Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-10-29
Ip p. BARBoUR'S ADDRESS

Fellow CITIZENS Having accepted
Judicial apppointmont undsS the Federal
Government; am about o more, 10 dis
solve the tie, which binds me to you, in the .
relation of Representative, and to retire from
your service. {,
ed, ifnot by sense of duty, at least by in |
clinaiion, to say few words to you at part !
ing. With the eYsG1Hp OF the period of
the 18th Congress, pen my fortune to !
have represented YOU uninterrupted con- |
tinui,y, for sixteen Years last past
On my part, ell that can pretend to, is
THAT have endeevored to serve you, 10 the
Utmost extent OF my ability, with zeal and
idelity. On your part, during tho whole OF |
that tlmo, l have experienced, so much stca.
diuess of support, when you thought inc
right. so mucn allowance for human ialibili-
~, when you thought me wrong, and such u
inform kindness. at all times, aud on all &C.
casions, that may say, without a figure;
ls''that your service has been perfect iree-
dom will add, that in retiring from ii,
feel engravcn upon my heart, a sense OF gra-
: ,itudc, which neither time, nor other cause
can ever obliterote, whatsoever of good CT
, ill, may betide me, in future life.
, As it would be doing injustice to my feel
ngs not to make this declaration, so, | an,
persuaded, that the circumstances under
which it is made, will in your estimation,
give it full credit for perfect sincerity. For
nop at least, | cannot have any interested
motive--I cannot have any other, save only
l the pleasure arising, from the out .pcurng of
the grateful sensibiiities OF heart, full 20 o.
veitowing.
!, As it respects the cause, which has indu-
ced.me a second time to withdraw from the
q political Theatre, ! am sure, it will be es'
D teemed by you, justification enough for me
to say-That the toll incident to service in
a. -l..t... H..
fession, is more than can bear. la a WORD
D -" That WEAKNESS wants repose; not the
8 Iepose of Incidence, for it Ia not in my nature
to indulge in that, but that of muigated Ia
Lor.
Here perhaps, I might with propriety,
\ close this valedicton-But my feelings
prompt me irresistiby to go further, and ]
yield obedience to the impulse.
Ever since the formation of our present
s Federal Government, we have been divided
n into political parties-The great line of de-
voca,ed an enlarged, and those who advo-
cate restricted construction, ofthe Const-
: tuition of the United States.
Y To the latter party it has been my pride
n and boast, to have belonged, through the
IS whole course of my public li:o--And to its
9 doctrines, have endeavorcd to point in my
S public acts, with an unvaIying polarity.
u
h still is, my sincere belief-that such course
!, steadily pursued, will lead directly, to the
peace, the harmony, the happiness and pros
perity of our common country.
. II is not my purpose at this time, to enter
4 into any speculative discussion, upon this
: subject.
have therefore on the floor of Congress,
n exhausted all my views In relation TO it-and
$ moreover, the views of others, and especially
,l s -l,,l ,s.l h.
!. nous report of her Legislature in 1893, are
$ before the public. But on this occasion, the
S last during my life on which ever expect 10
n address you, in your sovereign character, |
f ask your solemn attention, to n few remarks
i which propose to make, founded upon ex.
d Perence and observation.
9 These two antagonist principles of iatifu-
d dtnOus and restrictive construction, have for
$ now more than forty years, We'd with each
# other with varying success Behold the
! practical results as the one, or the oiher, pre-
{ dominated.
The present century opened with the great
D civil revolution, which placed in the chiefex
ecutive chair, the apostle of true principles,
and the head of the political church, whose
articles OF faith rofess.
), Compare this period of our political history,
including that of the administrations which
succeeded it, and were formed upon the mo-
del, of this archetype, with that during which
Z, the opposite principle was lord of the ascen-
: dant-And Judge them in the utmost candour,
i. by the fruits which they have respectively
= produced
Under the doctrine of restricted eonstyuc-
Q tion, we have enjoyed freedom of speech and
o OF the press-We have had a well regulated
Y economy, in every department of the Gov
o ernment-We have had harmonious concert
IN general, between the Federal and State
y authorities-And last, but not least the states
ana The people OF the states, were left to reap
5 the fruits of their own soil, diminished ONLY
!. by the necessary amount of the public dues
), VI This last advantage 1T may well be said,
that tits one of the primary objects of every
G good government. AS the natural conse-
quence of these, we have had during their
continuance, rapidly growing prosperity,
. ana with one striking exception, a general
l quietude and .Contentment amongst our peo-
. Iple.
Under the ascendancy of the doctrine OF
enlarged and indefinite construction, mark
5 beseech you, the reverse OF this picture.
Under Its reign, we had at an early period
ofour history, an alien and sedition law, upon
which large majority of American people,
have Impressed the stamp of their decided re-
probation
v AT very late period, we have seen i'm
mense expenditures of public money, and
winch were every year becoming greater
. chnracterized by the injustice, of being rails
ed from the substance oil the whole c0urmu-
: nifty, aud appropriated for The benefit of
part only, and that frequently the part, which
furnished the least portion of the contribution
We have seen the constitution extended by
construction to enable Congress to APP
IproPriatc millions, for internal Improvement
"a matter of police, which verify believe,
belongs to the local authorities of the States
1--we have seen the power Of laying and col
Letting duties, distorted from its constitutions
al purpose OF raising revenue, TO that Of regu-
lating the labor of the country-By force of
this construction, under the name Of Tariff
of duties, the labor Of one part of the country
is severely taxed, that that of another, may
he successfully applied to manufactures
Tho it is obvious, that either, labor thus APP
iPlIed, was less profitable than other labor, in
which aspect, it was impoiitic, or, that man