Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-03
ain hopes IF contradiction, on roaIA sag,
.sysfkir,ks 1 Took so tprefchediy TO day.v

.slsttinks, i ,ook so ,vretchediy to day., /
But really, he was compelled to make an apology
on the p esent occasion. When he rose to address
an assembly composed of such iustrous patriarchs,
saces aud poiticians--wien he considered their
pcrior uge, experience and at anmens; and that he
was not only little experienced, but without expert
eace i'm such addresses, he about to make,
he could not but feel embarrassed and inundated
But this embarr assment arose most of all from the
fears which he entertained that he might not be
able to do Justice to the cause, which and
conscience had compelled MIN to espouse. Nay, he
knew that he could not do it Justice, and he sincere
" said that he did not expect to meet the eXpecta-
ton Of its friends. But he compelled to con
trbut his mite. and well he assured that it would
be very small contribution, indeed.
He man, and as such, he could not but feel
iii crested in every thing which concerned the pros
perity and happiness of man. He felt himself one of
the race, and when he considered ITS origin and dsti
nv he much to interest hun, he could not but
feel deep interest In every thing connected with
the happiness of his species. He was not, he beg
ged til. Convention to believe hun, under the inHu-
cnce of diSinc' or local feelings In all matters to
be discussed here lie a VIrginan. He iclt him
self inspired with that spirit which regarded the in
teress OF every man, slav -hoier non
in the State. II he lived III Nor hampton he would
advocate the game principles which he now did In
coming from Brooke. II was principles, which
brought him herc-prirciplcs which reason observa-
ton and experience had convinced him were insep-
arablv connected with the interests of men-and of
the State of Virginia. And, they were principles,
which not tn be sacrificed. He knew that To-
ca inter, SITS and district feelings could only weld to
principles. Animosities and contentious must arise
between rival interests unless fellow citizens are de-
termincd TO be governed by principles. Too often
it happens from clashing interests that
"LnndS hi'crsectcd by Rn,-a,r firth,
yl ii e@cn ot.er; n;orn"i,s nterPosfd,
''Ltke kindred drops bern ntiaetert into ONE
But we are entirely out at in this debate. we
set sail bout compass. or rudder or pilot So any-
ious We're some gentlemen here to put to sea- that
when we called for the compass and the pilot they
eXca'm"d-never mini-,e will get the Compass
and pilot when we get to port. We are now a
thousand miles from iand-Centrmcn are maxine
hne speeches on the element of the ocean, and now
and then upon the art Of smiling. 1t Will be well
if the
Rari nantes gurgjsc rnsto
apply not to US. He on the contrary waited 10 take
the pilot the compass aud the ruddrr aboard-but
~ thc good old inconIc style, the gentleman from
Augusta, eXelaImed-'wrlte the preface aft err Won
have written the book" Yes, we shall learn inc
language before we learn the grammer-we shall
demonstrate all the propositions in Enclid and then
learn the ar'onat1 and The postutata-we must build
the house ond lay the founda'ion-we must heal the
constitution and then feel the pulse He was sor
ry that we did not first establish the principles or
at least agree upon all the principles on Which the
frame OF government shall be based, before we nj
temp ed 10 form the constitution.
lie saw that no reasonable bounds could be fynd
10 ths discussion Every gentleman here has to fell
us ms own principles, oppose those of others
And more than the half of every speech vef nronorn
mas been IN defence of mere distractions as some
gentlemen would call them For his part ho meyer
could reason without some principles to reason from
nor W!thou some point to reason to. The Bill OF
Fights OF 76 has, it is true been declared sound o
trine, bur the gentlemen seem to me to he confirm
ally oppngning it Call him orthodox or cali him
hcter"dox he confessed he believed tina, in the SO;
e''e "i PoHicS, there arc, as IN al other Scien-
ces certain fundamental principles, as true and nm
cnangeaoie as any of the fundamental prjnciples
OF physics and morals. 1t is Just as true that 70
Vernmen, ought to be instituted for the benefit of the
that, ,t,ol>
that strait line Is the shortest possible distant be-
tween any two given points.
lie had intended to examine in detail the aror-
mehtS ohefed by gentlemen in favor OF the amend
meht, not as II the arguments had not been nj eady
retuted If may be allowed the expression b1, ,h.,
gentlemen who have preceded me on tho s;is NJ 49,
question espouSe. But he had found such Sim;
iarity OF argument used by the very eloc,on, l. ~
.1t the basis OF wealth and population that he had
tins morning abandoned the idea of oGing int ..
ory details. 1t would still be necessary for him "a
pay some attention to some minor matters which IN
his Judgment, involved some important nrinc;,In
the more especially as the public mind u,jtJ L
der every thing offered here as of some imnorton
L MS community would be much indebted to the o,er,.
Yemen ~ VINO mad been at so much pains TO furnish
all the deliberations of this Convon,;o, I, , !,
furnish much information necessarv r. -. "o','u
pubic mlnd, to Judge of the merits oftbn Cons,;.'
tuition which we are to submit TO them hI,L,
lie was not capable of throwing much. if anv III,
upon these subjects, he could not hut ro;o H. s'
much would he elected and that tho prbI;c h,I 90
contemporaries and posterity, would be ablo 70 H.
ciGc upon the wisdom and utility of fro NC
schemes advocated In this assembly Your nosto.;
ty would be able to applaud or censure rba y;o,ra
presented and the course pursued by the advocates
of the respective pr9jets. '"'eS
The remarks which he was going to of;,r mould
he SAID, tend to establish four important items.
LIST. That the principles of the friends of tra
amendment were based upon views of society which
were unphilosophic and anti-republican.
3D. That the basis of representation v,bi, 49,.
advocate Is the common basis of uristocratcal and
monarchical governments. anu
3D. That 1t cannot be made paIateable to q roa;o.
TIty Of the present freehoders of VIRGINIA
attn. That tho white population basis VIM onont
TO the advantage of the whole State
he could wish that his sole object then vos ~
fortify and illustrate these POSITIONS but with re
terence TO the matter before him, he could only ar
tempt this incidentally His province was rafbc ~
follow those IN the affirmative, or who plead the no.
Icy OF the amendment, fhnn TO rrn intn ~,