The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-18
UNWRITTEN LEAF OF HISTORY.
Early Attempt 10 Abolish SlaTery In Ylr-
GINA.
NAT. TURNER'S RESURRECTION,
Condition of Virginia mt tho TIme-hc''oh o'
tho General Assembly 80 Hoo'
Finally indefinitely Postponed.


For The Timesl
Tho fathers OF tho republic were opposed TO
the introduction and the existence OF slavery
Washington einancpated all his slaves Madi-
son intended TO do 50. Jefferson opposed 1t
on every ground, political. moral. social and
economical. as ne states in his notes. Henry
deplored its existence. This conviction con-
tinued long after these illustrious men had
passed away and until the political agitation
Of the subject commenced wa, the sentiment
Of most OF the people Of Virginia.
With this nearly universal opposition TO the
institution OF slavery. why was not some leg
islative effort mado 10 abolish 1t, such ef-
forts we're made. ono in 1777 by Bland. one IN
the session OF 1881 z IN the House OF Dele
gates. Both efforts failed. Why and bow
the latter sttempt failed is An unwritten leaf
OF history which 1 now viii endeayor TO sup
ply by the record and authentic tradition.
Strange az it may seem. at that time the
Shareholders. as n class, favored emanlclpa-
ton: the non Shareholders. as "a class. opposed
it. and the latter succeeded in the continu-
ance of AN institution which aiterward be
came SO firmly established that IL only could
be DESTROYED in the conflicts OF the greatest
war of modern times.
NAT 1URSrR's ISsUREFCTION.
In the wear 1850 the agitators IN England
and the Northern States had commenced tnelr
attempts to excite the slaves by distributing
iucen0iary publications. some OF them plctO-
rial through the mails ami danger was 80 APP
lrehended that the Legislature. for the first
time passed laws forbidding slaves 70 be
taught 20 read and TO hold meetings or assem-
blies without the presence OF the whites. but
the tree produced its fruit. Early IN 1881 an
instruction OF the slaves (the second which
had occur ed in the state took place In
SOUTHAMPTON county. in which seventy or
eighty negroes under the instgatlon and com
mand of fanatic negro slave, Nat Turner,
massacred fiftv-fiye white persons men,
women and children. IL was soon quelled,
and Nat Turner and his Associates tried and
hanged. OF course "a general feeling OF uneasI-
ness at once prevailed all over the State.
CONDITION OF VIRGINIA.
In the following December. 1881. the Cen
eTal Assembly. the members of which had
been elected before the lnsurrectiOn occurred.
assembled III Richmond. BY the famous
convention of 1929 30 the Constitution was
changed by the representation of the
West being increased and the right OF suffrage
was so EXTENDED as that, in addition to the
treeholders, who only hal the right before
those were admitted to the right who were
housekeepers and heads of families who paid
portion of the revenue tax.
Before we give an account OF the proceed
ings of the Legislature. in order 10 under
stand the actions of the body and the senti-
ments expressed in such OF their speeches as
have come down 10 US let rs describe the
conditions which surround them and the
actual state OF things at the time.
Virginia was then, as ii ever had been before,
purely agricultural. She had no large towns,
no manufactures. no internal improvements.
The Tidewater region by ships on her rivers.
the Piedmont section IN small river craft and
wagons carried on the commerce of the cOun-
l. l..,.e - h.. F.rts.
driven 10 market on the hOof. The great
staple tobacco. was only cultivated IN
the rich vegetable mould of the primeval for
est 10 remove which the labor of the African
was so useful and for which purpose he was
imported and purchased. The process Of the
planters IF that day was ruinous IN the e1-
t-eine. it is mistake that tobacco eXhausts
the soil, as n'is never permitted 70 bear It's
seed. 1t is the cultivation of tobacco,
which has worn out so large o pOr-
ton of the lands OF the state. The
negro men all the winter and late in the
spring were employed in cutting down the
original forest, composed Of oak. ash, maple
and all the Geciduous trees of the latitude.
with an original pine tree here and there in
terspersed among them. Enough OF the wood
for fuel and rails was retained. The rest
burnt in heaps on the ground The tobacco
hills were made with hoes and after the con-
tnuous labor of planting. worming, sucker
ing curing and pricing and sending To
market, the first year was spent. The next
year the same process was repeated with
tobacco planted not only on the winters
clearing, but on the land which was cleared
the previous year
Then the land, which had produced two
crops of tobacco, was put IN wheat, which
was succeeded by corn succeeded with wheat
or oats. md then corn and oats succeeded
each other every year until the land was too
exhausted TO produce either. Then the
fences were removed and tho "old field" was
turned out. and after being graZed by oil tho
stock OF the connty, put IN DrOom-straw and
then in the 'lobiolly' old field pines which in
few years grew to the large pine forests which
now cover 80 large an area in Eastern Virginia
In the course of time. as the best lands were
first cleared and first worn out. the poverty Of
the country continually increased. but all the
time the negroes under mild treatment were
rapidly increasing in number. When the old
plantation got poorer and poorer as the ne
groes had to be fed. the master had TO buy
corn and meat for them, and whom his needs
became greater he was compelled TO sell sOmo
Of them 10 feed the residue.
DIsHEAKTESING PROCESS.
Such process was disheartening in the ex-
treme. and it was a sore trial for the Old Nlr-
ginia patriarch TO be compelled to sell the
young negroes he had raised or the old ones
who had been born with him on the old plan
tation and who had played with him aud been
his companions in infancy and youth As the
price OF tobacco declined by the competition
of the fresh lands IN newer States slavery be-
came expensive and Improbable Lime and
plaster had not been introduced. clover and
the grasses were not raised tor the improve
ment of the land The young and enterpris-
ing sons of fathers whose land was divided
at his death among them sold their shares 20
some adjoining STAKEHOLDER. whose land was
unable to support his slaves and they emf
grated TO other States or Territories. SO the
best OF our population grew less the plapta-
tons of the shareholders grew larger and the
number of the negroes larger. Under this state
of things IL WAS natural that the State was
outstripped by all the non-sayeholding States
In population and wealth.
SAD CONDITION or THE STATE.
The sad condition of Virginia was depicted
in the following eloquent words of Charles
Foster Mercer. a member of the convention
of 1S29-'90. true description OF the old Com
monwealth at the time which we are now do
scribing
Said Mr.. Mercer: las | descended the
Chesapeake the other day on my way TO this
city, impelled by favoring west wind which. |
cooperating with the element applied by the !
genius of Fulton 20 navigation, made the vessel |
on which stood literally fly through the !
waves before me. | thought Of the early de- |
scnptions Of Virginia by the followers OF Ra- |
leigh and the companions OF Smith. | en- /
deayored 70 scent the fragrance of the gale