Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-11
TO THE DDITOR

washington, January 6.
We are progressing slowly with bust.
ness OF minor importance. From Mon
day next, we expect the Missouri Ques
ton will occupy our attention. Ii seems
10 excite more attention than aDy other
that has been brought 10 The view of
Congress. ] am unable 10 form proba
bile conjecture, how the vote of the House
OF Representatives will stand; those Who
nave longer acquaintance here than ]
have, think the ma oriiy will be very
small, without pretending TO know or
which side OF the question ii will iall.-
My own impression is, that small ma.
lorI,y Viii be on the side OF the East but
tins impression Is formed more from the
sectional residence OF The members than
from having heard ans expression of their
opinions on THIS momentous question.
In the Senate, ! am told, a majority
VIII be opposed 10 any restriction on the
people OF Missouri IN forming their state
constitution and that the bills for admit
ling Maine aud Missouri, will be incoypo.
rated into one. Thus The members irum
Maine VIII have 10 vote against the inter
es's OF their own state. and the rights of
Missouri, together, or in the same breath
Ia voie ior both"
We have seen another letter from WASH
principles 81 '9S-'99 begin TO come mmchin
fashion Economy is The watch word IN
Congress and If Congress can get safely
through the accused Missouri question,
our gloom will begin to dissipaic. Our
foreign relations remain an Statu quo
Every thing is absorbed in the Missouri
II Is great struggle. II we lose il, We
! may prepare 10 take up the cross. You
at distance have no conception Of the
deep solIcilude il awakeDs here" ("Ru-
| nIors'atcs that Gen. Jackson has sent on a
long Memorial')
| We can easily conceive of the soliciiude
which prevails al Washington. W. see
II here ; we hear of II from all quarters Of
Virginia. We regard this question with
awful sensations. W. regard il as aimlpg
fatal stab al tie constitution et our
| country. IL IT succeed, we know not
what may come nexi.-Bm LEI what will
cone, to-day or tomorrow, Virginia will
| do her duty.
| History fdLsifed.-An article is running
| the round OF The Eastern prints with this
caption:
OLD Opinions on Slare,y
| Thirty years age, when The Constitution
| was under consideration in the Virginia Con
venjIOm, one of the objections 60 il was that II
| did not forthwith aud totally abrOgate the
| slave trade aud all supposed ii fixed that
| slavery Was never to he extended beyond the
| old Sidles."
Now a part of this is true the oHly
part which bears on The Missouri ques-
ron, Is totally false. Mr.. Geo. Mason
aud Mr.. Tyler did object to the clause
brcausr II permitted the STATES 10 carry
ON Tie SiaCe TRUE ~ years longer. ~ ihat
very moment Virginia had prohibited the
irade and there was not Il man in tie
convention VINO did mol abhor ill.,.
SO much for tie sentiment Of abused Vir
gina ON hdt point But MIR. Madison
gave as a reason Tor this clause, that s
Carolina aud Georgia would uut have
entered INTO The UpiOn Of America, with
out the temporary permission al ihsr
trade"
A. TO the other idea, that slavery wa,
never TO he extended beyond The ole
staies," ! deiy all the Eastern men, will
Mr. Walsh al their head, g. ciiesone sin
gle lola ci proc from the debates Of w,
Virginia Convention. There is mol soil
tary syllable 10 counieDance the assertion
and the man WHO refers 10 the Debate
knew 10.
II is a pity that this prying investigate
Of " Mid opinions had mol dipped = litti
deeper IUto these Debates. lie nigh
Iave found out some clues 10 some %
tie opinions al least OF the present ia 5
The z eastern states we're for closing Il.
Tor 25 years the navigation nj tie MissIs
/ ! sippi river putting IN fact into The hand