Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-24

4
| mental plans of legislation, would point to the
period which elapsed from 1875 to 1871. How
couldit he otherwise, when Virginia. in those, the
better and ralmy days of her greatness stood sus-
tanned in her legislation by nc pure aud philcso-
plc intellect Of ndr,on--by the patriotism %!
MaSon and I2o-by the searching vi%or and saga
city of Wy,h", and lv the al! embracing, all com
pro'cr.iyc genius of Thomas Jrftc rSon,
! Sir, ii was a com;niltcr composed of those FIVE
Hast; ious men, Who, in l11T, submitted to The
General ASgcutly Of this state then in session, a
plan for :hc sradua, emancipation of the slaves OF
this Commonwealth. The plan simple and
prlctca,--muc! in Substances Ike That which had
Tho honur of submitting to The Select Committee.
I, was based upon the iosfaat principlc--it con
tcmpatcd The freedom of all born after certain
day, and deportation at proper ACC. The same
scheme sir, which has prevailed III PENNSYLVANIA,
New York aud NIL of the Northern States with
s;,ch triumphant and gratifying success. This
;,lan um',appjly for this Commonwealth, was not
carried into CSCcution. The Causes OF It's failure are
described by Mr.. Jefferson III The Interesting ac-
count which nc has LETT OF his own lie and public
acts.
Sir, who can rccur to tho period when those
! master iu,rlc,s OF former days, were employed
| in trumph'"g over every difficulty, IN peace and
war-in surmoun,iuw every obstacle 30 which long
colonial vUsSalagc had exposed us ton tracing up
the political SIC hoard designs % civil and pO.
litical reform; and iiis the NEST important among
lcm,-and then listen to the fears, alarms, scruplcs
| aud prudential suggestions, of our more modern
politicians without being forced to cNclai;u!
"Ycmp,ra maiIRtwr muio,nur cum NiS?"
They had done enough for their day and genera
| zion. The condition Of the country, then engaged
in struggle for Independence, and Jus, emerging
into political cXistcncc, could not, at that tine,
suffer The practical extension OF their iis, aud be.
ncvolent schemes. lacy have, however, left their
plan - rich legacy - their issue" 1t is for us
| to say, whether will carry il out or not.
! Bat, : T. we told, that there can he no pos
sb!c plan of emancipation which will not ncccSsa.
/ = T. hot,
| scheme oGght 10 he sanctioned by This House which
does so invade the private rights OF Individuals
| Upon this ground, our opponents have not only
declared their opposition to emancipation, but to
any enquiry Which may result i'll the adoption of
bill
This assump'ion-for il merits no better name
is abundaDtl; d;sprovcd by the plan so luciily en-
hibtcd, Yesterday, by the gentleman from Dinwid-
die, (Ntr BrcdnaX) His plan, according 10 the
most forced construction Of what may be termed
the property advocutcS' does not infringe any
right oil property. l refer to that scheme, Sir not
because 1T meets my entire APPRECIATION, but be-
cause 1t is an ample rcfu:aton of this objection
And, SIR, while upon this part of my subject
do not know that L shall be favored with u more
appropriate occasion--pcrnit to express, very
briefly, my views Of the jrojet, of the gentleman
from DinwIddic. lis spirit is paciic--its purpose
Is compromise. But, sir like most Dropostio ions
which, in stcrmy and tcmpes,uous times sccl! con.
CITATION rather than any decisive rcsut of policy
which address themselves more to our good feel
Ings Than Ia our enlightened iudgmcnt-I fear it
deals too much i'll contradictions, and seeks too
ianctully, to reconcile impossibtics. 1t is IA
scheme which proposes to remove property and
yet respect, in its operation the quixotic no.
tons OF the right of property 1t is to revolution
izc THIS commonwealth, and, yet, to carry on that
revolution so quietly, that none perceive the
change: 1t is to dsincumbcr this State of a mass
of property, valued at ninety millions of dollars,
and yet, by means within the grasp of an ordinary
banker. This, certainly, is striking tho golden
tr,nr - l.
would more readily cooperate with the gentle
man. from Dinwiddie. than myself But, sir, i:
wants Drdctica5i!Hy. You might as well attcmpt
one by one, to gather into Il mass the sands now
scattered on the endless margin of the ocean, as
seek to remove the slave population by the means
which that gentleman contcmplatcs-Tw hun
drcd thousand dollars TO be annually appropriatcd
by the State! Why, sir, it would, scarcely alone,
pay the costs of transportation. How, then, is
the annual quota to be made up? By gift or bv
purchase! if, by gift, his views arc visionary-If
| bypurchasc, his means are inadequate. Sir, we can
accomplish nothing by scholastic dispu,ations
about rights. The gordian knot must be united
| If it is by the sword-Asia must be vanouished
tho country must be saved.
But, Sir, according to my judgment, neither does
the proposition of the gentleman from Albcmarlc
| (Mr Kandop!D violate any Just rights of private
property. That scheme take occasion TO saw,
| is not TO my taste, nor was it submitted with my
appreciation. 1t is however before us-and VIC must
| pronounce upon it.
ihat proposition operates alone upon tho post
| Tati-tIiose who may be born after the y.,h of
July, 1870. Sir, 90 not mean to inflct upon this
| learned and patient audience dry and metaphsi-
| cal legal argument, elaborated from the materials
which law library readily Administrations do I
mean hcrc to jcopardiso my professional reputation
| oy even pTonouIcing an opinion, upon "a point
happily located inter APES !cgiS: will content nv.
self with addressing single enquiry to my friend
| from Campbell (Mr. DanieD who preceded me- and
who seems TO have taken this part of the subject
under his peculiar guardianship. TO what class of
rights would he place right TO that tchich is not,
and which may ncUer be? Under what head
| could he define the rights, which the slave holder
has to thai, which may or may not come into po-
tcntial existence ten years hence! l must confess
ii is TOO attcnua;cd for my legal apprehension to
grasP-and think it would puzzle the learned
doctors ofSt Omers to give satisfactory solution
Is It right erecateG or right erecufOry? Is it
an interest ncCideRtGI Interest RcideRtGl, an
interest substantial? Or is 1t right in prcsenH
hadenGUm IN tufU1O2 Sir, says the gentleman from
Brunswick, it is right Ucsted--No says his able
co-adJutor of DinwidGic, it is right contingent.
MAINTAIN, says the gentleman from Brunswick, it
/ Is right, independent and superior 10 al! other
rights. / regard it, says the gentleman from Din.
wddic, as Alright, incidental TO other less question
| cd rights. And in due time, shall double
have some third gentleman, clown South" rise in
his place, and with quite as much plausibiiitv,
contend that it is neither the the other
bat tcItium guid-having many Of the qualities
! OF both, but none of the essentials Of either
Sir, aPpTohend these learned gentlemen will find
1T quite difficult 10 classify their iavortc rights as
TIC famous doctors Of S;rdsburg did, to ascertain
the reality of poor S!aw!c.bergius'5 nose.
'',ris Il false nose ;" cries the Anti y osarian:
"'Iis true nose, - cxcaims the Nosarian:
OTIS faith" rcjons the orc:
''TiS FLI,cStic:c," cries the other"
sr, / would disdan, upon an occasion Of this