Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-21

the campaigns he has made, In defence Of an
constitution, and thocsh have not emulaf =,
these ailanIry or prowess OF my leader, he Wi
bear me witness tina have been faithful
sold Ter aud that never laid down ~, arm
I'LL the victory was fairly won from us. IL wa,
mol ~ decided majority of the freehoider
had desired the call ola Convention that m,
opposition To It ceased. From that time. IN,
friend from Chesterfield, and all our other wis,
men, believe, united IN ouinion. tina, III,
will Of the people should be obr,ed that III,
Convention should be organized, wi hou
delay, and that all the subjects Of complain
should be considered, and as lar as pusslbl,
adjusted.
have detained you Nj Chairman. with
these explanations, because ! thought them
due TO myself, II they Were no, strictly due 10
The Committee. l neither expect nor de sire
that they should recommend 10 your iayorab IL
attention. the poor remarks | have 10 offer On
ihe great question IN debate These remarks
shall submit, vita a consciousness, thai they
are but little worth. though with all humble
trust, that litney have an, value, il will not br
lost on The caador aud intelligence oil The Com
mriee
The first duty, perhaps, which owe 10 lib O
Comn'liiee, to acknowledge an error, INTO
which il seems | had fallen, al an early STAG >
~ ur proceedings, in no, approving the or
der o. debate which was proposed by the gen.
'leman fl IN Norfolk, (Mr. Iaylor,) who no
longer hplds seat among US [ had heca
weak enough 10 suppose. that We had already
learned TIE fudimenls oi political sciencc--that
W. had not come mere To b. taught the horn
ok u politics, to he >chouied and lectuied on
e elements Of government that great
ropor'ion this C0ntrntinn, a least, had
bren selected Tor their presumed knowltdg. OF
lis doctrine, and lhei lo0G exprri' ncr III
public Affairs But my friends tel, M ! way
wrong, and am compelled TO acknowledge il
| b, the course OF argument, which SOM OF our
| adyersarles baye pursued II was The mtsior-
| tune III my Fl .end from Frederick Mr. Cooke }
| falling into similar error TO -uppose "a,
tnere were settled principles IN our COVE ament
al least, that they were clearly aud fully e
ma cated in our declaration of rights, and
that II had succeed 10 pro lug Ill that "
| necessary, Wh,n he had hewn that tn. propu
sl,On which be atyoca ed was sustained 10y
| their principles. and ibat they condemned tha,
wDich he opposed. lhi, opinion aud The az
gumtni founded upon l., ead furnished the
apology for IA ni5cursIve nqulry into the nH-
tural rights Of man. The very eloqn, ut gru
ilemdn from Northampton, Mr.. Ups6ur) CO..
de NUNS abstract doctrines aaa mr Apply 'cal
L,
himself, in very elaborate course Of meta
physical reasoning aud refined abstraction,
has casi his eye through ali time, appAhled 10
| al history, yalnly endeayoredI 10 Imagine un
imag things, ION ectured a state of ma
| tuTe, " hich he Suppnscs never 10 have existed
pndeavoIed 10 ascertain lis laws. aud finding
not even light enUu respecting hem, to
guide hun III SIMPLE enume alton al whole
plumbers, or IN c'unimg majority, has a last
arrived Al the DO d conc lns iOn--bold he huns II
seemed TO consider t.---that there were no
PRINCIPLES Ia govrrnmeut We Cnunol hr
Chairman, understand he gentleman from
No hampton according To the literal import OF
his phrase. His own principles are too well
settle his character aud talents are too we'll
known aud too highly esteemed, 10 allow us
Tor moment o beIi"y that he would de-,
TO The science OF government those LEM entary
truths which cons Itule us principles, without
which all reasoning concerning il is d"s its e
OF toundatInn, and incapable of conducting
us 10 any conclusions He was betrayed III q
the language be has used, by an over anxiei,
TO withdraw from his adversar,es the aid vi
thos1 settled doctrines, on winch they have
res ed their argument, to persuade US that these
doctrines are mere absirac IONS, aud 10 bring
The qurs on in discussion I, TIE test of "xpedi
enCy. Indeed he has Told us. that every gu
II N OF government - question OF ehpediency
aud tina every goyrrnment should be co"-
snucted, not with reference 10 original princi'
pies, but with a sole view TO the character aud
clrCumstances OF the people, ior Suom II Is
U dained. Admit this doctrine of exp diency
admit the proprIety al conforming thu govern
men to the character and circumstances Of he
peopl- and no one admits ~ more reatily
than do,-yet il does not follow hat there
are no principles by which 10 decide the qaes
ton 81 expectancy, none TO aid IN constructing
the government-so as 10 make II desl'able 10
thu people-The plan OF every building for the
use OF man, presents question % expcdit N 4,
on winch the purpose Tor which il is destined,
aud the circumstances oil the tenant, ave 10 be
duly considered but no wi t man Won d dis
regard in its structure those principles of arch
itectTre, which belong 10 the humbiest cottage.
as well us To the loiuest temple, l. II more
wise, by representing tar principles OF our gov
efnmcnt as metaphy steal Iabslra ctions iu,-
nsIlng no aid to the delibei aiIOns OF the states
man, no safe guards TO his conduct, 10 dIspat-
age those principles IN ouI estimation, endan-
ger disloy atty to the government which rest
upon them. aud confound all our polnicb rea.
souing This has not been the wisdom OF an
cient or Of modern lines. From the daysof
Plato, down TO the period of the last Southern
Review, wise men have iab0red 10 establish the
prlncipes OF government, 10 nculcate poinIcal
truths, 10 recommend them 10 the respect oil
mankind, and to place them in the hands oi
statesmen as guides TO direct their measures
and as weapons 10 defend them. The author
of Publius, who had profoundly studied the
principies and understood these truths, com
mences his 3lst number with The postuintes
that " In dispositions OF every kind, there
are certain primary truths, or frst principles,
on which all subsequent reasonings must da-
pend -
For the primary truths, which belong to this
discus sion we can 10 ok ITO where, with 50 much
proprie,y, as 10 that solemn act which sDnoun-
ces the doctrines of our revolutiou--tbat do
claraiion of rights, which procaims the prin
cipes pertaining to the governments Of airee
peope and is made the basis and fousJa-
ton" OF our own This declaration Mr. Chair.
man, faithfully embodies the doctrines, which
gave to Agernon Sydney his crown of mar
lrydom, aud to John Locke imperishable fame.
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