Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-03-20

himself first. But sir if the majority have rjuht
~ atcr, why not ascertain the sentiments o! that
lorty by hearing all by their represe ntati, Sir
fear, alas! that the secret consists in this some rem
tlcmen see that the sceptre is about to depart
from Judah; the white population beyond the blue
topped mountain Is increasing too fast, the strong
tide OF population is setting to the west, must from
the nature oi things happen there the forest coy
crng our fertile valleys daily disappearing before
the axe Of the woodmun, all that orr soil produces is
for the sustCnance ofman, bread meat and ranept;
such Is not the situation with this section of the
state here sir your section has been lone settled and
cannot sustain many more Inhabitants whist the
west Is Just spnngng into existence, here Your soil is
exhausted III the culture OF 6bacc" which is not at all
essential to the sustenance of man. whilst our, is
daily becoming more and more fertile by the raising
ct stock from the very nature OF things therefore,
the west must, and assurcdly will be the most popu
lous part OF the state. ask cmphaticnlIv do we de.
niand any thing more than Justice? Do YOU admit
that are Tree men? You saw, yes; why then wish.
to exclude part of Us, and that larrc part from
Representations SIR, 'Tc must lose much in agreeing
TO take the population OF $40 as the basis OF repr-
scptation; but we wiling to Give I'M Our GREAT
or increase since then, because 1t cannot be clear
~ ascertaned, and if we were to attenrt il by
want justice and equiifv n,ore than that we would
not receive If you were to offer it; besides b. ia
king the census of 1920, We would not anpear
TO abandon the great principle of eqaaty for which
we contend, we would not feel ourseyc to be dcura
ded and sunk below the level of freencu in vou Sy1
nation, and III point OF fact, to the exercise OF po
tlcal power. The gentleman from Orange himself.
admits that his proposition docs do us iustice ne,
admits that the white population is the true basis Of
representation: still he invites the gentlemen from
tie west TO vote with him. that is nc invites us f.,
abandon what hc admits to be ri~ht, and veto far
what ne SHs Is wrong; bnt he says it is only iiie
wrong according to him, eight representatives and
the western gentlemen have given up nothing vct
he says that we contend now for VIII VIC did a. first
therefore, ] presume tlat the western ccntlcr,nn
ought (uccordmg 10 that gentlcnnns ideas) to vote
4 hat I,l rt ILL
yield som 2thing. According to this reasouE. il we
had at frs: have demanded sonnet hing more than ms
ice, the gentleman would have voted with us he
ca,se we had given something vI u cool to olre.. nc
nerai principles and do not wish make them Il mat
ter OF traffic Les me earnestly invite the gentlemen
yet to ION ranks, with his powerful co-oneration
victory Will perch on our Standard which the gontlc-
man says is Just.
strange rcuson why his first amendment oirht TO
prevails lie says, that the population on this of the
ridge IS of native growth, ard that on the other
side there are many foreigners ard men from the
north Il suppose he means Eaikecs from all which
the gentleman very ration7Vy arrives at the corcn
sion that the ''native growth Of this side OF the
mountain, 'real sons Of Pi,yini0," ought to retain
in their own hands the political power ofthe State
In the first place sir do admit the fact that borc
are more foreigners on the other side Jf the rroun
tam than there are on this when YOU count ou vo,r
Scotch and Irish merchants this is not said il, 34ri
Sion because am myself of Irish extraction and We
Know that there arenot many foreigners in that part of
the State from which come. True, we have there
many persons that called Dutch, because lcv are
4escci!4ea from German pareniage and all otue are
descended from some European nation, bacafsn there
are no other persons among us eyccpt those dlsLy
A:siGus that some gentlemen appeartobe so senitiye
ahont and yet few ofthc sons Of American r1pne,
Indians, loitcrlDG ahcut Streets Those "jcd-h"
Of whom i nave spoken and TO yehom the gentlemen
in part suppose alluded, are for the most part men
81 steady habits who make their living by cuItivain
their own soil, are generally Tie best farmers have
ever seen; they are as honest Intelligent and Judi
ciouS u those "Itiue gr0'rli' sons OF old VirGnia
Of when the gentleman from Orange has spoken.
The gentleman has therefore, proved that the east
has power and is anxious to retain it, and he has not
proved to my mind any thing more.
Mr. Speaker have lecn an uniform advocate Of coyveo
tom the present constitution Of this State resard as an
accac OF an ars;ocracy; il arisocTacy first because
think has been y sl,ewn y Inc gentleman form Monon
1aia !r Morgan tina; the frcellolers are minority of the
Nt II an aI5loc'c but 1t IS further an asocracy because
minority Of the feehOd" unguestionatv governs the
the sI greater majority Of noncahoicrNIr Speaker III
making this declarations, the rtli OF which DENY
S usincy unesloo that 20 not n'pu'' this to designs
on tc rt OF those by whom this government formed,
= 1t mas elsewhere hccn imputed n thf=. SIR, No man
,e wee men win minds large aud expanded, with devotion
to their country never before surpassed if cquallei viii,
atTosi as pure as tic inaa Of f!ocn, they fixed their eyc
se"y on c etn''S OF liberty, they rested the Justice Of
t2r own ooa and ho cauEr and ;cy submitted the rcl, 20
VIC 90" O. DanS 'ir Ii would Ec vain ioauept their elogy
c tongue 0an't rhc the extent of their virtues the mind
can barely conceive them, bu Sill Mr. Speaker they were
oo ~ njHc AN cT''oai which the world had ngye before
c 90 s'S!'h hc caraci'y 81 man for sc!fgoyGnment,
20 c'"ce The social compact parchment: hence orr bill OF
f%S declares to-2 great pncincs tic irantanancr of
Wc hPy p5ei their property, honor and lives npy were
hoWe''f not Their IN oc ion Of the practical operation Of the
gov n'H rf VET about n adopt whereas sir havetlc
nrci nj thrr wisdom aifrd by To- experience % more than
a century OF IFS practical operations; it must moreover c
!'coIectd that they ticn had trr look what would
~ iHTc ne ;he pactl opcraon nj The present constitution
y were hen weak i'll TurIcrs aud .GspUrle fsii nc exccr
non ~ Their own determination 10 3 free dc) coDcrdnp
ih tlr most powerful people for national existence
was necessary therefore, tbat they should forthwith form an
cceh government, order concentrate all tie energies of
Tie commonwealth, aud in order do this was best not 10
make Any great innoaon tic previously existing state Of
n"7 "hc' probably would only tend TO pcpicy the people
IN understanding Hicir government.
h iTIhHr Mr Spcacr the tine Ills government was
7r4cd those roqrairs of which tic friends Convention s.,
Justly complain, did cvi-l; the cur1c ien aproz
&c" o't ~ point Of populations cy could clearly fore sc