Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-24

sciyte. While shall conform myself to the sp,rit
which has thus far governed the discus sion have TO
hope to initiate those who have preceded me in the
nprcssveness and strength of their argument Their
cloqucnce shall not attempt to emulate. Did feel
myself competent to do SO, should find in the recent
experience of this committee lesson of tss,iasion
too impressive TO be UNDECIDED. For who sir has
forgotten how instant aneously the spell ATTEMPT ed to
be thrown this body by the impassioned perorn-
ton of the gentleman from Loudon was dissolved
aud the memory of obliterated by The sober rea
ties, the ponsierous facts the luminous statements
and the cogent arguments by which they were cor
nected OF the gentleman from Accomac Mr. Jovnesl
The inst uctiou draw from this lesson is that this is
not proper theatre for such displays. Ia kc.s Ger
NIT me TO say, that would stint TO The west the
euogy they merit. | would not DENY the need of
praise .Ur the services and sacrifices SD cluqucntly
COMMUNICATED by the gentleman from IIoudon Il
would not suit my feelings or sense of Justice to do
So But this claim Is novelty. 1t has been urqed
on this iloor by lips eloquent those of the zen
teman from Loudon. 1t has been repeated aud rel.
tera;ed again and again, within these walls The
c!hlin has been acknowledged whenever it has been
asserted. 1T was heard here in 1876 when an cyten
sVe scheme OF oankng was brought before the as
scnby, and though IL that instance il f,1od IN nm
duce the intended effect that measure: We, ;r evil
averted may be permitted to stand as good confer
red, tAc west was certainly than inaem, fled
foT all us sacrifices by having avcricd from its bor
ders moral pestiience which would have contami-
mated ITS morality, and overwhelmed its pron.-tv-
1T was heard again this floor when he eynnnsss of
the very epoch at which the services were rendered
IT.
glnia was Unidentified for her advances and when
destination was to be given to the large amount
then received By the State. That sum- which. in tho
proportion CT or to ], had been advanced Inv tbe
east, wa, with corncndabe generosity par.ition
ed not III the proportion of /, nor of to / bu,
OF TO !, or at least to 2. with the people of the
west. How often it has been heard since all those
cannot fail to recollccl who have had anv shure in
ou public councils say rot this by wav of dish, r
agement nor from any want of gratitude: but NAV I
not De permitted to ask, Is this service of the ives, al
Tay 90 STAND without any cnunerpoise? Is it to en-
dure Tor I'll time and tor all purposes as an uDd;mn
iNled charge against The on which to demand for
ever new sacrifices and concessions, Must he
considered like our obligations to our Creator "a
! to oWe?"
is the service such that nothing can requite it. bu
me surrender of the power the whole propertv
or the east? Nor do | mean to OH eston tha rirt,s ~
intelligence of the people on viii h YOU, Mr.. Char.
man. so earnestly insisted when you recently address
s:d the Committee yield on this subiect ali int
was CLAIMED by you. But may not ask, are the
means resorted TO, preserve il udicious? Is it wise
When we would guard virtue to separate interest
from dtty to expose that virtue to the strongest
temptation! Ought to do this at time when wa
propose 10 break up the existing order of society," and
60 chaHse IT'S organic law; at time when the minds
OF men are cut loose from their n,oorjpees and all
things and al principles are set afioat,
p, NOT DO mean, gentlemen of the west, one and all
II speak with the utmost sincerity and that nv Ian
guage is not the profession of the day or for the oc
cason, | appeal TO my public course when was
public man, mean not to question your no.
nor, nor 10 say, insinuate that Won have
desire to rcvcl IN the spoil of the east: do mot
ground my course OF action the belief tia, any
spirit OF rapine viii govern you or your sons No
Ientlemen, L have full faith in your sincerity. 7
nave confidence III your honour personally and No.
ltlcaiiy--i question not the sincerity of the Gen
t:eman from Loudoun lin truth do not:) Even who,
SHedung tears OF anguish the desoate fields and
Mou!nering mansions otthe tide water country and
oewaIlIng them with pathos that almost eytor,nd
tears fom others, and looking with rapt vision 10
the ccnsumniation Of his hopes, of future improve
nent, he surrendered hms elf to the illusion that WOW
o"re anu ieftlhty could be restored these wastes
by taking from their portion of their scantv
products TO improve the highlands and torrents Of, he
"'St. no SIR. have not attained The wears which
now number, without instruction from experience
winch assures me how possible it is for tine sfronucs,
mind ana the purest heart to be exposed to de!u-
sions of this kind.
1t Is important that before advancing in the discus
sion, we should have conception of what is
the real question before u.s. that we should clearly
understand what Is the matter issue. Il is not the
issue which the gentleman from Augusta made up
Sir: Johnson) That gentleman essentially chanred
the Issue presented by the resolution of the Com
nl;tee, and the amendment proposed 70 it. and
mere let rae say III passing, that if he was rrh in all
nc S2id' ten we are Gispung about mere form of
the amendment are only means to- an end that end
once attained, IT Is matter of little CONSEQUENCE
whether the means be preserved or not: they are
from that moment Of little value What do VOC
learn from the statistics of the gentleman from Au
gusta, as applied to his Interpretation of what no
makes the riddle ofthe Committee The first thing
that we learn, is that the ratios furnished by the
eatire number of the white population are different
from the ratio arising from that portion of the COM
munity which are Catholic, which belong TO he body
polite and exercise the right of suffrage He map
porioning representation is for excluding all but
those who have the Catholic qualification; and ap-
plying this rule to the data furnished by the Auditors
sta cnents, is shown that the masses of power in
the four grand divisions of the state scarce differ BY
units from those which will be quoted to them by the
adoption Of tie amendment and the application of
the rule it would furnish
After this DEPRESSION, 10 which have been led BIZ
the strong impression his statement made on my
mind let me turn back to the line Of argument /
intended TO pursue.
The frs; thing it becomes look at, is the erro-
neous representation OF the question before the Com
niltiee and the gFatuitous assumption Of the prnci-