The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-02


field of battle, though within hearing of the
laundering cannonadc. or course nc conla
not have heard NAPOLEON, If he ever MADE any
such ridiculous speech, and the probabihty-
almost certainty--is, that he never dlu' Dill
the srccch itself was too fattcring TO English
vanity 10 be given up, and 1t is still repeated
in every fresh English account OF the battle Oh
Waterloo. r~
Our people arc somewhat in the same pre-
dicamcnt with that ascribed TO the English ut
Waterloo by the yeracious Fleming. They are
represented by correspondents of Northern
newspapers as frightened TO the verge OF in
sanity BY rumors of negro instructions, and
vet so stupid are they that they do not know
that they are frightened. On the contrary,
they believe themselves 10 DO rs far from any
thing like alarm rs they ever were in The
whole course of their lives. Bnt these CORES
pondents must know, of course, great deal
better than they do themselves, and, of course,
they are sooner 10 he believed. The unhappy
people of Virginia resemble the man who
tainted during a pestilencc aboard snip ana
was pronounced dend by the surgeon, who or.
dcrcd him TO be thrown overheard. 10 an
Irish tar was assigned that duty, and he was
dragging him 10 the side or the vessel, when
he came TO and protested vehcmcntly that he
was not dead. ado YOU think you know bet
ter than the docther?" said PAT, and was pro-
ceeding TO execute the order TO the letter when
the captain intcrposcd. We are not allowed
oven to know the condition Of our own minds
There used TO be in Virginia. every now and
then, n rumor of intended instructions in some
ncighborhoods but in every case, except two,
these rumors were found, upon examinations
to have been Il mere coinage Of the brain of
some tmid person who was afraid of his own
shadow. The negro population OF Virginia
was VIGOROUSLY the most orderly and best be-
haved laboring population the world ever saw.
There have been, in one month, more riots
among the laboring population of the North,
and of England, than there We're in Virginia
during the two centuries that African slavery
existed.
There has been, as far rs we can see, no
change since the emancipation; and if the
people of Virginia fear any change of conduct,
it is because they know that there are emissa-
ries and newspaper correspondents constantly
at work to promote il. If the liberated negro
were let alone, he woIld never think Of in
surrcctioQ The fact to which we have al
! y
there were but two insurrec Gons in Virginia
attests the correctness Of this view.
The first instruction occurred in the first
year OF the present century. Slavery had eX-
listed in Virginia at least one hundred and fifty
years, and there had not, 50 far a we rccollect,
been Il single attempt Of the kind during that
long period, although it had been invited by
the last British Governor. DUNMoRE, with pro
misses OF freedom and reward. Larg" mum
bcrs of slaves had followed the British army
when CoKSwALLIs passed through the country,
but no attempt had been made to disturb the
quiet Of the homes Of the country. The con-
triyer, instigatOr and leader Of the plot in $500
was a mulatto, named GABRIEL, who was the
slave of Major PRosSER, of Henrico county,
residing on the Brook turnpike, Il short dis
lance beyond the creek known rs the Brook.
The plot had been maturing for many months.
GABRIEL was, we believe, 4 blacksmith, and
had prepared many rude Wcapons-such rs
! scythes set upon haudlc>--for the IL" OF his
followers. The plan was for the conspirators
10 meet on Il certain night At the bridge over
the Brook and march in z body 10 Richmond,
where they We're 10 divide, and while one
party secured the public buildings, others
were 10 set fire 10 The town III various
quarters The men and children we're to be
massaCred-thc women wCT" 10 be spared for Il
fate much worse than death. The plot was
discovered before it could be carried into exc
cution. JAMES MONROE was Governor II The
time, and nc took his measures of precautlon
with the utmost secrecy and dispatch. Every
avenue TO the town was guarded. and 4 power
ful force fully armed and equipped, was III
readiness. If GABRIEL had come with his
men, not one would have been left 10 tell the
tale. But lie did aot come. rain, such rs
had not fallen within the memory of man,
swellcd the Brook 50 that il was impossible 10
cross Day broke and the negroes dispersed.
/ It is hardly necessary 10 add that the conspi-
| rators were punished with that severity which,
! in every country in which the negro has re-
! sided, has arrays attended his attempts ut in
surrection.
! The instruction Of Nat. TURNER was at.
tended by circumstances OF cold blooded bar
barity common 10 al rsings Of the negroes
1t was on 4 smaller scale, but fully as afro.
cious rs that Of 81. Domingo.