Judgment Of the country,
So far Is New Mexico is concerned, slavery CAL
never 20 there. they have had for two or
thres years past in that territory . code
protecting slavery, and authorizing il to ~
brought there, yet 10 one bias thought OF car
~ ing it there. That is partly OWING 10 the
fact, there is an unsuitablenesS in the Territory
for that sort of labor; but it is also owing tn
the other Important fact, that we have 10 sur
plus Of shares to spare TO settle u new terri.
tory, even if We have tho territory 10 settie.
What il all this clatnor in the South about the
1c.openiEs of til. African SLAVE trade! nat
ruean5 tue fac. that African sl2gers have
landed clrgoes Of slaves in Southern ports and
sold thera in open nai kct :? Has thu Govern
Iurrt been able 10 bring 20 justice any Of
f-uders against the ls%s: What means il that
Ilobs in cities have broken down every barrier
oi law and have wrcsied from the officers per-
SONS in custody charged with being concerned
iii the !african slave trade! What mems all
This. 1t means neither more nor less than
this-and the fact is admitted and apparent in
the Soutli-that there is a deficiency Of slave
labor in the South; that their great, pressing
necessity ut this day, is the want Of slaves
enough to cultivate their great staple crops.
We feel this in the drain made upon Us; and
the great demand for slaves is constantly sLrlk-
| ing or tho list Of shareholders, one utter an.
other, tho small slav. holder, whose necessity
Or cupidity is stronger than hi, appreciation
of the institution vi slavery. You canpot fee!
Ia Eastern Virginia. in thc heart OF. the slave
holding region, thsl drain as much rs We do in
tue county from whence ! calue, which is i
slaYe,holding, slave buying community, aud
where t!ieS arc anxious 20 purchase ard obtain
slaves, gru 10 extend the institution in their
midst We feel gpnsibly this cheek upon our
wishes, growing nnt Of The TACT that the staple
crops Of the South demand more labor. This
drain frcln US is constantly going on and it IL
owing to that fact, more thar 10 any other, |
presume, tina. the distinguished gentleman
rom Albcmarle, (Alr. lloLcoMBs) anticipates
that Missouri, Maryland and Kentucky will
eventually become free States.
| take it tina: these two propositions are In.
r0ntrover,ibie, that we have not line territory
20 take the slaves into and, if We had, that
wc have not the negroes ~ take there. II that
Is true, what arc re TO think Of sinking to the
foundations this Government OF ours, with oil
lis great proprietary and Industrial interests 7
What arc VIC 20 :hink OF toe lD!atuation. mad.
ness ard faRalicism that are seeking TO over.
Iurow such a Government Us this, and to ini-
peril nnd destroy the rights ard interests ol
millions Of fIccmcn, North and South, upon nh
assus like this! suppose If the question bud
! nu:er been raised, ii the South han never made
the point there is hardly Il man in Tue South nu~
who would NOT say thot it is Il point not worth
making. Ii we haG never asserted The right
If we never had locked arms, AS it were, upon
the argument OF lIe right, | suppose every.
body would say i wos more fer peace, mGro
for good sense, more for correct states.
manshiip. moro for the interests Of all concern
eli, that this miserable, poo: territory should
6e settled By whoever choose to 60 and live i'll
that remote region.
But the point has been made; and what is it!
It is that the South has 2 right 10 20 into all the
terl tories with her property, and have protcc.
ton tor that property. What IS tbs Other side?
It is that the North las a right 10 prohibit them
from going there with their property !; that
size has the light, and hencefcrth having the
power, she intends to exercise both the right
and the power to exclude the South from the
territories. The South cluims them all FOR
her civilization and iler Institutions; the North
Claims them ill for her civilization md her in
stitutio.s, Aad thuS We have, what SEEMS 10
ne, TO be a very absurd quarrel between bf.
teen slave States aud eighteen free States, the
extreme prctcnsions being set up on the part
of each to exclude the other altogether iroln
ANY participation in the common territories
Ii seems to the that that is about the state Of
| The case. How was this question settled by
our fathers years ago. 1t was done upon
principles, | maintain, OF common sense. Here
is Il man, for instance, in tue county OF Au-
| gusta, who owns, perhaps, half IL dozen ne
S
gross and q tract of land worth $40 per acre.
lie thinks his land is TOO high priced, and that
it would he better for him to sell out there and
20 To some Of the territories in the West,
where he conld enter land and get Il large do
| main, upon which lie could raise his negroes
and provide for his family. lie accordingly
! removes 10 I new terlltnrE. y citizen OF
Pennsylvania, who has d large family Of sons,
| hut no slaves, md who IL tlIs owner Of q ya!u-
able and expensive farm, worth 500 per acre,
aIsu desires to e~migrate 10 soHic new territory
ct the West, whera ha eau Gny with the pro-
| cceds arising from the salo Of his farm, Il large
tract Of cheap land, upcn which he caa raise
! his family and accuatcm them to habits of in,
! dus;ry. lie has lie ~isnuiical feeling on the
| subject OF slavery, bit having, 3. one iiIun,
i5een among Shareholders he enser,dins tie
| id-a, With no disposition, however, to interfere
with any enc else, that tie Interests Of his
, sons would be promoted by going with them