Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-22

truths; the mariner, while ploughing the mighty
deep, under the protection Of your STAR spangled
nag, were all influenced bya will, left free to pur-
sue its own inclination. This was the freedom
which the Bill OF Rights proclaimed; which every
| Virginian asserted and would never relinouish.
But, we have been told that this is a grea, s,ruc.
gle for power. On the part OF his particular sec.
! ton OF country, he could say, it was a strug.re
for their just fights. They find themselves oec,,
pyng great, central, wealthy and intelligent
country, bearing the burdens of taxation, and de-
! prived of their full participation in the affair. of
Government. Why should any attempt be made
/ to rouse sectional feelings. Were We not all de-
scended from the same common parents. inheritiny
the ssme rights, the same glory; animated by the
same lofty feeling. and bound by one common
tie to the same fair and beloved countryl The
feelings of every Virginian he believed to be the
same, whether in distant lands, on the bosom CT
the ocean, or standing on the Pcake Of Brooke, or
the crags of the Allegheny. Why then should
any attempt be made to rouse sectional feelings.
He was sure the gentleman from North'ton (Mr.
farkerl had no fears from the Middle Country
| II he had, that gentleman entertained different
feelings towards the Middle Country from those
entertained by them towards his country II
would he as difficult for the middle country to i'm
Epose tax for any object of internal improvement
as for the lower country to do il. The middle
country, he could assure gentlemen, were disposed
only to give legitimate direction to the existing
fund for internal improvement, and, perhaps, aid
ed occasionally by little SURPRISES in the
treasury. Mr.. G.. said he had great respect for
the gentleman from Northampton, 81 had shown his
confidence in him on several occasions. He was
sure that gentleman had acted consistently with
what he considered his duty to his constituents;
and he (Mr. G.l was not disposed TO complain of
1.-THE conduct of those who pursued instructions, or
what they deemed equivalent to them. But the
small counties in the East, conscious of their
weakness, had sought assistance from those of the
| West, SC.
Mr.. G. said he would not disturb the slave
question, for il ought to have nothing to do with
The present subject. But he would say, that he
had always been an admirer of the slave-hoding
portions of Virginia, and thought that the slaves
did not diminish their strength in time of war
What, lie asked. became Of the proclamation of the
infamous Dunmore, inviting them TO revolt during
the Revolution! few runaway negroes only
Hooked to his standard. In time of war, the
slave-h holders were, indeed, Chevaliers. They
could all go to war. The old men and boys could
stay at home and keep the slaves in order, and
raise the necessary supplies. We had gone thro'
two wars, and found this 10 be the case. Whilst
he thought this, ne was still unwilling 10 incorpo-'
rate the slave question the principles of free
constitution. He could never consent that slaves
should be considered in any other light than as
property. In the federal government, it was true
that slaves had been made the basis OF representa-
tion-but il was the result of compromise, in
which principle had been sacrificed. or that
Constitution he would say, it was only best
when best administered" lthad kept us together
but he contended that the compromise in cues
ton had been most ruinous TO the Southern coun-
try; that the letters which bound our foreign com
merce resulted from it. When direct taxes were
resorted TO, it caused us 10 be more heavily bur-
l dened than we otherwise would be. 1t had done
more; il had awakened jealousy and distrus,
among the states, If not positive dislike which
promised no good. The people of Virginia were
now quiet There was no agitation among them,
although excitement existed here AMONG
their representatives. BIZ. if you raise this slave
question, you Immediately divide the State into
TWO separate interests; candidates for the Convcn-
ton will rest their claims upon their advocating or
opposing slave representaton-the whole country
will be in commo,ion. AS the whites had ALWAYS
conquered the negroes, so they would on this oc.
casion, and the majority of the Convention would
be against the principle. No good could result
from urging such a position. Such a division
among ourselves would be gratifying to the enc
mics OF Virginia. But look to the nap-lo YOU
not see that your country beyond the Allegheny is
adjacent to Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky?-
WIN not these States accommodate your dissatis
hed West with the principles for which they con-
tend--and what may no, the result be? That 90
vernment which equally protected the rights of
persons and OF property, was the consurnna.ion
OF all wisdom. Whilst he advocated the protec.
ton oil property, he repudiated the principle that
taxation ought to be the basis Of representation
He thought II ought TO be presumed that given
number OF people in part of the State possess
cd nearly the same amount of property as the
same number in another part. That some inc
quality wOuldl exist in the quantum of property.
was natural; but the inequality could not be so
very great as TO justify similar inequality in the
representation Besides, the possession of property
was uncertain-too much so 10 form the basis OF
political power. Something had been said OF an
Agrarian law--he had not, lie said, heard of such
thing since remote period OF antiquity. But
IN property was TO be the basis of power
what would be the result of the principle when
Richmond and Norfolk arrived nj the size and
wealth he hoped they would some day attain:-
Did London govern the destinies OF England on
account of her property' The House of Peers in
that country represented its property, and what
had they ever done in favor OF liberty! The free
dem OF the people in that country rested on an en-
Eshtened and independent Judiciary, and on the
stern integrity and independence of English Ju
ries. Whilst he agreed that representation and
xationought to go together, he denied that dot.
lars ought to be represented: for such principle
would be the most oGious of all arstocracies. He
would not refer to other states Tor liberal princi-
pies, because Virginia had never gone to any of
them to be taught free principles. II present all
our great rights OF persons and property were Sc
cured. Convention was only wanted 10 re or.
ganizc the government-and il gentlemen pleased
so as that those who paid the taxes should lay the
taxes. We had heard many details of figures, but
Mr.. G. said he was not to he cyphered out of his
principles. He could not think there was single
man in Virginia who really thought that Con-
yenon would sacrifice any of our great principles
oil liberty. But II there such a man. he
would, in the language Of llustrous states
man, leave him as monument Of the safety
with which error OF opinion may he tolerated
when reason is left free 10 combat IT, But fears
would be overturned. What orders were allud-
ed to? IL there were any other orders than Of
reemeD, they deserved 10 be overturned. But
why should there be any excitement? lie was
willing that gentlemen should obey the wishes
OF their constituents; but he called upon those