Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-03-14


rule oil criticIsm is sometimes eXtroniclv duilro, ii
ways convincing There is, no positive fault in the
speech, or compositions the upes are all preserved
lhere Is no fault 10 be found with it, but as TO IFS rem
eral effect, which is n want of effect a!;orether Sir
although give TO c subjects submitted TO the Senate
inc most patient consideration; though turn them
and return them over and again in my mind vot
whcn come to utter the results of that illumination
am compelled 10 do as an irrepuI,r-r,iIar
as partrzan officer than according 10 the ,epuI.r
art military; as an improvsatore--that believe is
tic name which the Italians give to those who sncaI
not without much previous thinking indeed, but with
OUT inc book, or even without Sir in respect to
'nese regular arguments, il has often struck me thai
!hcy resemble IN more regards than one the modern
invention OF Il chain hrdge--which provided tho ob,,
inents and fixtures perfectly strong and provided
'here is no defective link in the whole chain-are
amongst hc hnest and most useful specimens of human
ingenuity; but, sir when reverse the pronosition
when The abuttnonts not suicent-and there is ono
single link which is defective-onc is as ooed-as bad
rather as tousand-that one is fatal 10 the whole
structure, and souse down into the water comes the I'M
wary passenger, who trusts himself TO the trcacherous
ediIce. There artists indced-and some of t,n,,
not tar Oft either-who have the skill TO elaborate those
teccai regular arguments of induction with such ex-
quate finish as TO defy the eye, even the touch any
man awe; but while they puzzle and confound the IN
derstanding they can convince IL because hcv
lead us TO sucs nonstrous and igh conclusions that
no lar exercise OF that reasoning faculty which has
oeen given us by our Maker for guide, can bring
PAIN man to- Here is case, in which if it he not safe
10 reason by conclusions which perhaps is too much my
naoi; II Is quite safe 10 reason Jion conclusions
whenever any chain reasoning, however learned and
ingenious 1t may be- leads conclusions so rnontror
as TO offend the common sense Of mankind say tLat
although you may not be able detect in Which link of
the argument the defect is, yet you know, from the re-
suits 10 which II carries you, that il IS radically dcec
uNe-that there Is something somewhere about it, al
though neither your eve your toch can detect IT,
that renders ii radically defective and unworthy of t
and were called on for illustrations could rive
II, and would give it, in the opinion of the Supreme
Court III the of Colcns against the State of yrr
MIA.
Sir, know there are gentlemen not only from the
Northern, but from the Southern States who u.iux
'iiat tls unhappy qnestioufor such it is-of ncr,o
savcry-which the Constitution has vainy Attended
10 think, by not using the terin-shculd nevcY be
brought INTO public notice cspeciallyino that of
congress; and most especially, here. Sir with every
due respect for tie gentlemen who think so, differ
from them, toto ccco. Sir il is thing which cannot
be hid-it is not dry that you can cover with The
carpet, until the house tumblcs about YOUR earsyop
might as well try to hide volcano, in full operation
IL cannot bc s.id- i vonr face and must
ho treated sec1tTe't GfcTj it not be tempered
win by fuacks, who never The disease or the pa
ueht, all prescribe across tic Atlantic; it must be- ii
you WILL let alone; but this very principle of lcnn
1t alone, 1t IS that J have brought in my resolution
am Wiling to play what is called cLd7s play-Io me
alone and viii! let you alone; let my resolution alone
and wlI say nothing in support OF ii: for there is
want OF sense in saying any thing support OF rcso
uiion that nobody opposes Sir, will the Senate par
don my repeating the words of great man. which can
not be 100 otcn repeated? 4 small danger mcuacng
an Inesirabc object, is of more importance j, ;ic
cys OF wise that the greatest danger which can
possibly threaten an object of minor coasequonce-
The question before is, is this an object of ncsti.
ma5c consequence? do not put The question 10 you,
sir know what your answer will be. LFa-i7 what
Will be the answer of every husband father SON and
brother, throughout the Southern Sta tes know tat
on tins depends the honor of matron and maid
enof every nlatron wife or widow between the
Ohio and tic Gulf of Mexico; know ihat upon It de-
ponds the cs blood Of the little which arc lying
IN their cradles in happy ignorance of what IS passing
around the and not the white only for shall not
we zoo kill-shall not react the scenes which were
acted IN Guatemala, and elsewhere, except hope
with far different success for if with superoriy IN
point of numbers, well of intelligence and cou
rage, we should suffer ourselves be, as there van
quished-we Should deserve 10 have negroes for our
task masters, and for the husbands of our wives -
ms then is the inoshmable object which the gentle
man from Carolina views in the same light that ! do.
and that you do sir. and to Which every Southern
bosom responds chord, which, when touched, even
by the most delicate hand Ybrates TO The heart %
~ man i'll cur country. wish could maintain, with
truth, that it came within The other prediCament-na
1t was a small daugcrbut il is n great dangcrt is
danger that has increased, is increasing, and must be
d.lnished, ii nns come to lis regular catastrophe.
Mr. President, within the last thirty years or there
a6ou's-or have been contemporary with the facts
a total change has taken place in public opinion, i'm
Great Britatn--whch always acts possessing com
mon language and almost literature and laws in com
mon, she nUst and She ought act with great force
on us-and in certain other parts Of other countries,
which shall not now designate in reference This
question. There time, Sir. when the advocates
ioI The abolition Of the Slave Trade found almost
every bosom possessing common humanity, and
sense, friend. There some few, to be sure, old
veteran Swiss Of State who uphold n administrations
and all abuses and COrrupGOus, had gone more than
h"ce deep in corrnptionollowers perhaps Of Duudas,
follows Of old George Roewho still upheld that abo-
! minaiiOn. There few, indeed Of a very
different description. from my carly childhood, all
my feelings and instincts in opposition slavery
IN every shape 10 tic subugaon Of mans will to
that OF another and from tic time that read Clark
sons celebrated pamphlet. was, am afraid, mad
CIarksoD himself read myself into this madness
as have read myself into agricultural improve
ments; but, rs with these last worked myself mt Of
them, also worked myself ont Of It. At tic time
Sir, chat The abolition Of The Slave Trade made p
racy, and bad good right to make treason, If
Gic Constitution had no, already defined trcason-i3r
it is as much treason il is piracy-did say good
rgbt-I say you have the right-- has been settled
by practice here at least arcadyyou define irea-
son by awfor what is the Constitution, opposed the
established practice under IT., what IS the old version