Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-30


in him. 10 assert it,-that they secret and
confidential
But all the calumnies which have thus stated andI
answered SINK INTO absolute insgmficancc when
impaired with those which contained IN the fol-
,2wing extract from the circulars
Several days before the 1911 December to mydS
tonShnent discovered, from the conversations Of Mr..
Cooke that The western plum IF compromise should
not be adopted. he and Mr.. Henderson IF LoudoUn
could cote for Cordon's. Neither of these gentle
men concealed tine fact from me. Judge Upshur ard
Mr. Ncac, IA member from Richmond county, boar
ded at the same house with Mr. Cooke, Mr.. Hender-
and myself, and. to ~ knowledge, Judge Upskur
and betece .ur .Yeuie kneto he ultimate deiermi-
nation Of Cooke and Henderson as tceH as did.
After the whole west had agreed to the plan OF com.
promise which have before mentioned, and which
had been first suggested by Gov. Peasants, Mr..
Cooke iii behalf of all of and of the friends of
form generally, submitted 1t III convention. .9Cer
hdrin taken THIS stand, you may juSe IF surprise
and disn,Gy learning that ne had detern,ned If
ut should be lost support Gordon PLAN and that
adUe, not len to infer ne probability
Of their doing from their knOtcn preference Of
meeting, but IN Juct informed Qf thus deter
nnimation, that they might shape their ocn course
accordingly. After this could have no well foun-
ded hopes of success We knew that some OF our
eastern friends preferred Gurdons plan 10 ours
while they would prefer TO separating without
doing any thing There yet remained one hope
which was, once more 10 press amendment
of GOrdons plan of present, own rule of future
apportonment Accordingly, on the 18TH Deccm-
luton, amended by Gordons, and which as amen
dcd was really Gordons plan. | will here refer you
To the l2Oth page OF the Journal. wish to be par
ticuar In my narrative of this and some of
the following and consequent transactions. The
resolution OF Upshur, as amended by Gordon, Is
as follows:
'''Resoired, That the representation in the senate
and house of delegates OF Virginia shall he arpor-
toned as follows:
There shall be IS senators west the Blu. RIDGE
mountain anu 10 east OF these noun ain,
There shall be in the house ofdeegatcs I27 mem
berS OF whom % shall b. elected froa the district
west Of the Alrghsny mountains, - from the val
Icy between the Allegheny and PiIe ridge, 80 from
the Blue Ridge to the head Of tilc-waicr, aud ; !
thence below
'Vhen The question lrds aJ 1u: to be nut IN tbs pyoE
ostion, matted to If .Nr. CuuLe ln,uu rise to
moue The plan Of future dpportionme,,t rehich u.
had agreed on, and Ioh'ch he had himself pFeseate
TO TIE convention. Ferceiping he toouid nj, pro
posed at myself. IL Is in these words:
AFTER the next Ccalsus bu tax IN un Ter thc laws
'ot the United Stat, IS, aud every ten years Ilercu
ter, there shall he apportionne.t of represent
'tatlon and new assessment Of land taxes. Each
'apportlonrncnt shall be made III the following man
'ner and OH the following basis, to wit: TIE number
o free white inhabitants IN the house of delegates
and tho federal basis in the senatc1
When this amendment TO Gurdon's plan was pro
poseFi, q scene 81 most unparalleled character was
presented in the convention. Will briefly but filth
fully describe IT. and for the fidelity Of my d, scIptiou
1 appeal TO every member AMI bysandrr.
candid.
able opponents. rose in his place, and informed the
whole convention that he had that morning reccired
tjOrnlltion from gentleman IA ohose rcrncity and
means # knowledge he placed the rnpIirt reI-
that If this amendment (tic one alfred by ,rc
should be rejected. the galley generally, md prob
ably Of the members Uest Of the .4Aeghap,,
tooutd unte for GordOn'S plan. THIS rave to every
friend and toe residing of the ridge certain in
formation that If he preferred to have no rule of fin,
ture appointments, he would hazard nothing by de
scr'ng and Joining the IN supporting Cior,Ion's
plan. The statement of Mr. Leigh produced uni.
vcrsal astOnishment pcrcelvng winch. he renewed
his assurance that H. relied implicitly on tho irf,r-
nation he had received. and added that he believed
1t was given him for the government Of his nyn
conduct Mr.. Powell and Mr.. Mason of Frederick
the colleagues OF MIR. Cooke. pcne rated with aston
ishm"nt at Mr L"ighs statement, declared TO IN.
convention heir disbelief that man from the WIS,
could possibly vote for Mr.. Gurdon's scheme and Tho
latter expressed his opinion that whoever had nraJ,,
this communication TO Mr.. Leigh. must have .msta-
ken the true import OF some MEMBERS conversation
Mr.. Neic then stated to the house that he had orv
Gu to Mr.. Leigh the information in question. ID.
you inquire who authorized Mr. Ncalc TO make This
statement? or, other words from whom no learned
the truth of what he thus communicable II il vnrc
not otherwise known. what followed immediately of
ter would furnish the answer. The vote was taken
on my mendment, and lost by an equal division Of
40 each side"
in the convention, the reasons which impelled Rich
ord II. Henderson and myself to separate from tho
western party on the subject then under considera
ton, used the following language:
''S,r, We know the consequences Of tal,Do tI,ie
"higb, a1d in the view ofthose who differ with us
"presumptuous ground-and say it proudly we nrn
"ready to meet them. We know the odinm which
"attaches, in time like this, of great party excite
"ment, TO any deviation, by the member Of parfv
'from the measures Of party Proudly conscious
"of the rectitude Of our motives, Of our ndnvatinc
Fidelity TO the cause of popular rights, we look
with serenity on the approach of that storm Of
popular dclusiOn, perhaps even now brewing over
our heads s"
But we did not know the consequences We did
not know-we could not have conceived il poggblo
we would not have believed had one risen from tho
dead and told so, that there was member oC that
body, so wicked, utterly dcprayed, 80 lost 10 AN
sense Of honor, and hardened against all fear Of do
lection and shame and exposure TO be Gamble of
publishing 10 The world narrative Of that Jav's
ccedngs, III which every prominent statement IS n
wliul and malicious alsChood. II was from the ia
norancc, q do not use the word in disporo,ig,,
sense) from the mlsapprchonsions. from the pTei,
dcCs, Of tic honest ycomanry Of the ytroroc o.,