o abolish slavery. The Convention of 1829-30, therefore,
settled nothing. A compromise was effected on the question of
re-apportionment of representation; a constitutional provision set
forth a program of future apportionments; but the permanent settlement
of this and other important questions was left for the Convention of
1850.

The Assembly of 1831-32 was the scene of an intense debate on the
issue of slavery. Because of a turn of events, a more definite
cleavage had come between the east and the west. The domestic slave
trade, improved methods of agriculture, internal improvements, better
means of communication, the consequent increase of capital which
helped to restore the impoverished lands and to bring into use the
uncultivated areas of the east, brought about in that section a marked
revival of interest in the economic possibilities of slavery.[15] The
west took a step in the opposite direction.

It must be remembered, however, that there were but few abolitionists
of the extreme type in the western sections of Virginia. The
responsible leaders in this movement against slavery were not
concerned with any moral or religious theories on the subject, but
rather, were acting because of their conviction that slavery was an
economic evil. These men saw that the States to the north and west of
them had outstripped them in the race for material prosperity. They
saw, too, the gradual but unrelenting impoverishment of the east. They
concluded, therefore, that their lack of prosperity was due to their
proximity to the slave-holding section of the State. The belief became
current that the natural resources of the west would attract capital
and population, if the objectional slaves were removed. In
consequence, therefore, they favored a gradual emancipation and
deportation of the slaves.[16]

Numerous petitions, memorials and resolutions found their way to the
Assembly. These may be divided into three classes: (1) those asking
for the removal of free Negroes from the State; (2) those seeking to
amend the Federal Constitution with a view to giving Congress power to
appropriate money with which to purchase slaves and transport them and
the free Negroes from the United States; and (3) those urging the
State to devise some scheme for gradual emancipation.[17] The first
class of petitions came principally from the large slave-holding
sections of the State; the second and third classes came from those
sections of the State in