Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-18
RICHMOND. JANUARY IL is30 :
FOR the ENQUIRER.
MISSOURI QUESTION. .No.7.
EXpEDtESCE -rcoSCIuDrnI

practlcdiy cruel and Inconsistent, bun ii
Is impolillc and unjust. The territories
oil HE u. States are public property.
The sale of the land composing them,
constitutes great and productive fund
torihe public use. To adopt regnlaiian,
by which Tie southern people Will be de
ierred, from purchasing, will be injurious
10 lie national revenue. Ii cuts off al
once great proportion Of lbe bidders,
aud those too who from proximity of
situation. would be mos; likely TO pur
chase. Men with families, fathers who
wish 10 provi lie Tor their children, will be
shut oni from This common property,
unless they can reconcile il 10 their feel
ings and their habits, Ia sell their slaves
| and thus dispense with the service To-
which they have been accustomed, or 10
sand their children Ia thr west and be
separated from them forever
Ii is ungenerous also. Ii has no mark
| or stamp of that feeling which induced
HE southern country 10 cede It's vacant
territory To the U. States. The cession
OF Virginia alone covers the ground now
occupied by three rising states; or The
greater part OF that ground. This Ces-
| SOB MAS All act, ia times like these MAY
he permitted TO say, il was an ac; OF mag
nanimiiy and public spirit, which gives
10 Virginia claim, high claim 10 con-
sldcration and respect. Suppose that
Virginia had fixed her capiio! on the
banks Of the Ohio, and asserted her right
| TO the absolute dominion, of all the terri
tory within her chartered limits. Suppose
but II Is needless TO suppose. She did
not 10 80. She yielded generously, per-
llaps wisely 10 the fears and TO The Islies,
OF her sister states, and gave up, for the
"A.
For this magnificent donation, what has
been the return The people of the United
States will be aStoUis!Ied and mortified
yes, know them too well 10 doubt lnai
they ciH be astonislIed aud mortified 10
hear that condition, on which the ces-
sion Was made, and which was expressly
acceded 10, by The old Congress, has not
been fulfilled, because committee in
iranscribIng the condition, which was the
NTH, inadvertently omitted the words
anu upon Their own state establishment
The officers and soldiers of the Virginia
line OH the state establishment, "possess
ing the same high claim, TO the grail
tude OF their country, and 10 compensa-
ton for their services, which has been
so Justly admitted as TO the officers and
:" soldiers OF the Virginia line on conii-
mental establishment, have by this over
sight III many INSTANCES lost the benz II
which The General Assembly of Virginia
intended 10 bestow, and which il was
their duty then aud what il is no less
the duty of this Assembly now TO Sc
cure for them by every effort in their
power Alas their efforts hitherto
have been pOwerless
What IL The return meant TO be made
now. TO The whole southern country, for
10 L..
have been made for the benefit of The I'm
in; not only for The cessons, but for the
brmncss and fidelity maintained in rela-
ton 10 The Mississippi: without which the
c"ssion from Virginia would have been
OF little value: and for that iibersily
which gave 10 this cessioh, aud was in
tended to give to II peculiar value, i'll
The estimation OF our brethren OF ihe
North and of the East 2
The foregoing interrogation leads di,
rcciiy TO a part OF OHr national history
which is very little known, but which
ought TO be fully known. Ii has direct
bearing on The subject before us. No per
sou could give this history better than
MIR. King, because he was member OF
the old Congress, during part OF the time
al least in which The question about The
surrender of the navigation OF the Mssis-
sippl, was so much and so anxiously dis
cussrd. Ii is true thai the seal OF secrecy
was stamped upon The negotiation: but
Tie seal is broken by Tie dissolution OF
The old government and there can be no
objection now t0 full and complete dis
closure OF all tue circumstances, Of that
Singular goiiaiion, if one could be found
willing, among the many, who are com
petemi 10 make If.
l.. 4. II
Henry, who, had discovered or suspected
disposition on the part OF the n. and
+. states To surrender the Mississippi 10
Spain, or the right Of navigation for %
or 30 years which he conceived 10 be
nearly he same thing, demanded lmror-
NATION from the members of The conven-
ton who had been members Of Congress
during The negotiation. The old govern
nIent being still in existence, aud the a
dOpiion of the new one being yet not alb
sDlutely certain, there was a manifest re-
pugnauce on The part OF these members,
10 make any disclosure. But Mr.. Henry
had inireDched himself Oh the banks Of
The Mississippi, and IL was impossible TO
pass without coming TO and giving some
explanation. Mr.. Madison, believe,
began, and he was followed by others and
particularly by Col. GraysOn, who has
been recently so much eulogized in Con
gross, for views and sentiments, TO which
he was probably All entire stranger. lie
deserved praise, u is true; high praise;
ha was a man of honor, of firmness.
and abilities: but he did mol deserve, and
would not have desired TO deserve tie
praise bestowed upon him.
Notwithstanding " the helicscy and
prudence" which it was said ought TO
regulate The measure Of information COM
municated 10 thc conveniiom--on This in
iereslng topic, enough was finally Oh