Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-11-27

mos, profound attention am capable Of
Sir. have no other preparation for this task
Than a nos, patient attention 20 what has been
said here, and in the Committee, OF which
w,sa member, and deep, intense, and almost
aunihils,ing thought on the subjects before MS.
This is all the preparation that have m ide.-
] canuo, follow the example which has been
ne, me. cannot 60 into the history vi my
mas, life, or defend my political consistency
here or elsewhere. will not do this tor 'his
reason; I have always held it unwise to plead
ill I ain srraigned-and arraigned before
tribunal having competent and ample Jurisdie-
ton. My political consistency requires no
such defence. My claim to repuoliea"ism
rests on no patent taken out yesieIdya, or 70
be taken GU, tomorrow. MY life ITSELF Is my
only voucher, o life spent for thirty years IN the
service Of the most grateful Of constituents.
The gentleman from Augusta. who oceu'
pies so large space, both in the time ana IN
the eve Of the House, has told Us tina: ne ioosht
o,Il..,Iv bv the side Of his noble friend from
Chesterfield, 50 long as victory was poss'oie,
and that i, was not until he was conquered
tina, h. grounded his arms. The gentleman
farther told US that, finding his native country
and hi, early friends on this side the moun'
tain, on whose behalf he had wsged that gallant
wa,.-he found he hesi,a,ed what part to take
no,o, until his constituents, aye, strand more
than that, his property, on the other siae'-
and he has taken his course accordingly
Well strand will he no, allow, on our part,
that some consideration is due to our consti>
tuen,s, although they happen 10 be our neigh
bou,., or 10 our property, although We reside
upou il! Are either or both less dear on that
account.
But, sir, I put it to The Commiuee, whether
the gentleman is no mis-, aiken in point OF fac'
whether the victory is indeed won. Every one,
to be sure, is the best Judge whether he Is beat
Tn or not. Blu, put i. 10 The gentleman him
self whether, if he were now lighting along
side of his noble friend from Chesterheld, the
Gale nigh, not possibly turn the other way!
No man, however, is compelled TO tight alter
he {, els himself vanquished.
Sir, mean no ill-'imed pleasantly, either
as i, regards the place where il is uttered, the
person TO whom il refers, and least OF all, az II
respects him by whom the remark IS made
when I say, that in this prudent resolution OF
the gentleman from Augusta, he could not
have been exceeded In caution aud forecast oy
o certain removed Captain Dugald Dalgety
himself. Sir, the war being ended, he takes
service on the other side;--rhe sceptre having
passed from Judah, the gentleman stretches
out his ann from Richmond, to Rockhsh Gap
TO intercept, and clutch i, in its passage.
Among various other observations with
which he favored The Committee, hr pro-
tested with great earnes,ncss against opinions
relating 10 the Federal Government or its ad-
minisration being introduced here Sir, the
gentleman is 100 gres, lawyer not 10 know.
that the Federal Government is our Govern
me NJ: il is the governmr mt of Virginia and IL a
man were disposed 10 shut his eyes 10 the Con-
sri uIion and the Administration OF the Feder-
al Government, he could not do il: they would
be forced ooen, sir, by the interest, and feel
ings, aye, and by the passions 100, which have
cxisieL, do exist, and will continue 10 exist as
long as Virginia herself shall have existence.
II is no, the least Of my regrets that one Of
the mos, inevitable consequences OF these
changes, If thew shall take effect, will be totally
TO change all the politics Of Virginia in refer
encs 70 the Federal Governmental without
considering the hands in which it NAV happen
20 be placed and do confidently hrlive 'ha
the very greatest cause Of them is to be found
in The hope Of producing that all desired
change. In many cases know il 10 exist, Of
nv own personal knowledge.
Sir we CAM shut our eyes 10 The Federal
Government.
When in 1888 the Convention OF Virgins
adopted the Federal Go eminent as a par, Of
her Constitution. they rfftced greater change
in our constitution than the widest reform
now suggests to US: to estimate The amour, Of
that change we must have reference TO her IN
teres,s and power tina, day; IL not, we may
call ourselves Statesmen, bul the world will ,p.
ply TO US a very d,ffe,en, epi,het Among m
Vulnerable causes why l now oppose change,
is my full recollection of the change which Wa
then brought about / have by experienc
learned that changes even in the ordinary
law Of The land, do not always operate as ;h'
drawer Of The bill or the legislative body. NAV
have anticipated: and Of all things in the worl
a Government, whether ady made to SUI Cas-
ual customers or made per order, is the very
las, 'ha, operates a. its trainers intended -
Governments are like revolutions: you may pu,
them in motion, bu, defy you 10 control them
after they ale in motion.
Sir. if there is any one thing clearer than an.
,no, her i, is tina, the Federal Constitution in