ontrolled by severe laws,
endeavored to restrict the effort to the removal of the free people of
color. Certain citizens of Hanover desired to lay a tax on slaves and
free Negroes to raise funds to deport them all.[32] The unfortunate
development, however, was that no one knew exactly what he wanted, no
one came to the legislature with a well-matured plan to remedy the
evils, and every man seemed to be governed in his action by his local
interests rather than those of the commonwealth.

The Preston amendment was, after an exciting discussion, finally
defeated on the 25th of January by a vote of 58 to 73. Thereupon on
motion of Mr. Archibald Bryce, of Goochland County, the legislature
amended the report of the select committee by inserting the following:
"Profoundly sensible of the great evils arising from the condition of
the colored population of this commonwealth induced by humanity, as
well as by policy to an immediate effort for the removal in the first
place, as well of those who are now free, as of such as may hereafter
become free: believing that this effort, while it is in just
accordance with the sentiment of the community on the subject, will
absorb all our present means, and that a further action for the
removal of the slaves should await a more definite development of
public opinion.[33]

This resolution aptly describes the situation resulting after the
prolonged discussion. A majority of the members believed that slavery
was an evil, but no one was willing to pay the cost of exterminating
it. It was easily shown that because of unprofitable slave labor the
commonwealth was lagging behind the free States and that the free
labor essential to the rebuilding of the waste places in the State
would never come to the commonwealth as long as there would be
competition with slave labor. It was soon apparent, however, that a
State with such a diversity of interests, one-half slave and one-half
free could not legislate on slavery. This compromising resolution of
procrastination, therefore, was adopted as the best Virginia could
under the circumstances be induced to do for the extermination[34] of
its worst evil.

The debate proved to be valuable to the abolitionists. In the course
of his remarks Mr. Brodnax declared that the confidence of the people
seemed to be gone. "Under such circumstances life becomes a burthen
and it is better to seek a home in some distant realm and leave the
graves of our fathers than endu