Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-05-11
.NOIESjor Speech in The House Of Delegates
Of pirginid, prepared during TIE session Of

Speech in The House Of Delegates
Of pirginid, prepared during TIE session Of
1816-'17. ~
LIST. The right Of the legislature 70 call couveh-
ton den'ed.what 1T can do by law, it can do in no
other way, alledged preccdenis of l7T6 and 1888 do
not apply. LIST. Because in TITO we were i'm actu-
al revolt against the established government of the
empire; an overriding necessity existed aud
granting (what may well be qucstionc6) that the
convention exceeded their strict powers II VIVA, they
did was revolution, sanctioned by ;rn entire ac-
quiescencc the part of the people and consccra-
ted by time. Prescription the best possible title.
Who would go ba " t,riy odd years to rip up and
ability the tide estate which he had ne,crablv
X,o,co Tor that length Of time which had descen
ied to him frotS his father, and on which, he had
reared uumcroSHs and higaly respectable family I:
The patriots of that day established, the p,,son,
with haKers about their nccks' Had
their proposition failSs they would have paid the
forfeit of their lives. Men thus situated have no
time for intrigue A sense of the public danger
which alonescan justify such, experiment, chas-
tens the hearts of men. Thes dare not play false,
their condition is too awful tt body polite is pu
rified and prepared for the operat.on I'd. Because
the case OF lIS3 was a cheat practiscd upon the
public, whereby tho sense of large majority of the
state (nowever rcckoned) was cverruled The
sense OF Virginia. that question, to be gathered
from the temper of the subsequent aud succeeding
legislatures; as well as from the fact notorious at
ted to reject the federal constitution voted i'm ia
YOUR of it, and that whole districts of country for
d vast extent, were unanimous in their disapproba-
ton of the measure; whereas the g lcdcral' coun-
ties for the most paii, contained respectable tan
ti-federal" minority. The convention of 1888. no.
thing more than house of delegates sitting under
mex name, Ito evadc the check of the other branch
of the lcgislaturc) elected for the same municipal
divisions and corporations two for each eou,iy.
without reference to its size and Eom each city
and borough, by the sa,nef# freeio,ders, returned
b. the same siterib, GALL creatures of the established
law and con5titutiou) and consisting in great
measuse OF the same individual members who COM
posed under another mime. the house of delegates;
whereas, cohreiHiol presupposcs the resolution of
society INTO Its elementary parts, where all traces
ana landmarks, whether of counties, or of private
property, are ciaccd. Counties and boroughs and
roters, (whcthcr frectul,lors or cherwsc) and pro
perty (whcther real personally arc creatures of
tl,o-inattcrs strictly ecaroHtio,al among men.
lhcy are In allegiance among men i'll c0nrejfion
Inc tenure whereby we hold slaves (being as
mas been decided, contrary the spirit OF our go
vcfnmcnt, an anomaly i'll our law, which is ALWAYS
construed III favour OF bcrty) put in special leo
pardy. Spirit of emancipation gone abroad. This
time peculiarly unhappy. Convention witt, limit
ed powers soecism-er ri feI1nini, u b :urd. Who
shall nit the physical force of :tion but another
nation E! What can conttoul power but power p
Aiedsed case of omission in our constitutions on tho
subject OF change, not the result of oversight hut of
profound wisdo;a. Example of Lycurgus of Patrick
Henry, the founder of the commonwealth of Viryi
Ma, which anticipated the coufcderacy in declar,rr
independence. :" He had hut one ,amp ly which his
" feet were guided, and that was the lamp of xpeyi
ence. lie knew of no way of judging the future
I" but by the past" There spoke The genius Of
Burke the master spirit fitted 20 direct the storm of
popular indignation, as well as TO raise it, TSee
Nirts Life OF Henry. See mis- whole public life l.
Burke himself had rot a greater aJhorrcnce of alb
stract politics. Legislature possess the power or il
rs no where III the government. /, attempted like
all ether revolutionary movenlci $, loT in,puuitv I'M
on success The attempt high reasonable mistlc-
meauour,--if no punishment bc Trovile,! by law il
Is f!Sh tIine To make that provision. Suppose the
noverhad been ordered Into custody OF the SERGEANT
At arms Can an act which: purports to be the act
o! The legislature, bu: at the sne time con!esses IT.
self to be the act oft!le individual composing il dis
claiming the very author ty which it implies be
pleaded IN bar CT prosecution for conspiracy a.
gainst the government? Suppose minority of the
counties to act aud tho agents prosecuted, wba,
could DE offered i'll OF law in support of the
constitutionality OF the act? True causes of com,
pant. Not the ii'st time that avaricc and ambi-
ton assumed the garb of devotion TO the people.
why had not Catilinc Il bank-cilartcr TO offer
with a bonus 10 the Roman Senate, with branches
Tor tie great provinces of the republic /? Perhaps
the father Of his country might himself have been
tempted tn take few shares, and the severity of the
younger Cato relaxed at the discovery of this new
s;i'''adm 5sisunt seil7ti.S coysu,i;, mipht have
secitcd that whereas Lucius Catine,f Publius
Lcntulus Sura,t HuhIus Autronius,t Cornelius c.
tnPeus'2 PGbiius Servius Sylla III Lucirs Bestia,tt
'SuiatHs Currins't and "many more" Gccjtinr
Inc dispute whether thcy acted as a conyenrio,
OF as Legislature is not worth the CANDLE tits fit for
the Greeks Ill the time of the last Constantine or
peaagog"e5 for grown childrcn,-such distinction
wou OF, hardly become some old sergeant Grimsrib-
Ger of the court of Common Pleas
~ tfin many there was general {, ,ron,;..
caous admission Of all persons to poll: so il ,here
oceasionaly, now. None, however, but FREE arJ,jfe
mae c,f,scn' 81 of lamfH age could have been Ia,y-
iuliy pollcd. What distinction does natural r;oh,
h"ow between one adult and another; one twenty
eieVvi months, the other twenty years old :-I
10 say nothing Of other considerations
'7'ent dPpctens, SUI prcfttsusfio bad mo,,, n,r,
onnk) greedy oil other mems property prod,r,i .,
ms own-a mighty stickler for insolvep, I,,,so7I
ways promising his followers exemption froo, ,,,,
payment Of their debts 'o'" '''s
tsntalus--.t1 uDfortunatc nob1ema,. p,,o co,,,,,
ho' give an account ct public monies in his b,n4s
whereby ne acquired this glorious n r,,.,,,,o ., 49,.
OF the most ustJious race oftbc ~ o'c
''ahc. that IN these days would no, ba 80 hoo, ~.
SO hardly against HING His exit was sr;,,f1o
his character. was Su'''oie 10
+hufnhius-convicted of bribery IN the cons,,,ar
yeCuon himself being candidate-) "IIic consul
aes,5"algs, dcan5't" iHterrQgotus hge dnmnaf,4s
e@: NIB. He was pot elected
Cethegus-a gentleman turned Jacor;,. -. 49,
to-'he.nno man Of those days; fine N,oroyg5- mn
"'sJeI2e of'o stuck 10 his pariy as long as there
was a cnancc OF success. This unfortunate Gentle
man na' no opportunity ofdcscrting it in its advcrs-
ny. Failing into the hands of justice he, with hi,
Ifieh' Lent1Ias and some othcs choice spir
TONER. - ''e eNccu-
III? Sy'la corrected with tn cx-lista,o.
nephews and IT for presiLents or cashiers Of 49,.