Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-02-07
THE HARTFORD CONVENTION.

kOonn. lew weeks since. the dsfend nj sum
moned. asa witness in his behalf, Roger N.
Sherman. member of the celebrated Hartford
Conseniion-and II became necessary ,ast lie
should detail specifically the ohjecs and rsus
actions of that body. Given under tue solemn
sanction OF an oath, We ate bo1ud o place i'm
plicit reliance upon this detail. Aud il IL be
true. the members Of that Convention must be
acquitted Of all reasonable sengns. even b,
those who justly censur., with great severitS,
the inerpediency OF its sssemblsge, no matter
for what object, when the country was asssiled
bv foreign enemy aud distrac ted by internal
dissensions.
Mr.. Sherman declares thai the main object
of the Convention was the defence of tie New
England States against the common enemy
and to effect this obJec, il was proposed aud
agreed toby the Convention, ask the consent
OF Congress that the New England States, OF
as Inany OF them as nigh, agree together for
that purpose, might unite in defending them
selves" that so much OF the National revenue
a, might be collected in these States should be
appropriated ID The expenses Of that defeuce-
that the amount So appropriated should be ere
dted to the United sts,es-and tina, the United
States should agree to pay whatever should be
expended beyond that amount" This, Mr..
Sherman alleges, was proposed, because the
members of the Convention were of opinion
that il " ould augment the immediate resources
of the country and snhance the public credit.
A second object OF the Convention, according
to Mr.. Sherman's narrative. was 10 protect the
citizens oil New Engla from the operation
OF II law which was proposed to Congress 10y
tbs then Secretary Of War, bui which was not
adopted by Congress, for the CLASSIFICATION" Of
the Isihia--a law which the opponents OF the
war Hkensd to Bonaparte's CONSUMPTION de-
Gre es--In this, their policy would have resen-
BLEED tina, of South CAT lina mt the present day
il il had bren acted on. But the conscript law
did not pass-and the Hartford Convention
we're Joreclosed in their attempt at Nullilics-
ton.
Finally, in answer to question. whether II
WAS not the object Of the Convention to embaI =
rass and parslyze the Gov rnment of the Uni
ted Siaias, IN the prosecution OF the war with
Great Britain, Mr.. Sherman answered emphat-
lcally, at WIS not No,hioe Of the kind was
done or entertained by the Convention, or so
far ms know or believe, by those by whom IL
was originated. On the contrary, its principal
object was a more ciFcctunl cooperation in that
war, as to the defence Of the New England
stntes :" Aud again" Every measure done
or proposed has been published to thr World
No on. act has ever been pointed out, TO my
Knowledge, AS Inconsistent with thor o6l'sa-
tons TO tho Unird States, nor was any such
ever contemplated Ivy them.
We reneat. therefore, with This view oil the
subject tina, we may 40 Jonget with prop''eiy,
call thu Hartford Couventionsts traitors, IN the
od;ou, and extensive sense OF that Ierm-bpt
still their conduct was calculated to weaken
pubic confidence in the stability and energy
of our eoveinmen,--it dispifited their own
country men, whose hands they ought rather TO
have streng hened-and encouraged the rne>
nv with the hope OF profting by our InIer"al
di.sea,ious, instead Of presenting 10 him a"
upbroken phalanI Of paniots, who had mer2s"
all local aud partisan feeling in a se.,,e Of the
deep wrongs W. had Sustained at the bands Of
our naughty and powerful en- my. " Fear be-
trays like treason'-and though the motive
which constitutes the crime may have been
absent, yet the effect was most perplcxing and
disastrous and must always reflect Disgrace
upon its authors-a disgrhce Of which the
people OF South Car DINA seem now TO be most
strangely enanored'