Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-03-28
For the Phenir Gazette.
70 THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.


Fello,o Citizens:
You are just about to exercise your annual
right Of electing delegates to represent you IN
the Legislature of your State. Justice and a
due REGARD to YOUR own interests, would require
that Won should not be called on TO exercise
this important right until full opportunity
had been allowed YOU of examining the acts OF
those. to whom the powers of legislation were
conhded during the last year; but the law un-
fortunately requires, that the election OF one le-
pislsture should follow so Immediately on the
dissolution of another, that you are hurried into
the selection Of your representatives, before you
have had an opportunity of examining the
transactions Of the preceding session, OF ascer-
tanning how far your interests have been duly
attended TO, and Of determining the principles
which ought to regulate the choice you are a.
bout to make.
On the present occasion, however, the prom
ipent act Of the late Legislature, is one, OF so
slaring character, and must necessarily pro.
duce so powerful an effect on The interests OF
the State, thai YOU must have been unmlndiul
indeed of every thing that most deeply concerns
YOU, e your attention has not already been a.
Weakened, and your minds prepared for deter
mined action on a subject OF so much imPor-
lance.
The Congress Of the United States, ANNA
ted bv laudable desire to promote the best in
terests of the country, and acting on the pro-
found political maxim of Washington, "to
prepare in peace, for wars that are 10 come,
had appropriated $4,000 to making surveys OF
route, for such canals and roads, as might be
necessary TO promote commerce between the
states, 10 facilitate and expedite the regular
transmission of the mail, and to furnish future
means for the cheap aud efficient defence OF the
country. In disbursing this appropriation, 1t
happened, very fortunately for Virginia, that
the very roads and Canals that were most I'M
portant for the general interests OF the country,
were to pass either within the limits or along
the borders of her territory; and that whatever
benefits were TO accrue to the nation at large
from the execution Of these works, could not
fail to come with accumulated force on her own
citizens.
1t might have been expected that under these
circumstances, wise and 6enehcen: legislature
animated bv spirit OF enlarged patrlotlsm'
and looking TO the interests and wishes OF us
immediate constituents, could not nave iai'ea
to view with sentiments OF appreciation, an APP
preparation, pregnant with such SmPortah'
benefits to those, whose destmeS had oeeh CON
6ded 10 its care-it might, al all events, have
IL.
have ATTEMPTED, in the spirit of facti1us and
nndiscrimina,inp opposition, 10 exclude its own
c;,;zers alone, from the benefits of system,
which il had already been determined should
no extended 70 every portion Of the country.
Ru, What was the fact? At the very moment
when Congress was about TO vote 81 $4,000 to
The completion of the Dismal Swamp Canal on
che southern borders Of Virginia, and while IN
yes,iyations were in progress, preparatory TO
Get more liberal appropriations Tor uniting the
waters Of the Potomac and the Ohio by canal,
and for connecting Washington with New-Or
leans by national road, the legislature o. pUgn-
IN ,leIbernteIu charges the Government Of the coan-
,r, ,,th usurpation, and denies ITS right not only
~ srsete N, tcorks in question, bit eUen TO aPpro-
,ote its funds TO aid its o,0n citizens IN erecting
Ibe,niu But this is not alive are deprved'oi
even the melancholy consolation Oh tracing
thes, mischievous resolutions to the nlggardiy
.rd selfish votes of those, whose constituents
had no immediate interest," in the question: NOR
folk and its neighboring counties uhi'ea III Tue
effort to arrest a work essential TO tneir sai'@
,;on Delegates from the banks OF the Po'o-
,,,r subscribed the unholy test OF the klch.
,,,ond ;nn,a The borders of the Shenandoah
echoed its factious and disorganizlng voice.
And along the whole line OF the contemplated
A
road to New Orleans, scarcely hand was rais-
ed 10 save us from the threatened evils oil ieSiS-
lative interference. Our representatives were
either ''crafty sick at home" or attended I'D
their places, only to swell the number oil our
foes. -,
Fellow citizens! are representatives like
these worthy of your confidence? Do they
sneak YOUR sentiments? Or do they maintain
YOUR interests? Surprising the principles they
have avowed to be substantially correct-Sup-
nosing that that government, which is especl-
allv and exclusively authorised "to lay and col
Lee, taxes, duties and imposts, to pay the debts
ana nrovide for the common defence and gene
raj welfare of the union can apply its revenue
to none of the objects for which il is raised
s,nposing thar its powers over the post-ofhce
dspartment, the internal commerce. aud the
whole military operations Of The governm"n''
mnst be left. in the true spirit OF Richmond To-
sic. dependent on the pleasure oil States, DIS
nosed to ,hwart or even to prevent tnelr eAei-
eiseNis it wise, is i, prudent for Virginia TO
set herself in opposition to the amos, he xerv
voice Of the nation, and that too, at Inc Nsi'