Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-12

pact only, and instituted solely for The good of ne
',aohofe."
''qhat all persons invested with the leeislatiyry
or executive powers of government are the trustees
of the public and such accountable for their con.
"duct; wherefore, wherever the ends of goyerp-
'ment perverted, aud the public liberty manifest.
''y endangered, and all other of redress arc
'inefectual, the people may, and of right ought to-
"retorm the old, or establish new government,
ne doctrine OF noil-resistanCe against arbitrary
power and OPPRESSION is absurd, sla wish, and de.
'structive of the good and happiness of mankind
Ihat the right in the people, to participate
I'm the legislature, is the best security of liberty
land the foundation Of all free government; for this
purpose elections ought to be free and frequent and
"every man having property IN, common Interest
with, and attachment to, the coRmunty ought to
shave right of suifrrge"
fear, I'D Mr. NJ. that have yearied tho af,en
ton OF the Committee, before have reached tho bill
OF rights OF our own Constitution, ifa bill of rights
and Constitution we have, as myself do net donbt
whatever may have been the defect of their oriu;n
mat Dill OF rights is so engraven in the memory OF
every member of this Committee, and has been so of
ten referred in this debate, that will not read it,
But protest against that construction of the so
cred truths which it contains which seeks to impair
their force by combining with the actual de as of
the Constitution.
The causes of the mperfectons of the ma--
Gimme OF government, were truly and eloquent
Iy unfoded by my honorable friend from Ere.
Derrick Mr.. Cookc.) But the presence of dan
ger, which may obsiruct the Lbuur of the most
skiltui artis' in the fabrication a complicated
engine need not impair his Judgment oi Il, e pIan hu
winch he works. A reorganization of the counties
of VII ginia, of her population at a time
when no census had ever been taken of any people IN
modern Europe, or for ought know in modern times
ana at such time: when threatened INVASION bv "
foreign and most formidable enemy, was hourly ex-
pected to drive the people from their homes ard to
waste their estates, was not within the compass of
possible events But did il follow thai the great p-in
cples of freedom for which the trainers of the Con
sttuton contended in battle well as in debate
Should not be profoundly understood and ably eluci
dated' Was not the occasion calculated quicken
and invigOrate ali the operations of human intelIec
and although ii might embarrass the move ments of
the principal actors, enghten. strengthen and con-
flrm their Judgment
We're the trainers of Constitution hut half educated as
1t is commended all their descendants are? such an asr
truth flashes from mind 10 mind with electric activity and
ioce irresistible Hence, perceive merely confor
NIFTY of opinion, but identity of languages all the state
institutions of that PERIOD to Georgia in
relation 10 the foundation of argument the natural
equay IN which men enter society," and The right majority
Phe direct tendency the obvious az well as -
mt'ee is to enable such majority people of Virginia n
The member from Chesterfield recurring 10 the same period
present au b from supposed inequality of the
me revolution TO his aid Our quarrel with mother coun
H he along with several of his predecessors earnestly tells US
the violation rinciule for bc -
ana they cnendn ''of witot ,beir
consent which they define require a certain prouor
ton between aud representation On the Other h1d
has been Insisted by friend from Booke, the Reyou
ton sprung from total DENIAL the bart Cooues of
the right OF the British Parliament, bind 10 an obe.ece
o any laws whatever to which they had given assent
No TWO gentlemen have precisely agreed this topic; and
in
lar as they have gone Their disagreement arisen from
their sevcrally referring to different periods Of
contest Of long duration? 1t began with the me-
morable stamp act, which imposed tax To o,a
rate In the interior of each COLONY mnpl;no r,;th
all the transactions of life. The tax was resisted II;
argument on both sides of the Atlantic on the rouad
that the colonies net represented I'm the Poraia
ment OF England, and therefore should NOT no t.xs
The stamps were sent TO Amcrica-a mob al VIZ
liamsburg threatened their destruction. The stamo
master resigned his taton almost as soon ms be lay
|
stamps re-shPped and the act imposing them Shortly
after rcsciuded. . 80 '''
The elder Pit and his eloquent coadiutors in on.
position TO the British ministry of that dav contend
ed, that the mother country had right TO hind fba
colonies I'D all cases wha ever of legislation but that
taXat'on vas not Legislation That taxes were free
grant of money, by the commons to the crown an5
that, BENG so. the Commons of England could NO,
gram al away the money OF the people OF America
Fortunateiy' as the event proved, for u.s. but I'M
luckily for Great Britain, Charles Pownshcnd dice
vered mode of obviating the objection O the etoTor
act' by the exercise of what he considered the mn
questioned right of Parliament to regulate the trade
between the colonies and the me. her country pb;nS
| ne deemed an Office of ordinary legislation Uenco
| the imposition OF duty tea, payable on beinc
! landed at the place of importation
Tie colonies found that they had notbina 20 ,-.,
by this distinction since money could ne LIZ -
drawn from their pockets by commercial reo1Iotione
whch were laws, as by taxation considered as whnt
lew taxes ever the free grants of those Ia, ,,h
thcy are paid. They discovered in fact ,,ho, tj;
friends, for some time appeared not to have kpo,
on the other side othe Atlantic; that to avoid IA xatio,
III come shape or other they must maintain tho DO
trince that the British Parliament had rigbt IN bi
mem mem III no shape whatever without their consent
mat the Union of he Empire on both s;Joo &c IL
atlantic, was as that of Scotland witt. ENGLAND IN
| t s crown; ana not IN the Parliament NV friend
rom brooke had IN his able argument, very trnjv
uescr1Ded ms stage of the controversy at which and
not before the tender of n representation in pnIia
| in9ht was made to America by England and scorn
| ieuly as wei as wisely rejected. Had similar Of
or', at reconciliation been made, at the period NJ
The repeal of the stamp act a different rez5It ,n;S.
,ave happened, and the subsequent controversy de-
ayed, IT not prevented. TO this early stage az TIC