Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-01-11

nave very high an horit, ii authority al
me gentleman from Augusta--to say that The
Feherai uovernmen' " Intended 10 be char.
geo only with the external relations of the
country but, by a strange Transformation. i,
mas becohie the regulator (abandoning Colonial
trade 10y negligence, OF incapaciy, or both
and GRIPPING all our other trade) il has became
the regulator of the interior of the country liz
ROADS IT'S canals and more than all. of its
productive or rather IT'S unproduclise labor
(for they have made il SOY
Vel with these facts staring us in The face we
ar gravely told not to look al The Fedel nj
Government at all. And this, in the Govern
menl oi virginia, where TO use very homely
phrase, but one that exactly suits the oase, we
CAN'T take step without breaking our shins
over some Federal obstacle
Sir, can readily see a very stror1 motive
Tor wishing 10 do away all past dis motions IN
politics, TO obliterate the memory of old AS we'll
as oil recent events, and ogce more 10 come will
something ike equal chances into the political
lottery.
Let me return 10 my illustration. Whit
provision is there, Mr. Charmas, either in the
constitution ui Virginia OF the Constitution OF
the Unit d STATES which established II as a
PRINCIPE that The Commonwealth of Virginia
should be the sole restraining aud regulating
power ON the mad and uncunsiiiuiionsI us,,r.
paions OF the Federal Government Their. IA
no such provision in either yet, IN practice
and in fact. the Commonwealth of Vireinia
hAs been, TO my certain knowledge, for more
than thirty years, the sole counierpoise and
check on the usurpatons OF the Federal gov
ernment-,o far as they have been checked
AT all; wish they had been checked more Il
fectually.
For long time our brethren of the South,
because we were the frontier Stale II the great
Southern division Of the Union, were dead
10 considerations TO which they have, fear,
awaked too late: Virginia was left alone, and
unsupported, unless by the feeble and of her
distan, offspring, Kentucky. II is becaus mn
unwilling 10 give up his check, OF 10 diminish
ITS torce, that am unwilling TO pull, down the
edlhGe OF our state government from the gar
ret to the cellar, ave down 10 the foundation
stone. will not pot IN hazard this single good
for all the benefits the warmest advocate Of
reform can hope TO derive nom the results Of
this body.
The gentleman from Augusta told us. yes
ferday believe, o. the day before, or the dd,
before that q really do not remember which,
that slaves have always been subject of tax.
alton in Virginia, and that long While ago
neat cattle had also been taxed. ln regard 10
these horned cattle, | think they have occupieJ
full as. much attention as they M" enlIiled Ia
in ihis debate. But let ii be reme mbslcd tat
we were then not taxing tn cattle Of the West,
for there was no West, but II lew scattered sci
Elements beyond the noun ain; and what we
have been discussing wns the proportion OF
axes paid by the East AMI the West No
sooner wns an interest ia this subj Pct establish
llshed beyond the mounains, than the TAX was
LID A. al, Al.
wealth Of Virginia vas throughout a slavehod
ing Commonwealth, (woud "a God she wee
SO now And is il ,uen SO wonderful that
slaves should have been subject oi laxano !?
Yes, sir Virginia was then not only thro Oh.
Out a slaveholding, bu, a tobacco planting Com
monweath. You 'an't opeo the statute book,
Il mean one oil the old siaIule books, not those
hat have been deface1 by the finger of reform
and not see that tobacco was, 10 tict, the cur
rency, ms well AS the staple If the STATE. We
paid our clerks fees IN tobacco verdi Is werr
given in tobacco ; aud bonds were executed
PAYABLE in lobaCcO. That &C 'ounls for II all.
While iarge portion Of the state has cras II
TO he Il slave holding, al a still larger portion
has ceased TO be tobacco planting community
the burden has rested on The necks Of "A com.
paravely small, unhappy. and will say II,
prescribed caste in the community. Mo-
that any snch effect was intended when all
were tobacco planters taxes % slaves and to-
baeco were fair and equal. But lime, the
greatest of innovatoTs, has silently operated 10
pr duce this great and grinding oppression.
MY nauyity cast my lot there am one Of
them. ! participate in all their interests and
feelings. And il had been tod .-unln | had
the evidence OF fact TO prove it--tbat one OF the
great slave holding add tobacco plsnting dis
10 nd IN hp bf he
report of the Legislative Committee. unnIuga.
ted, or. to use a term for which am indebted
To thu gentleman from Spou.ylvania, unmodi.
fed, or unduci6ed by any Thing 10 give II
wholesome operation ! would not have believ-
ed il Nnthing bui ocular and aurIcuar de-
monStrations would have made me believe II
possible. For my part bad not only, as the
gentleman from Ches erfed bias said. better
never have been bern, but, beng born aud
grown up as am, II were better Tor me that
mill stone were Hanged about my neck aud
| cast into the uttermosl depth Of the sea.-than
to return 10 INV Constituents after having
given a naked vote for the report Of the Com
mi tee.
Sir. wnen speak Of danger,-from what
quarter does il come from whom! From The
corn and oat growers 90 the Eastern shore, the
Kappa hsnock and the Pamunkeyf From the
fishermen on the Chesapel The f'io,s OF
Elizabeth City J No, sir-irom ourselves
from the great slave holding and tobacco plant
ing districts of the state. ! could not have
brought myself to believe it-nothing could
have pursuaded me TO btlieve that the real
danger which threatens this great interest,
should spring from those districts Themselves.
And arrogant and presnmpiuous as Il may ap.
pear 10 me, (hese epithets have been applied
TO US by the gentleman from Augns's) will
risk any thing short of my eternal salvation ON
the fact, that when the people OF that region
come TO understand the real question, you
will as soon force, ratshane down their ihroalS
as n Constitution with such principle III It,
The gentleman from Augusta told us. yes
,erday, or the day before, cannot be certain
as to the precise day with some appearance as
ifit were a grievance, that the people had IN
terfered-and he asked il we were 10 be M
srucled out of our seats FL answer yes. such
as cannot be instructed in their seats, must be
instruc' ed out of their seats. He says The voi-
ces of the people from county meetings and