Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/359

Rh and moral and intellectual culture, in comparison with the former, has begun to open the eyes of the people, and during the last few years a new life has shown itself through industrial undertakings, which were formerly despised as mean and unnecessary. Railways are beginning to be laid down, means of communication are required, and a more vigorous life is beginning to circulate in the material region of the state; and there is no fear of its stagnating.

The convention which is now sitting at Richmond finds it has to deal with new difficulties, based on the institution of slavery. Eastern and Western Virginia are at this moment in open feud on the subject of voting at the elections. Eastern Virginia is possessed of plantations and slaves, and will, according to accepted usage, vote by its slaves, three slaves being considered equivalent to one free man. Western Virginia, which is hilly country, has no plantations, and very few slaves, and therefore opposes the right of Eastern Virginia to strengthen herself by the votes of her slaves. She has, therefore, sent to the convention a powerful champion in a Mr. Weise, who, like a new Nimrod, has come forth from the forests in full hunter habiliments, and deals his blows around him with mighty hunter spirit, speaking in this style:—

“What, you will let the voices of your slaves weigh against ours in elections? You have forgotten that you have declared the negro-slave to have no soul. Come, don't contradict me! I tell you that you have declared that hundreds of times by your laws, by your customs, and by your statutes. Answer me, come forth and contradict me, if you can! Have you not bought and sold them like brute beasts? Have you not forbidden that they shall be educated; forbidden them to feel, to think, to speak like rational beings? I will give any one a hundred dollars who will prove me wrong. But it is much better that you keep your mouths shut and say nothing. It is