Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-22
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.
REFLECTIONS

HONORABLE EPTLLL9.W II. GILES
a Senator in the Congress ofhe United
States, from The state Of Virginia.
| No. II.
! have said that few men in the United States,
have higher claims upon their country than Mr..
Giles, and IN support ofths sentiment, Il becomes
me TO Offer the reasons which have operated on
my mind, and which have conducted my jude-
ment to s'ich CONCLUSION
| understand that he who IS considered by the
people OF any country, as entertaining. correct
principles ofgovernnent, who has been peculiar
| " gi6ed with t;snts 90 sustain those pr.nc.ples
and who has emp %, CT boil his PRINCIPLES and his
( ta ents IN vindcatiNg the honor and the interest
OF his country, for more than twenty wears during
which time the prime ot his life has been consum
eu, may justly be Sad 20 have high claims upon
that co';ntry; and If he Shall have made Or eat
Personal sac fees, whilst he has been thus rei,-
der ng nat .onal Sc wees, his claims become more
strong, at least in the estimation of ber:i and
generous miadS. Assuming these grounds as
true, It seems 20 he only necessary To ex-
ANNE INTO tiie political life of Mr. Giles then to
| apply these prime pies, and he whose mind Will
stiii resist CONVICTION, fear, labours under the
MISFORTUNE OF beng unable to unshackle himself
from That prejudice, which never fails 10 dull the
most acute unders aiding, and TO intercept the
Keenest VISION do not mean to rest tie first
| proposition which have laid down, upon the as
sertion which have Just made, i. would be un-
TAR to do so, and surely have no need of such
Shiit, when think my pen carries demonstration
on ITS Pont nor shall attempt TO bring into view
every act OF Mr.. Giles, from the time he was IN
troduced upon the political stage I shall content
myself with shew.rg his more substantial deeds,
leaving to Others, the generous task of ouer-
''okfns t'cse. and Searching after little things.
win which to overtum all the brilliant deeds of
his life.
70 speak of Mr.. Giles before he arrived At
manhood, mav be urine cessarv, vet it may be pro-
per to cemark, that he had ece.ved al the Colleges
lot William and MARY, and Princeton, the best
educat on VIII oh could be engraft ed upon 4 pe
Mus, 20 vhch nature had g ven an unusual share
OF trtity md hav!ag turned his attention TO the
Study Of he Law, he appeared a, the bar, about
lie tine of The adoption of the Federal Const tn
ton. Itis then, for the first tine, that the public
eve is turned upon him, and wherever he was
seen, his genius and his talents shone conspicu-
ouslyin every crowd.
| With such m nd, Mr. Giles could not fail IN
being ranked with the ;blest advocates fins day;
| he was so, and Inc soon found spread before him,
the y chest harvests, VIII CHI he was daily gather
ing, almostw thout interrupt on. Distinguished
as he was for his alb lties, the lovers Of iees gov
eminent looked upon him with delight and soon
| pointed him out the champion of republican
prncples, and accordingly he was tax en- from the
most lucrative pr; cuce which any man had m his
day, ard elected member of the house of repre-.
sGnt2tives in the Congress of the q. States. for
tie district in which he resided
| Thus began the political life ofthis gentleman
| nus did he sacrifice the finest prospects of ac
curing wealth, and generously gave his ,alent,
| 10 his country. Hewas HOW, rot only the favor,
tie of his district, but the republicans ever,
where, claimed him as their own. The distin
pushed ground which he occupied in Congress-
until tie year 1913, need not here be pointed ON
byme, it IS to be found in the records ofour conn
| Try, and the stand which he made at that finn.
| sganst federal doctrines, wilt he remembered \,
ong as free government shall be deemed yaIua
| be ny man ard now we have reached n period
which forms new epoch in the American His
DRY.
The American people ha:ing eniovcd about ter
| years rePo c, after the adoption OF the constitu
ton, { he discipline Of VIII oh had highly nlamef
the public mnd) were Just recovering from IN,
shock VIII oh The nation had snsta ned by the re
ivolUtion, when that spirit which has s,nce ra,,,,
ed INTO party, the fruit of which has been {,
bitter; made its first bold appearance, and threaf
ene't to sweep away that liberty VIII Oh had beer
so lately gained by the blood and treasure ofou,
country. The party now known bv the name q
tederaiis's were IN power, and forrT ing n M, ior:
" OF the Congress- they seemed 10 re gard the con
sptulOh III no DINER way, Than as ing necessor,
TO organize body for the purpose of pass;ne
laws, which body, when organized, boJ n r;a5
10 pass any ld1O they pleased, looking down WI
'Sovei eiSn contempt, on the sacred cbarter q
our rights and, AIDED by the then pr4s;dent ~
the u 5. Who never placed his 7efo upon anv q
Their strong acts, every one seemed to threat o.
our We. bleeding country, with rev str,,,rr,le
and that OF the most aarmup character In,
the passage ofthe alien 8. sedt ON laws (,Iee,s -
J deep remembrance TO America il was found tba1
the minority in Congress, could render but lttI,
service to the cause offreedom, if they renainef
IN that body, and therefore many of the most dc
I tinSushed members of that minority. (amopo.et
whom were Mr.. G les and Mr. Maison ! resolys,
to abandon the high and distinguished station
I with which they had been invested bv the voic,
OF The people, and to ask for the more Lumbl,
i oirth or seat in the State Legislature. cboos,
TO couple Inc names of these gentlemen here
i because ~ the progress Of my reflections I shat
have occasion 10 speak Of them somewhat as
Il contrast, and not ss a parellcl We find. Mr.
j tiles and Mr. Madison at this time, acting fore
ther, upon the some great principles, united II
hearts and IN sentiments. They took their seats IF
the Legislature OF Virginia in order that their n
tents might be brought into full action. for IN,
purpose OF indicating the constitution arains
the vital stabs which had been levelled AT Il h,
the then majority IN Congress and how far tbryy
succeeded IN this noble object, will be seen by
looking into the history Of those times. The bold
, acts OF the Virginia Legislature, during The SEES
SION OF 1899, produced in great measure. h,
the talents and the paff of ,en of tI,,ec t,--