Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-11-25

NJ.
call Of any Convention, general or limited,
and have labored no little to prevent it.
Step by step, side by side, | have followed
NV noble friend from Chesterfield, (Mr.
Leigh in preserving the old Constitution,
and he will bear me witness, that have
iouuht ike a faithful soldier, and did not
abandon my arms till victory was wrested
from me-but fom the time he majority
had decided IN favor of it, mp opposition
that time all WISE men agreed
that the Convention should be organized
without delay, and all complaints speedily
settled.
Ihave detained YOU with this explana-
ton. because / thought 1t due to myself,
nv consistency. neither expect nor de-
sire to recommend myself thereby to your
favorable acceptaton. ! submit my re-
marks with the hope they will not be lost on
the candour and intelligence of this Com
mittee. My first duty IS to acknowledge
the error fell into in the early stage of
these proceedings-the error ofsupposing
that the order of debate ought not to have
been that proposed by the member from
Norfolk, who now no longer hold a seat
among us. ] fooIishly imagued that we
had learned the rudiments at east of polit
icaI science before we came here-ihat we
did not now require TO be taught our nora
book, not to be schooled IN the elements OF
government, that the members of this bo-
dv had been selected for their wisdom, for
their knowledge In the science Of govern
ment. and for their experience; but have
been informed by all ofmy mistake; have
been taught to acknowledge my error, by
the conclusions to which my adversares
have come, 10 tier arguments during this
debate.
il was the misfortune of the gentleman
from Frederick, (NIr. Cooke to suppose
that there was settled principles declared
by our Bill Of Rights, and to think that
when he had shewn that any proposition
was sustaiuedby its principles, It was sui
fcient, and that any proposition opposed
to it should be condemned. But thisun-
unfortunate opinion has been made the ba-
sis of a most dscussIve inquiry into the
natural rights Of man; into an examination
of all history, 81 to a period antecedent ev.
en- to history itself; INTO an effort to ina
zine unimdgnabe things, and to cast odl-
UNI upon all principles and all political
doctrines. The eloquent gentleman from
Northampton. Mr.. Upsher] in order to
prove how lmprope, distractions were, lu-
dulged in a long train of distractions and
metaphysical arguments, g. at last came to
TINS bold conclusion that there were no prn-
ciples whatever in government. Well may
! be supposed in error in imagining there
are such principles, when the w.t. the tai
ent, the eloqueuce of the gentleman from
Northampton asserts that there are mo
principles in government. No principles,
Sirl-The character of the gentleman IS
TOO well known, his talents l9a we'll un
derstood 20 believe that he really enter
taius a beliefiu the truth Of tins sertion,
bur the nature of the wanlre w ged here
against the doctrines behind which we en-
trench ourselves, compels gentlemen to
throw every thing into ridicue and cOniu
sion No principles because every ques
uou relating TO government IS question Of
eSpediencYl-tecause every government
should be made not with reference 10 any
gwen standard, bat with reference TO ihe
situation Of the people for nom the gov
eminent is intended!-"s Hit the prem
Ises and deny the conciu a0.-.0es lttol
low because government should be adapt
ed 10 the situation Of the people, that there
are no priuclples?-The gentleman would
tell us with equal truth, through every
building should be constructed with intent
TO suit the business to be transacted IN o.
as well as the individual tenant, yet thar
there were no principles of architecture.
Surely such reasoning would require no re-
futaton.-I state this to shew that the gen
tIeman did not mean what he said sug-
gest that the real object Of his argu.
ment is as little to be vindicated as the
plain meaning Of the proposition IN ITS
broadcast application.-lf it was intended
to discredit those principles we have been
taught to yenerate, which have been con-
secrated by the love of our ancestors,
which we have been taught to look to as the
guides for our political faith, 1t is as uu
wise as untrue. It has neither been the
doctrine ofancient or modern times TO IN
culcate such principles-lt has not been
the opinion of any writer deserving the
least respect from the days of Plato, down
TO the last Southern Review. They are
the principles which have been recommen-
ded to us for our adoption; for our love
and is 1t wise that principles which ,ons'l-
ute apart ofour government itself, sh Md
be thrown into dlsrepute and susla a}
argument or proposition, whatever b. ,s
character Thus much with respect to
this argument Of no principles ia govern
melt
A. Ef-.--.- 1..-,r-.~