Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-09

from The time of meetnus mt the Capitol in Mo-
vcnibcr, why was u necessary to communicate that
determination TO Mr. Leigh the morning of the
10th Dec, through Mr.. Ncalc? This communci-
tion of fact publicly known could not be necessary
for bis own government either IN relation 20 his own,
or any other scheme If the fact communicated had
been known TO him before. Again Mr.. Ncsc says,
lt was TO me that the gentleman from Chesterfield
alluded, when he said that member of this House
had this morning made communication to him as TO
the probable vote Of the western members the
proposition of the gentleman from Albcmarle, IGOR
DOM This quotation makes it evident, that for
whatever intended, 1t was the probable vote on
Gordons plan which was the subject of this private
communication. And so far as AIR. Cooke and Mr..
Henderson were coscctned, IL was pricaie commu-
ncation to ar Neac OF their ultimate intention,
which, according to Mr.. Cooke, had been notorious
ever since the 29,h of November.
After stating that IN a conversation with two rcn-
tlemen, Mr.. Henderson and Blr, Cooke.) in which
all parties agreed III opinion that the western plan
had finally failed, and in which they expressed their
fears that Mr.. Leighs plan would succ ed, that il,
would blast our hopes and that its adoption would be
opposed by the whole west and by some in the cast
Mr.. Nealc represents them saying THAT If
"schcme so odlous To the west could be defeated,
"they had sangune hopes and were OF opinion that
'twenty or more OF the western members, now that
"their tavoritc plan was lost, would unite with the
coast In voting Tor the plan of the gentleman from
I"Alhcmarlc, (Gordou) which in their opinion was in
"tu I, more beneficial for the west than their own
"fvcriie plan: that if the eastern gentlemen would he
'satscd with the proposition of the gentleman from
"Abemarle, they would advocate it, las their own
"schcrnc had failed, and that they thought that gen.
'tlenien from the west lin which certainly under
stood that the valley ncluded) would very pro.
"bab!y, 70 the number Of more than twenty ante
with them-and If concuTred minEt, if Itloupht
proper, communicate the same to my friends; ihn.
their own schemes bad failed and that of the zen
"ucinan from Chesterfield they deemed obnoxious
and injurious and hey ciiiins TO take The nlla
'rOied tOT as presented by The gentleman from iNs
nLIr|c e' tte bet trhieh hey tiougi couii be got"
NfNNsT fs,rs hat,
view, here is direct disclosure 20 Mr. Nealc orour
Ultimate determination 10 adopt Gordon's plan If no
better coaid De got Mr.. NeHe was authorized to
communicate this fact, Il he thought proper 10 h4
friends; and yet, according TO Mr.. Cooke this very
fact 50 communicated on the evening OF the la.b az
December, and with authority to use il. was f.rf
noiorl9usy known ever since meeting in Noyer-
bcr-known TO some by erp' esy declaration and 10
others by strong implication. Bot tins disclosure was
made TO operate on Mr.. IciCh's scheme. 70 il so
did not suppose that any body feared lie abortion
OF hat scheme The vote or i shows tina, uotL,no
was to be apprChen6ei from II.
admit that Mr.. Cooke, on and after the 18th Doc
voted with The west on all the occasions slated nv
him. and yet, sny that tina, day lie surrendered
10 the 43 who voted against rs, aud who rcpresen,rd
minority Of the country because as have shown
some OF the dS who were with US. preferred Gordcus
plan 10 OUTS. They, now, knew that this plan was
completely IL their power, for they were assured Of
the support of two members from our ranks. end on
eonraged with the hope of some twenty or more be
SIDES. AIer this, every attempt to- establish o basis
Tor future an?ortl0nment wls futile and it was yeiI
hnown That any such attempt must be abortiye-
mere remained no IL one of hose opposed to Us he
least induceTnent to yield. Yhe fear OF separation
without doing any thing, have no doubt would
have increased our Numbers, but all grounds Cor
that fear were now removed. They who wern
for enforcing the government Of a minority step
ped on ground. What EXCISE doe. Mr.
Cooke give fnr thus yielding 20 the government
OF the minority Ccrtaiuy nothing bat this and he
urges again and again. that The plan of Gordon and
the now Constitution based that plan, was the beat
that could be obtained, that is IL was the hest that
those representing the minority would consent To Let
ME ask what ought to have been done on the 10Th
when on the fundamental question future apportion
nent, we stood divided, 10 to 43' Ought those rep
reseptng minority of moro than 40 thousand free
people, 10 have yielded those representinr the mi
poTIty merely because the latter would not concur in
forming Constitution the principles or the maio-
rIty9 Were we sent to Convention to agree to
CONSTITUTION at all events, snch the minority orr
toEmer aud present political masters, should uGree to
give Us! Or had not a sudden fear Of civil dlscord-
OF civil war; sprung up IA the minds of those who de-
seFteu Us on that fatal day: That such the cusc
Is a fact confessed
Mr.. Cooke was certainly fs7Getlll of facts, when
ne Penned tho following sentence: l. O. "Tbrouchout
the whole session before and on and amer the 10Th
"oi december, did on aH occaNions, vote with the
esiern party or friends of REFORM and against the
East, when any question involving popular
rights" He contends that bis vote for Gordon's
plan IS not an exception except that on that occasion
hS bOJtu Will the Last mT- Cooke must hive
gotten that he voted against the West on tho ath
clause before quoted, and of which he wos hDselfthc
author--that no voted against nearly all the West
on motion TO strike the words two-thirds from the 9Th
clause offered by Mr.. Madison. lie certainly could
not have forgotten that he voted against all the Iyest
on adopting the Constitution itseiE-a Constitution
saDcuoning the rule OF a minority, and among Other
PROVISIONS, Perpetuauug to tha. minority the benefit
OF tue slave representation in Congress forever or
mas such Constitution nothing in it subversye ofpo
pular rights?
have said in my circular chat Mr.. Cooke wrote
"and e%erted himsefmore in favor ola Convention
than any other man., and have referred to his pam
pbet entitled an Earnest Appeal To- the Friends of
iorn' 81 subscribed An UncomPromsing Friend of Re-
GDr, Of his efforts A few extracts from ibs,
pamphlet will serve to shew the wonderful rcyoln,ion
time. '
Speaking ofthe character Of that power whicIrthc
people OF Virginia bad devolyod on the Assembly oCl
!aTi<s-2 OF organizing Convention, he says, "f'hc
legislature OF Virginia Of 818-O, may therefore be
o'sGerea quasi Convention entrusted with ex.
oO' u.naIy powers upon the wise and honest cxer-
else OF which viii depend tho succcss ~ 49,. 90,