The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-07-02
10 give shane and direction 10 the politics

The speaker then directed the attention
of his audience to-the subject Of African
slavery as being of great importance in
any review of our history on account of
the influence il had hitherto exerted over
the whole frame work Of southern society.
The census of 1860 showed that the free
negro population, notwithstanding the large
additions relieved by voluntary emancipa-
tion and runaways, had only increased IL
81. 100 per cent, while the slave population,
in the face of a corresponding decrease,
showed an increase of % 39-lOO in the same
period.
He next entered into the history of the
slave trade from it's beginning, in 1920, and
of its success as an experiment. Some of
the champions of New England had denied,
since slavery had become odious, that it
had never legally existed within her bor-
ders. and Mr.. Sumner had asserted that
Gin all her annals, no person was ever born
a slave on the soil Of Massachusetts," and
"if, in point of fact, the issue of slaves
were ever held in bondage, it was never
by sanction of any statute law OF colony or
commonwealth"
These statements were at variance with
historic facts, and involved wholesale
stigma upon the memory of the slavehold-
ing pilgrim fathers. Authentic records
were extant to show that slavery was in
troduced into New England by law, and
that New England men and New England
ships were the most active agents in pro-
scouting the African slave trade. The re-
port Of the superintendent of the census OF
1860 reported: "It is believed that the
first slave ship fitted out in British colonies
sailed from Boston in 1916" From the
statute recognizing and regulating slavery,
passed by the legislative body of Massa-
chusetts, it was quoted: 1t is ordered by
this court and authority thereof that there
shall never be any bond-slavery villenage
or captivity amongst lis unless it be law
full captives taken in just wars, or such as
shall willingly sell themselves or are sold
to us: and such shall have the liberties
and Christian usage which the law of God
established in Israel concerning such per-
sons doth morally require, provided this
exempts none from servitude who shall be
Judged thereto by authority"
Other statistics, which are familiar to
nearly every one, were produced in proof
that slavery had existed in New England
until 1896, when prospective measures were
adopted to get rid of it, not for the welfare
of the negro, but in accordance with on
enlightened self-interest, which impelled
them to relieve themselves Of a population
which they felt to be an incumbrance.
They had found by experience that the
negro was not adapted to high northern
attitudes. In no case did any law in the
northern States grant voluntary freedom
to a slave, but they were all sold to SOUTH
ern masters. Virginia abolished the slave
trade in 1878, and Massachusetts, in 17SS,
ten years later.
Radical writer's and politicians claimed
that slavery was the "sum of all villainies,"
and that the slave had been degraded and
dcbascd: and yet they cOntended that the
negro, who had for two centuries passed
through this system of debasement and
degradation, was amply qualified, without
further ado, to assume the rights of citizen
ship, while the intelligent foreigner was
subjected to probation of five years. Ac-
cording to their own showing, then, this
much abused institution has been the
means of converting handful of cannbal
savages into an enlightened nation OF
Christian freedmen, superior in the attrl.
butes of citizenship to q foreigner, and
equal to the intelligent white tuan of New
England.
Having traced the causes of the war, Mr..
Stuart now entered into its consequences.
He had never been believer in an ire
prcssible conflict" between the two labor
systems, and had always thought that with
enlightened craftsmanship and catholic pa
triotism the difficulty could have been set
tied without an appeal to arms.
Several important questions had been
finally and conclusively settled by the
stern arbitrament of the sword among
them the following:
/. "That the right of State to secede
from the Union, or to nullify an act Of the
Federal Legislature, must hereafter be
regarded as an obsolete idea
II. "That all debts, Confederate, State,
or municipal, contracted in aid of the war,
are absolutely null and void, and must be
forever ignored and repudiated.
III. "That slavery is finally and forever
abolished within the jurisdiction of the
United States, and freedmen are to be in.
vested with and protected by law in the
enjoyment of every necessary civil right"
The right ofsecession had been authOrita.
lively decided in the negative, and the fact
must be recognized, for there was no middle
ground between submission to the autho.
rity of the Federal Government and revo-
luton. We would have to seek redress
for grievances by appeal to the tribunals
ordained by the Constitution. Should op.
preston become intolerable, we might be
justified, as our forefathers did, in seeking q
remedy through revolution.
+ The reputation of all debts contracted
in aid of the war was logical consequence
of the result of the contest, and upon this
point there was no room for difference ol
opinion. The extinction Of slavery inyolv.
ing much larger interests, and more practi.
cal and far-reaching consequences than
either of the other propositions, the
speaker entered into more extended no.
tice of it.
The Virginia people had heretofore al
manifested great love for country life,
and the professional man, merchant, and
mechanic were all accustomed to look for.
ward to the day when they might be able
to become landed proprietors. When they
had succeeded, they purchased estates, and
surrounding themselves with every COM
fcrt, lived in the exercise of that generous
hospitality for which Virginia was always
noted. But all things were to pass away
A sturdy race of yeomanry would in time
possess and till the lands. Baronnial man.
sions would 60 to decay or furnish material
for the construction Of dwellings more
suited to the laboring man. Refinement
cultivation, and elegant tastes would be
constrained, as in the north, to seek refuge
in the cities. To those who estimated the
soa;al oonditior, hy financial standard