Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-03

ton has not in practice been found sulc;cr,p
Is not enough to check power by uower So,ro
iurthcr security has been found n,eess,ry sri,
best reflection which have been abb 20 ,,;v. =. y,
the subject has brought rue to adopt this 7nay;n.
"ss lar az practicable, to dcposite power in The 49,
OF those only whose interest it is not TO abuse Il >,
IL we look around nc into the ordinary nffa;,. os
men shall find that intcrcsts is rho ,,yo,t 49,; "
oil action What is it that makes agriculture tionr.
isR WHAT'S il that builds your cities and nosLo
Somme ce spread her wngs, What inspires the
Poet, and nerves the soldiers arm, Il is love of
wealth. fapIe, aud distinction. In word il is self
love. have not much experience in Leoislotion
but appeal Ia gentlemen here who ware xperienced
ooth IN Federal and state legislation whether they
are ever so sure oil n vote % when they appcal To
the interests Of those whose vote thcy want I,
would be out OF order, sir, 10 speak Of the members
OF inns liouse one remark. however, take leave 70
maze though 80 much devoii III is shown 10 prn-
eli les Tie principles of gentlemen do u,.adate mos,
mnryelously with the interests of their constituents
do not mean To cast imputations on gentlemen
90 not mean To question tie sincerity of thcr M,
tachh'ent 10 principle. But when see honourable
ana ihteiigent Inen, with all their devotion TO prn.
clplc unconscionsly influenced by interest I set an
iS..nr value on the security which interest piyes
against tho abuse Of power. The guarantee Of in
tercst constitutes the chief diff; renee between Ra
publican, and Aris,ocratic, or Nonavcbcnl Govern
ments The responsibility of public agents resolves
nsei ntoihis principle. BY causing the law maker
% mingic with the people and to be subject to the
laws which lac has enacted, you nuke IL his in,eros,
to enact just laws. BY subjcciino him 10 crc,;on
ut short intervals you make it hs interest to con-
suit the welfare Of his constituents in order that
ne may ne re elected. Here then We have great
principle founded in HUMAN nature which,
All serve Us a touchstono for every prant of
power that we propose to make. Let us
bring the question before the committee TO this ,,s,
What VIII be the effect OF the principle reported bv
the Legislative committee, 1t will give to the peoe
west OF the Blue Ridge, if not mmed at,Iy in n very
short time, majority in the Legislature. No gentle
man has questioned this but my friend from Frcde-
r1clr lca SO I.,r1, IL Al.
wall remain. as il now is. cast Of the Ridge II we
look to the documents furnished By tie Auditor We
shall find that the increase of whites west of the
Itldge greatly exceeds that the east and If il
Should continoc IN the same proportion, a majority
WILL N very short time be found west of the RIDGE
II we look at the face Of te country we shall come
to the same conclusion. great proportion OF the
iahd below The head OF Underwater Is worn and en-
hausted. That between Underwater and the RIDGE is
IN similar condition, except strip bordering on the
mountain This is capable ofregeneration, aud will
sustain an increased population II is of less eyleu,
than what is called the Limestone Valley which, from
the fertility OF lis SOIL is capable of sustaining dense
population. The Country east of the Ridge hes no
new lands to settle. There is no room for great in
crease of population. a large portion cf fertile land
ives, Of the Aeg CLANCY is yet unsettled and when il
Is brought into cultivation by the influence of the
chesapeake and Ohio Canal it must give a vast re-
cession to the pnpu alton OF that region. will ask
the gentleman, under whose patronage that work is
progressing, whether he does not expect il Will suc
coed? The population which this will add to the
west mus; be exclusively white. From tie vicinity
of the country through which passes to Pcnnsvlya-
ma, slaves canno; be held there. But, sir it is unne-
IA, ihi- gnrpo~t fa-,haE ~ LoY,
II on line authority of the gentleman from Brooke
land no man is better acquainted with the situation
and resources Of that country tho in thirty years
majority Of tho white population of the State will be
found west OF the Allegheny. | feel, therefore, war
raitcd III assuming the basis of NY argument that
tue country west OF the Ridge does now, or soon viii
contaia majority Of the white population of the
Let auua M
that regi give the security we require against
the abuse OF the power which the legislative commit
tee proposes to give to them. agree with rhc gen
tleInen on the other slde that general rule ma
iorty org 1t to govern. majority of persons will
prma face, comprise majority Of interests. But
this rule is certainly liable to exceptions. The DOW
oil the mainrily must have limits. We ali propose
TO limit II by denying to the Legislature the power of
passing post acto laws, suspending the privilege
of The writ of hnbeas corpus, &c. The only ques
lion Is what Limitations shall we impose? | answer
all such are deemed necessary TO protect the rights
and interests of The governed. Ii is for me 10 scw
that the lintaion which | propose Unnecessary for
Our security. Tohat end. let us take a survey Of
the points of difference between the portions OF the
State, lying east and west Of the Ridge. The first
point of difference which strikes is the erroneous
disprcPoron of the taxes paid by the two regions.
Ill not dwell on this part of the subject after the
luminous exposition given by the gentleman FROM
Hanover The next point of difference is in The cha
racicr of the population Eight nths of the slaves
found enst OF the Ridge. In all laws relating to
this species ofpropcrty, the people ofthe Ridge
are interested To the Of one ninth only. But
the gentleman from Frederick thinks that this proper
~ will not be in danger because the slave holders
west of the Ridge, when added TO those of the east
will give n majority. Suppose it is Why, ask,
should the people below the mountain transfer all the
power necessary for their protection to the people
above the Ridge This may be very az eeabe TO
those who kindly offer To become our guardians. But
thu people whom represent have a notion (it may
be very unphiosophical one that their affairs will
be never the worse managed, because they have
hand in tho management OF them But, sir, In that
part ofthe Valley TO Which invited TO look for
protection, the slaves to four, In the
ties particularly alluded to by the gentleman
from Frederick, they as one TO three. The pro-
portion which tho slave holders baar the nonslavc-
holders viii be found to be about the samc and when
the between the slave holders and the slave
holdars shall be waged the slave holders VIII be out
voted at the polls SO far from protecting us, they
viii be unable to- protect themselves. We cannot
aid them, for they will have tied hands, ask
the gentlemen representing that part Of The State to
which belong and which is deeply interested in this