The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-18

virginia, possibly he foresaw the result and
hp ,ns In spite OF IL. The attacks upon
.,u seem to be spiteful outcroppings of senti-
naent IN an effort to compromise between ig-
norihs him and recognizing him. This effort
lAas extended To nm attack upon his authority
90 ,, an historian. as evidenced by rather typi-
caiy remarkable letter In your issue Of July
This pseudo historical sketch is AN at
tempted refutation of the doctrines OF such
teachers" as Prof. Dodd II pleads for more
attention to Southern writer's and Southern
sources, This statement would almost induce
ose pehef that the writer Is not very familiar
% southern writers and southern sources.
me South in general. and Virginia in par
esua, We're at first inclined to depiore tho in
su'uuon or slavery while acknowledging its
Dement'S and their inability to find an ade-
auate solution OF the problem jefferson while
resident successfully used his influence to have
congress prohibit the African slave trade by
ieoS, according TO the constitutional provision.
LOUISIANA had been purchased. and the opening
~ 'ne southwest and the consequent demand
OF negroes for cote raising induced a change
OF opinion. statutory prohibition of the Afri-
an save trade restricted--though ii did not
entirely preventive Importation OF slaves
from abroad, and the demand for negroes
caused a steady rise in price The. Southern
border States-tttls suited for cotton raising
became slave exporting States. Men naturally
ceased To deniore slavery, and the leaders of
the South taught their people that the insti-
tuition was hlessing-a benehcent Institution.
surely this will not be questioned, nor the inter
state slave trade, when men like Prof Dew OF
William aud Mary College: Chancellor Har-
per. Governor Hammond and DIR. simms of
@&olled these facts In the 'S0's Prof Dew
regarded this slave trade as one Of Nirginias
greatest assets. The newspapers of the day
frequently advertised negroes according to their
breeding and qualities. The Virginia Times
quoted III Niles Register. October g. 1886
claimed that forty thousand slaves were sold
hy Virginia 10 other States during the year
and brought to the State an average of $500
q head. $4,000. 600 in all This il ne doubt
dented activity. Prof. Dew estimated, a few
years before that Nirginia's export trade was
only 5000 To 10000 negroes year. Still
the border States could not supply the de
mand, and in the Southern commercial conven-
tons, from IS56lS64, delegates from the cotton
States pettioned the conventions for the adop-
ton of measures looking to the reopcning of the
African slave trade. a proposition which quite
naturally met opposition from the delegates of
the border States They asserted tho benefits
of slavery economically and olitcally-through
the three 6fths rule. No one denies that the
bctual slave dealer regarded with dis
favor. and that many planters deplored. and
prevented. when possible. the sale and eXpor-
tation of their slaves. No one attempts to
prove that miscegenauon met with approval.
Slavery In Virginia largely social in
stitution and appeared at it's best. and the la
bur conditions e+tttie- We're h4falr-a4ig
worse than those in the manufacturing CEN
ters of the North and in England. 1t is vain
10 read back modern ideas into the past. Our
churches proved slavery God-sent blessing.
and Northern settlers in the South became its
stauuchest supporters,
We not need any justification for State
or section We might we'll he candid about
ourselves. War and the injury OF Republican
rule In Reconstruction DAYS have firmly united
the South but these same things have tended
to blot out all former Institutions and
substitute sentimental attachment to what
we think those institutions we're. Tho average
Southerner knows very little about the history
| of his section. Our historic places are often
| unmarked, many of our great men are scanti-
" cnmmemorated, the institutions that existed
are forgotten, or remembered only by glowing
examples and miik-andwater novels. And Vr
| glnis has a Wealth Of true history.
,t.,er Yxf,a tt,rt