Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-04-06
: MONDAY MORNING, APRIL s, 1880.
The Constitutional Po,ver-.u,. Bcrbour

<Ne constitutional Po1per-yE3'. Barbour,
A Washington Correspondent of the Charleston
courier, states that in his speech on the BuffaJoe
and New Orleans Road, Mr.. Philip P. Barbour sem
tlrey and avowedy' abandoned the ground of con
stitutiona opposition; not that his opinions were
changed in that respect, but the sense of the House
was too entirely against them to admit of even a
chance ofhis successful advocacy of them
The time when this Abandonment is made If as
we presume, the correspondent is correct in his state
ment) is worthy Of remark. Great efforts, land as
tar as the Southern States were concernedl sue
cessul efforts made during the late contest to
establish the Virginia doctrines Of limited construc-
ton as the standard of true orthodoxy. An occa
sonal letter from the neghbor hood of Nashville or
from the Tennessee Representation at Washington
published in the Richmond Enquirer, held out the
confident promise that the tenant of the HERMITAGE
had become convert to the limited school, and j.
was thus endcavored to give the color of principle to
his support by Virginia. That he would prove
second Jefferson, and bring the Government back to
the true principles ofhe Constitution, lift was never
believed, was boldly affirmed! The proof Of the
pudding is in the eating. At the end of the first
year OF his Administration, distinguished an advo-
cate OF limited construction as Philip p. Barbour
expressly uDahuonS constitutional opposition to the
internal improvement power for the reason that the
sense OF the House too decidedly against him 10
give him chance Of success! The last Adpinistra-
ton was opposed and denounced as federal because
of the exercise of this very power Of Improvement
We now fad Jackson Government exercising it on
a scale Of unknown maguifcence, and the ablcst
champions of State Right doctrines, compelled for
mally to renounce their advocacy, as hopeless!
We might lcgitimatcly, on this occasion, claim Tic
credit of having sccn and forctold that which has
come to pass. We might point to our warning to
Virginia not to expect any all from Cen Jackson in
the recognition Of her principles for That there was
no help in him We might refer to Our exposure Of
the fraudulent representations which made him .
disciple Of tho school, upon the spirit Of which his
whole public life a perpetual warfare. We
might hold up TO meritcd shane, the go-bctweens,
who, apprised Of Cen Jacksons recorded continents.
and chat he could not with safety if he could with
honor, enforce the opinions of Virginia, made his
Willingness to do so, the pretencc Of wheeling this
Commonwealth into his support MD prostiiung her
unsulcd purity to his foul and communicating GIN
braces. We said that she had every thing to lose,
nothing 70 gain, by his election; for that he could not
and durst not, abandon the Tariff and Improvement
majority and that the manifestation which would be
made Of this fact, would still further debilitste the
cause by proving that sense of gratitude united to
other obligations, still too weak 20 induce bun to
engage in an Unpouular cause.