Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-07


statesmen have way of shutting up their sentiments
in their hearts that they impenetrable 10 the
public eye These friends of the people are lust ms
impenctra bc--iheir sentiments are lust es difficult of
but it is for this that they have no sen
tmeuts IT all Let the people Will tins or will that
and their Will, say these gentlemen, is our guide
What they mean is simply this when the people have
offices to brstoW, The for The Deopkes
nsoney! lie of the people-le was no SER |
want OF the people, and the manner in which these
gentlemen treat the people, is very extraordinary
The king is the fountain of honor i'll European
Court. So the people the source of honor and
profit here. Every colrter in Europe courts the
crownthe courtiers OF republic court the peo-
pie They treat the people something after the same
mann"r that the cuurticrs OF james the l. treated
him. Hewas the greatest fool that ever lived cxcent
SIM as the saying is And just in the proportion of his
extreme folly, was the excessive adulaOn showered
upon HIM Cataracts OF praise rushed down upon
him like Niagnra So you hear these friends of the
pcone prasing the people of Virginia as the frccst
and most virtnous upon earth; ard lust in promotion
TO tho ouncss of their panegyrics is the sincerity of
Inc contempt which they feel for the people. Are
not gentlemen confident then that our purity is on tina
deciln"i He confident that it was Althouoh
he ha! boundless confidence in the peonlc it wus in
that class OF people, who have mems of honorable
subsistence in Just sufficient abundance to elevate
them above the temptations of want, while thew were
kept below those of prosperity; for this is the class
which comprises the solid virtue of the commute
re thanked Heaven that at present the great mass of
the people was of this character and while that con-
tinties to be the case. the republic is safe Attach,
prornrty, stimulate the appetite Of cupditv and the
goodly ones as they were called in his part of the
country VIII decline and there will be end of the
hnpublic' Phe forms may still exist bat upless an
! independents yeomanry shall remain, we are gope-.
gohe forever. Whilst the honest yeoman remains
tere VIII be some security for virtue He il not
to be bought-no to he bought-he drives hts plough
by the side OF his slave, and gives to his children TIC
best education which system and his means will
admit Is there citizen--he believed hardly one
Vho had risen 10 any emineuce of fame since tho 20
| f.oro IL
FROM That source all talent was derived On
that class he would fearlessy dcpe for the support
| of Our free institutions. FF'
! we were told hat gentlemen from the west would
give lis guarantee against any abuse of their NOW,
er III lie form OF taXation-a PROMISE that thew will
uot G0uS2 tas power strong and SO coercive nm
tBef conscienes, that Its efficiency be doubt
eu lie had of en- heard of this guarantee since the
subject OF this Convention was started II yyns ey
Extraordinary, that he could scarcely make any gentle
man OF the reforming party understand his language
Tue fault was not hls-he always used his Main
inteihgbie mother tongue-;he old unadulteratej
AAgio-SaXon Yet they did not seem to understand
Word nc said now, when these gentlemen talk
OF guarantee he was equally al loss to understand
fthcm. he could see at glimpse all the conseonen-
cc*. This guarantee perfectly intelligible to
every one else-to him perfectly unintcgible
| returning from Cumberland county last spriiig-for
1t may be proper to remark that he preferred The old
uiodc CT electIoneering, md the modern one tro
the newspapers. he encountered at a tavern at Pow
hatan, newspaper containing letter from gentle
man which disclosed his creed concerning the Con
Venlon. lie was not IN the practice OF takno his
opinions from newspapers but for this gentleman bo
entertained the highest esteem and he was willinr
20 see what he had to suyto put mind to mind will
nm, and TO come to such conclusion as would resuls
rom con est OF understanding. He made out will,
dfhcufy the words-he wishes the printer had NJ,
tended to mendng the types instead of the Consttu
ton-and AFTER he had worn out the little eyesoht
Which nus nocturnal labors had left him. he was more
IN the dark than 10 all those around him ua
perfectly lniegibie and when the simplicity of his
heart ne told them lie did understand it-tbev IN
the simplicity of their hearts as much as old b, n
uia not DeiieVe him. They did indeed say So ut
'hey looked at HIM Ill manner whirh he did undcp
staho' fhe printer OF the paper asked him what he
ehougi OF the guarantee, and he had to tell him in
reply, he could not make il out-that it wes some
thing like Swia's argument in the ta]e of the III
J IN hch after stating he would sun up the matter
IN the most prosperous style, he adds about half
page OF aStertsfS-and then concludes, "tbis then,
take TO be o clear account Of the whole matter -
! Ihe printer then told him that there actually o.
CURED an 'out of few lines-the effect of which
was TO render the whole OF that part of the letter nm
inieIiigible. Phis was the guarantee which yoe
recommended to him. az one of the Sea,o, ~,'
aoie' ana which was perfectly inteigible to every
one but himself. He would now consider orotb.r
guarantee, winch had beon offered. The gentleman
/ from Fairiax (blr. Ftzhugh) liad offered what be
supposed 'Rr guarantee, and lie happy to saw
ne ala comprehend that gentlcman's mnaninr Tbot
guarantee, was in the following words:
| z "ReSofUcd, Plat the power of the I,egi;sot,-e
10 impose taxes, ought to be limited as 10 proii
oi Tue imposition on property either real or personal
OF any other than sad rGio,c,n" tax and thai in
apporoning this tax either for State or County DUR
poJe' tne "hoe visible property lhousehold furniture
and wearing apparel excepted) Of each indvid,,oI IN
the community, ought to be valued, and tuxed opv
Ill proportion to its value: Provided, however. tb,t
no individual whose property with the above excen
tom does not exceed in value dollars on1h, r.
De subject to any property tax whntever And 5rovi-
oeo' moreover that the Legislature NAV impose on
all professions and occupations, usually resorted to
means OF support, such tax may be deemed rea-
d "dfesotred, That, TO prevent an unfair ilistrbu
non OF Inc revenue of the Commonwealth the
Legislature ought to be prohibited from making an
preparations except by the votes of tyo-tbirds Of the
ut three-hiths Of the amount necessary to complete
SUCH road or canal, shall have been otherwise sub
Iloeo, ana either paid or secured to be paid as the