Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-03-19
DEBATE ON THE CONVENTION.
MIR. pRAPER's spEEcH-ia nc Senate.

The Bill to organize Couvcniion.wss taken up
on motion of Mr. DRAPER.
Having addressed the Chair, Mr. DasrER said,
that he was somewhat awkwardly situated on the
present occasion, that lie favor of either
OF the propositions then before the Senate that
efthe gentleman from Orange (Gcn. Dadc) because il
was based upon the of 1910, and in ITS opera
ton would be manfestly unjust that portion OF the
state which he Mr.. ID. hud the honor TO represent
that 1t was in direct opposition to tho principles OF
the Bill of Rights, and to the great principle which
he Mr.. d. commended to be the only true ana proper
one, that is, that free equal to another he
was not in favor Of the principle of the amendment
of the gentleman from Monongalia (aIr. Morganl
because it looked more to the territorial position OF
the State than to the free men. Mr.. ID. said he
thought ought to look to the free men of Viz.
gina without regard to their property Of any kind
species whatsoever, and without enquirng whether
these men live on this side or that of any mountain
or line real imaginary, and we ought to do thi:
because the term Convention itself meant an ssscm
blagc of men that free, either in person or BY
their proxies or agents, to form a social compact
and 1t was not a Convention either of property oil
Of territory.
Standing then as it were between two Cross fires
having to choose between the two propositions Mr.
I'd. said that he greatly preferred that of the gentle
man from MonoRgulia Mr. NJ because in It's genera
results 1t would secure to each large division of the
State, a representation according to the white pop
nintion although some portions Of these larger dvis
IONS would have an advantage over some OF the 9th
!
Although Dir. Speaker, am not in the habit of g.
certaning the principles of civil liberty by the mode
! an Insurer ascertains the extent of his usury by
figures, still shall on the present OCCASION resort tc
short cal :ulation for the purpose of showing ths
enormous injustice which the proposed amendmen,
OF the gentleman from Orange (Gen D. J If adopted
will do to all Western Virginia.--Bv the census OF
1910 there appears to have been 55O,lS white per.
sons IN Virginia, of these 1888 1903 resided East and
2l2,SS4 West of the Blue Ridge, BY the census OF
1920. there appeared to be 6Q3 OBI whites giving an
increase in ten years of 8oi this increase IO7
were on the East, and 1874 the West of the Blue
Ridge, fthcn the relative increase in the population
| from 1920 until 1880, should continue in the same
ratio on each side the ridge, there would be next
year 359.o86 whites the East side of the Blue
Ridge beng an increase of l,ll3, and there would
be on the west OF the Blue Ridge 304 500, being an
increase of $1,000. AS the present Senatorial dis
ricts were lard off with reference to the white popu
ation of 1870 each of the nine western Senators nc
cordng TO that population, represented, an ave
rage, 23565 whereas each of the 10 eastern Senators
ON an average represented 22,540 leaving an unre-
presented fraction of OPS in each western Senatorial
district, by the of 1910; but by the census nj
1920, each OF the nine western senators represents
28245 whites, and each eastern senator represents
$685. leaving in each senatorial district an
unrepresented fraction of 1887 and suppoing the "a
ITO OF increase to be the same between 1920 and 1890
that 1t was between 1910 and 90, then in the next
yea, each western senator would represent SO 855
whites and each eastern senator would represent
23I532, leaving an unrepresened fraction in each of
the western senatorial districts in $780, OF Io523
Having now shewn, MIR. Speaker, that the propo-
sItlon of the gentleman from Orange, (Gen. Dade \
will, if adopted, do manifest injustice to the whole
OF Western Virginia, that it will degrade them in
the scale of freemen, that it viii violate the great
principle for which contend, that one free man is
equal to another free man. the correctness of which
neither that gentleman any other protesting 10 be
republican, viii deny III words but still are unwilling
to observe IN practice, shall now proceed to sbew
that 1t is IN direct violation of the principles contain
nd fhr.p Ill IS
sacred instrument declares, that all men are by ma
ture equally free and independent Mr.. Speaker is
this true, is it a abstraction, as it has been
called. Are gentlemen who in the daily habit of
passing encomums on the revolutionary patriots and
the freedom and beauty of their institutions thus dis
posedto style their first text of liberty? know Mr.
Speaker, that some gentlemen will at once become
sensattre on this subject, and say if be true that
at proves that slavery ought not to exist ano
thcr moment among us.-Let not gentlemen be un-
easy there various bearing OH this oues
ton; must look at things as they are. If the
question now presented itself for the first time whe
Their slavery should commence among us, whether
one set OF human beings should capture another re-
move them from their native land and hold them
IN bondage; defy any man TO prove that it would be
Just or right; but there is another principle equally
clear: Preserr1t'on s truly said to be the first la
Of nature SIR all history, and if there yyas M
historical record common sense and all reason dedn
ced from knowledge of human nature would prove
that two separate and distinct races of men, who can
not amalgamate, who are so entirely dissimilar i'm
every respect cannot live together as freemen on the
came territory; q struggle for supremacy would
instantly arise and a war of determination would Ger
ainiy ensue: if those enthusiastic fanatcks who de-
sire universal emancipation, would reflect one mo-
cn, they ought to perceive that own destruction
would be the probable consequence; yes sir, those
whom necessity now compels Us to hold in bondage
would IN their turn, endeavor to subdue us to their
WILL nDd would cndeavor TO visit US with severe
retaliation. Self-defence and the law of necessity
therefore requires that I've maintain our supremacy
and no man Is disposed to go farther than | am to
maintain IT, But this argument docs not and cannot
apply to men Of the complexion who all admit
TO be free, who can have no motive that is not com
mon to all: this declaration Of the bill Of rights is
therefore, MIR. Speaker, not an abstraction it is
most glor,u truth, ond IL is with feelings Of the
deepest regret, that see in Virginia. yes in Virginia
republicans, disposition 90 suppress IL in practice
But sir, the amendment proposed by the gentleman
from Orange. (Gen. Dnde, is. in further violation Of
the principles contained in tie Bill Of Rights thethird
section declares, That government is, or ought 10
be, instituted for the common benefit protection ond