Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-09

Ia I a. rir
al and derived from, tb, assent and agreement ,c
those who arr united with MS. l,y comnn,, in Tho
same politir,l family The ri~nt To- orr Lands j.;
not n natural one Tho earth is the common,
property of all, and the privilege of approDrintin,r
a ror,on of IFS surface TO our individual uve {,
derived from the social compact and no, from n
turc. Yet the richt to hold slaves, and the riohi
to appropriate lands. arc recognized bv our law
and equally guaranteed by the Constitution The
gent ruap from Eulus,vcli very uronrrlv rcC,rr,J
10 the Constitution OF the t. states, which cor,
tuius the same clause that is found i'm our State
Constitution. us Attending an additional u,tard tn
slave property. 20 give eject TO that instrument
in any particular state il is only necessary ,o -.
certain what is property hv the laws of That S,,t,
What is property i'm one State, may not bn so j.,
another. IL is enough that in virginia slaves ,r,
property. That hcin,. admitted, the Constitution
of the L. s is To he considered as rpcnrni2irr ~
guurautyiuw them as such. The gentleman from
Berkeley. however. protests against the iu,rodnc
ton OF th, Constitution OF the L. :. lie saws bc
is proud of belonging to a certain party, the name
Of which il is urucrrssYrv TO r2pcat IN, - :; -
party which has ALWAYS been ready to onpoo, ,o
that Constitution whenever it was thought cxnc,Ii
"ut to increase the powers of the General Coveru
mcut, or to strip the States of their rights Nn,,
however, when this Constitution is invoked IN
defence OF the rich, of propcriy in sl,vns ,L
gcmt,cinau seems filled with Il holy horror md
declares il is purclva State concern and Inc would
not, for the world, that the Federal Constitution,
should bc chit To bear on so delicate a question
v. a
resources, and | dare saw il is immateri,l viii
him. whether by the law or the constitutions sl,vc.
are property or not b. ,hcy vhn, thov may bc
Cutcraina another nrinciplc :, hich rI,cC ,L' ~
entirely at his rcrrv lie saws tLrr AZ, Jnn,,.'r
Gus TO the pubIi, safety and NAV ,horar,ro L
'ahatcd az a ruisincr; Tho idc, ~ drx,rry;rr
some noyiou. oh;.ct that crr,nder. ncs,;Icncr
and is obviously Injurious to tin, life and propcrtv
in its Immediate vicinity is c,,piliort nh nj
did any one ever brtorc roncc;yc Tho ,Lonrb, - :
/ abating as n ..ruis,uco" ,,bnIn ron,l,,;o,, co.,
stitutiHo an orr,nic ,,,rt or ,Lc rrt,nc ,,J ,Ira
ter of the body politicp The artillery Of the law
| a3rrchcud Sir is tnn lirL, for tho ,ros,r,t,,n ~
! so rfrantic and sornIefr,LIo an o,io.t ,rj,
, a ~, nv, J.. s.-. ~, g.. IL. - a.,
pie h, represents hat the owl is onnronchin ,ho,
and must he arrested He i not s,,isiaI ,yir ,L,
erection Of a h,r-;er orourl r,is horIors I'm,
the right TO come down into tbc nnc.cd Jis,r;c,
aud 10 eradicate tho owl occorJ;nr 80 III; .,,.,
views Of expcJiency. nj the evncusn Of ,hn ,,,o
holder, in order to insure the welfare Of neioh
BORING con,,nrritv Vyb,t nr;no;I :; - g.; - = ~
lies disguised under This fair cytcriorp II - ,L
doctrine of the HoIy Ali.ncn-thc vcrv b,.;s on
which they have consolidated their nowo~ and
through the operation Of which, the nations Of Eu
rope, lie bleeding and dcfcucclcss at their feet
They too, claim the priyilege of rcruat;nq ,h, n
fairs OF continuous states With \ yry, g., iL ,I
fare Of their own subjects CONSTITUTING tbe,n-
selves tho iudrcs of what g mr. is no, ,n o,,u &c
we'll rs OF the measure and mode If rojrcss ,L,,
never nccd prctcyt for Interfering whom tI,,ir
interests or their passions ,,r,o thono o,v,.rl 7,
is To maintain the Aforementioned of noi,Ihor;rc,
nations. that they parcel ont their -crriforios
mong themselves and the better TO prescrve pcr
pGtua nCacc. that thcv march tbcir orn,icS G,.r
! the face of Europc From = nrctondca soI;c;,,J
for the ropose Of nations they have danourcod tL
revolution of France as \ cIrsc-tbo, have cr,sI
cd the mangicd remains of Poland and undor tba
abused prctence of humanity and nncnec,t,. tlo,,
plant their dcsoatinr feet on every sell that hears
a germ Of liberty. Sir this is 4 darrcrons r,Ia If
action, and will be fatal to our peace whenever il
shall he attempted. Selcprcscryation is the law,
! of nature, and prescrvativo measures are so,po
/ times necessary. But the danger must not he an
! ticipatcd-it must not be doubtiul-it must he mr.
gent, imminent, inevitable
! The gentleman from Rcrkelcy has yarnod us
cmphatjcally, that the West is firm, and uni,cd in
favor OF emancipation. Sir, / do rot presume 10
speak the sentiments Of that pcople There Is =
small portion of them to whom lately bore an
intimate political relation, and to whom shall
ever he bound by the strongest ties of Gratitude
and affection. The liberia! opinions already EXPRESS
ed by ono of their Representatives on this floor,
| Is IN exact accordance with the feelings | should
have ascr!5cd TO his constituents on such n sub;cct
/ THIS is te me, cheering augury, and should not
| be surprizcl, if the gentleman from b. should
eventually find himself unsupported in the ground
that Inc has assumed. feel we'll assured that he
WIi he alone as 10 the reasons which govern his
course. The West may vote for emancipation
hut not because they consider slaves as not pro-
perry, or as property held at the pleasure Of the
Legislature. The late Convention and the events
chat led to it, fresh in the recollection of all
IL is, now, matter of history that the strong ar
gumont urged by the East, against that measure.
was, that it endangered the security of slave pro.
perty. The West dsclaimcd, again and again, on
every fit occasion, all intention Of disturbinr that
subject In tie humble part which it was NV lot
10 act IN those scenes, disGyowcd OH this floor
any sIch object, and with the concurrence of those
wh" then acted with me- offered specific ruaran
y for slave property, in order to quiet the appra
tensions of the East. The object of the West