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

view 10 overthrow il, havs sought 10 destroy
the institution lrom WHICH It derives lis cI:st-
enc,
When I say the ron siarcholding States as:,
Solsat t, destroy the institution Of sl.YsIy, |
10 not wiS!, 10 be understood as referring To OF
embracing il my arsumen all Of The Citizens
OF the non s!avehoIdIng State; for | am srre
there are within those States, lnany-rrry many
-uh no arc Is loyal 80 the institutions OF TIC
| country rs are 10 be found IN the slaychoidiEg
States. refer to the abolition pariy-ihat
party who teach and preach agitation and PRO.
psgsndlsm, and instil fanaticisnl.
The party which has ever hinGered sud Oh.
structed the execution CT the fugitive slave
law, and 10 many Instances caused its cxccI.
ton 10 he attended with iiotS, :uob> aid biJu,i.
shed, as il WAS done at Boston some yeuis ago,
where it b:came necessary to execute /, at tao
ouiut Of tue tayUnrt; the party which c0n'riSrd
and put into operation the Emigrant AID Soci.
cites Of the New England States, who we're
armed and equipped, aud sent to k'n>ss 10
prosecute u civil war upon the UNI Il, a'ilns
people Of Missouri "a wsr which Caused the
blush Of shame to mantle the check 81 this
na,ion-a war which put 10 death the helpless
and the inuoceut-a war wblch, Tor a tI'nr, Did
defiance to the Authorities Of the government,
and found its syIEpathiserS only IN he
ru.ks Of the abolition fanatics ct The Nor;h.
\ party that has Ior forty years, in church
ard State. in public councils and private walls
inculcatrl in the Northern mind 4 deadly hos.
tility to the institution Of slavery sad, as
was correctly remarked on ycstrrday by the
gentleman from Halifax, (Ar. BHrcs.) their IN.
fants are taught 70 detest the institution; pic
lures are held up L9!ore them representing
| the suffering slave in chains &: the Feet Of u
cruel master with SOURCE in !anh, They
are taught to eel eve the institution Is q
moral, socisl and political ev!l-an Il nee
| lgaiGst religion aud Il CRIME against Cod
Growing out c! this sentiment, We see
| that in some o.! The non.sltvehoidng States
their legislative cnlciments tend TO tie
obstruction Of the Fugitive Slave Law. Bur
Il few months ago, in the ~sllllntss o! the night,
when a State and nation were wrapped in slam.
Der, enjoying the supposed security guaraa.
te-d ~ thelu by the Social compact 10 which |
have referred, a band Of murdevcrs and ma
rauders, headed by John Brown, seized tie
Government atulory at Harper ferry, stopped
he mail upon one OF the highways Of tho
country, took some OF our citizens prisoners
and shot others lown like dogs. Alter this
infamous man had been tried and conyic;td
and suffered the penalties Of the law, his re-
mains were carried to the North, where they
we're worshiped by whpie communities. |
mention this tact, sir, 10 Siio% the Scnt:nen:
that prevails in portions Of The Nurth-a sent.
ment of utter and bitter hostility 10 the insli-
tutions Of tie South.
Nor is this all, Mr.. Chairman. We nave tho
published letters and speeches Of such men rs
M,ilard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, Nathaniel
P. Banks, Edward Everett End others, showing
that the North occupies an un!rlend'y if not
a hostile position 10 the South. Nor does this
hostility seem TO have diminished, for We see
that recently the very party that has created
and kept up this agitation and excitement has
elected the President and now has the power
of the Government in their owl hands. That
President when a clndid.te for hish honor
aud oIice has told the American people, that hc
mated sinrery rs much as any ab>!'tlonist thss
between free labor and slave labor there Is ~
irrepresSiLle conflict, aud that that corH CT vi!
continue to exist until al! the States become
free, or all becvme slave. The Chicago plat.
form upon which he .as elected. brralhs the
s,,nc degree OF hostility ~ tic SOu'h. ana |
regret to lind that the irau .nrul Of thu, P!r>I-
deaf gives but little or no hope - The South
ern man for peace and harmony.
In this connection, tho QUESTION may w;ll &c
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the institution Of slavery
be protected in Virginia?
There are now in this State 490,SsI slaves.
which, valued at the average market price.
would make them worth $500. 422 S44. IS n"w
taxed, they yield to the State an anuua! re'c.
nue. of S337,s04 90. And If taxed rs o;!r:
property is, they would yield q revenue Il
-. 2Ol, SOL 81. Most Of the agriculture ~ Inc
Eastern portion OF the STATE, and much III tie
Valley and South. West, is The result Of their
labor. If they are liberated, over three hun.
dred millions or dollars worth ol prof. eity viii
he lost 70 the State. Her agriculture must
diminish, Eastern lands will depreciat", ard in
addition, the large amount OF tax now paid,
aud The much larger amount that will be pa'i
npon them when properly taxed, will DO lost
~ Tie State.
This is not all. In order to keep down .hc
interest on our State debt and ult IN sle'y rX;i:.
crish that debt, our land taxes must be N.
c.elsed, perhaps ten fold greater ,Esn they
now are. The eastern lands, after tic ab.ii.
ton of slavery, declining, and the western
lands increasing in value, would make that tax
much more oppressive on the western man
than the eastern. Already sre We %ercsnirg
under excessive taxation, aud ! am sure it is
the wish Of my people to avert an Increase o!
their burdens. il slaves should be liberated,
society would be infested with n half Cas-. race
vino have not the capacity for sclfgovornmcn',
and instead Of yielding TO the State a Large
annual regenue as they now Go, they would Ii!
our poor. houses, jlils and pe:,itentisry. Tue
time Of our courts would be occupied in trying
them for crime, and our treasury heavily taxed
10 deiray Their criminal expenses. Whist
we have but few free negroes in the Stat, as
compared with the number Of slaves. is It not
strange tina, Us many Of tie former class hare
been convicted for crime i'll the lsst tT:i"o
months as have been Of the litter class?
The statistics of the country show. that IN
slave States and non-slaveholding States thsr=
IS o much larger per cent OF Tree negro
convicted for crime than anJ ether class.
If liberated, they must remain with US. I
sec it stated that all the ships Of the world
could not remove the slaves with their p'oba.
bic increase from the Southern States 10 Africa
in one hundred years. The only proper
answer that can be made to the enquiry as 10
what shall be done with them, is to keep them
where they are and as they are. This done.
and their labor will yield largely TO the Coin.
merco and pay much Of tho taxes Of the
country.
Mr.. Chairman, it is urged upon this 1ocf
thar, ia consequence Of the insecurity CT this
valuable property, the South ought to sever
her connection with the Federal Government.
And the question is asked, What shall 'ir.
GINA do2 She has done no wrong to the
General Government or to any Slate. She hiss
ever been FIRST and foremost in her loyalty
to the Union. Her sons inausnrated The
government, and her best blood and talent
we're sacrificed to acquire it. When our
independence was achieved and tho country
left poor in purse but rich in liberty,
Virginia gave an empire for its relief. She
cnnte,nplates with sad and melancholy reasc'
ton the condition of the countryside mourLs
over it and when she calls to mind tho long
wears oil wuc that were ~agea ard The blood
and treasure that were spent 10 acquire II
.-1- ,t.t % -, tho a.r rI,Il Lao