Texas, its claims to be recognised as an independent power by Great Britain : examined in a series of letters Page: 20 of 58
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18
lpopert# justifies the expense; and I do not hesitate to say, that in
its ifncrease consists much of our' wealtht." I stop not to comment
on this extract froni the speech of the honourable member, it
speaks for itself, but pass on to the speecll of Mr. FAULKNER, another
honourable member of the same legislature, from which I
make the following extract:--"Mr. GIIOLSON," says this gentleman,
" has laboured to show that the abolition of slavery, were
it practicable, would be impolitic; but as the drift of this argument
runs, your slaves constitute the entire wealth of the State,
all the productive capacity Virginia possesses. And, sir, as things
are, I believe he is correct. He says (and in this he is sustained
by the gentleman fiom Halifax, Mr. BRUCE) that the slaves constitute
the entire atrailable nealth of Eastern Virginia. Is it true,
that for 200 years the only increase in the wealth and resources of
Virginia has been a remnant of the natural increase of this miserable
race ? Can it be on this increase she places her sole dependence
? I liad always understood that indolence and extravagance
were the necessary concomitants of slavery; but, until I heard
tlese declarations, I had not fully conceived the horrible extent
of tils evil. These gentlemen state the fact, which the history
and present aspect of the commonwealth but too well sustain.
The gentleman's facts and arguments in support of his plea of impolicy,
to me, seem rather unhappy. To me, such a state of things
would itself be conclusive, at least, that something even as a measure
of policy, should be done. What, sir, have you lived two hundred
years without personal effort or productive industry, in extravagance
and indolence, sustained alone by the return from sales of
the increase of slaves, and retainiig 'nmerely such a number as your
now impl)orerished lands can sustain as stock, depending, too,
upon a most uncertain market? When that market is closed, as
in the nature of tlings it must be, what then will become of
this gentleman's hundred millions' worth of slaves, and their
annual product?" And well might Mr. FAULKNER say, " When
that market is closed, (alluding to Louisiana and other States,)
what will become of this gentleman's hundred millions' worth of
slaves, and the annual product ?" The key to the solution of this
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Scoble, John. Texas, its claims to be recognised as an independent power by Great Britain : examined in a series of letters, book, 1839; London. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6108/m1/20/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .