Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-12-30


fax mi Ell the Committee he protested with great
nestness against opinions rotating to the Federal Ga
erumeut or its administration being introduced here.
Sir the gentleman is too great lawyer not to know
In, the FEDERAL Government is our Government:
is the Government of yirginia:-and if man were
disposed to shut his eyes TO the and the
administration of the Federal Government, he could
not do they would be forced open, sir, by the in
terests, aud feelings, ave. e. the passions too, which
have existed, dc exist, and will continue exist
long as Virginia herself shall have existence.
/ Ii is not the least of my regrets that OF the
most inevitable consequences of these changes, If
they shall take effect will be totally 20 change all the
politics of Virginia in reference to the Federal govern
Neutrality-suspicious. considering the hands in which il
may happonto be piaced and do confidently believe
that the reates, of them is be found in the
hope OF pr oducing that oil desired change. In many
cases know it to exist, of my own personal know
ledge.
ment.
When in 1913, the Convention ofVirsinia adop; cd
the Federal Government part of her ConStitu-
ton, they effected greater change III our Consti;u-
ton than the widest roforner suggests us: to
estimate the amount of that change must have
reference TO her Interests and power n that day: If
not we may cal! ourselves statesmen, but the world
will apply to us very different cpilhet. Among
innumerabc causes why Inow oppose change, is my
full recollection ofhe change which then brought
about. have by experience learned that changes,
even IN the ordinary law of The land, do not always
operate as the drawer OF the b! the Legislative
body may have anticipated and Of all things in the
world Governments whether ready made, TO suit
casual customers made per order, is the very lbs,
that operates as Its trainers intended Governments
are ike reyolG;ions you may put them in notion but
DEFY you TO control hem af(er they are in motion.
Sir, If there is any one thing clearer than auoiher,
II Is thai the Federal COsit intended that the
state Government should issue no paper money; and
by giving the Federal Government power 10 coin
money 1t was attended 10 ensure tie result thai
this should be hard money Govcrnneat-ai.d what
Is IT. IL Is paper money Government. Ii this D.
he result III spite of ali precautions to the contrary
l-lSlr s is no time, the late llusrious Presden,
OF The Court Of Appeals vas won't to say 70 mince
woEds,) aud these governments iRge turned out 10
DC Two most corrupt paper lncy Governments and
you eouid not prevent n,-how can We expect; now,
TO define anu limit the operation OF new aud un.ried
principles! For new and untried they arc and lc
God lends me strength VIII PROVE i.
have very high au,hority--the authority of the
gentleman from Augustsr-to SAY That ti.e Federal
Government ives niendea 10 be charged ONLY with
The extetnel relations Of the earntr but bv strange
Transformation, it has become The regulator (abs1
donIug the Colonial trade by negligence or ncapaci-
ty, or both, and Gripping all other trade0 il has
become the regulator OF the interior of the country;
Its roads, ats canals and MORE than all of It's po-
duclve, or rather It's unproductive labor for they
have made l. SOL -
Yet with these facts staring us in the face we are
grave told not to look at the Federal Government
ut all. And this, in the Government of Virrir;a
where to use very homey phrase, but one that
exactly suits thu case, we can't take a step without
Sir, can readily see very strong motive for wish
ing TO do away all past distinctions IN politics To
obhterdte the memory of old as well as of recent
events, and once more to come with something like
equal chances into the political lottery.
Lc. me return to my illus, ration. What provis
ION is there, Mr. Chairman, either in the Constitu
ton OF Virginia CT ;ic Constitution % the United
States which established II as priuc:nIc 49, ,Lc
Commonwealth of Virginia should be the solo re-
straining and regulating power on the mad and I'M
constitutional usurpntOn of the Federal Government,
There - no such provision in either:-yet in prac
tce and ia fact, the Commonwealth of Virrin;a ~
been, TO my certain knowledge for more than fbrtv
years, the sole counterpose and check on tho
usurPations Of the Federal governmcnt,-so far as
they have been checked at all; wish they had been
checked more efectually.
For long time, our brethren or the South bs
cause we were The frontier State of the preat Son
thern division of the Union were dead to cons;dera
tons to winch they have, | fear, awaked too late:
Virginia was lett alone and unsupported unless nv
the feeble aid of her distant offspring Kentucky II
Is because am unwilling to give up this check or
TO diminish its force, that am unwilling to pull down
the edhce OF our state government from the garrett
20 the cellar, aye Gown 20 the foundation stone will
not put in hazard this sGgle good, for all the benefits
the waTB,est advocate Of reform can hope TO derive
! fFom tho results OF this body.
/ TIC gentleman from Augusta Id us, Yesterday
believe, or the day before, or tie day be-
fore that, Il really do not remember which
that slaves have always been q subject oi
taxation IN Virginia, and that a long while
regard
these horned cattle, think they have occupied fiI
&c much attention 40 they entitled to in this de-
bate. But let It be remembered that VIC were tier
not taxing the cattle ofthe West, for there was no
r. West, but few scstercd settlements beyond the
mountain; and what we have been discussing was Tho
proportion Of taxes paid by the East and the West
No sooner interest in this subject established
beyond the mountains, than tho tax was laid aside
At that time, cir, the Commonwealth of virginia
was throughout slayeholdng Commonwealth
would TO God she were so now.) And is il then
50 wonderful that slaves should have been subject
r. Oh tazatoR Yes, SIR; Virginia was then not only
throughout siayehoding, but tobacco planting
Commonwealth. You can't open the statute hook
\ II mean ono Of tire old statute books not those
That have been deiaccd by the finger ofref0rih-snd
not see that tobacco was, in fact, the currency nd
Wei az the staple ofthe state. We paid our clerks
Tees IN tobacco vordcts were given in tobacco; and
bonds were executed payable in tobacco. That ac.
GcaBs ior IL si.. While large portion ofthe stats
has ceasedto be slave holding, 81 a still larger por.
ton has ceased TO be Tobacco planting community the
burden has rested on the necks Of comparaiiyol,,
EMAIL unhappy, and will say ii, prescribed caey,