Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-28


never be executed. The estimated cost of trans
porting slaves from tho continent of America
TO the coast of Africa, is thrty-threo dollars for
each soul. The cost of transporting 5000 souls
as cstn0tcdby the gentleman from Dnw iddic, is
two hundred thousand dollars: but this is the
mere cost Transportation and settlement. The
gentleman rcpudatcs the very idea of violating the
sanctty OF private property. Slaves he re-
CARDS lnvloab!c property. He would wrcst no
slave from his holder, against the consent of that
holdcr-or without just compensation. just com
pcnsatlon for our slaves would average two hun
dred dollars each; which would afford an aggregate
al 81 ,2OO, O0O-this sum added to the sS2OO,OOO,
the cost of transportation affords general aggregate
OF Sl,1OO,OO0, to be raised annually by tax on
property, for the single purpose of accomplishing
tins plan, and entirely exclusive OF the civil list 10
support the civil list, property tax is
imposed of S277, 600; which, added to the amount
necessary to accomplish the plan of the gen
tlcman, viii make sum equal to s. ,617, 900,
to be raised annually by tax property in
stead of the sum of sS277,O00, the amount now
raised by Il tax on propcrty--viz: for each
dollar OF property tax now paid, we shall pay
more than SO, if adopt this scheme. When
shall we be relieved from this load of oppression?
Not at the end of onc--nor of ten years. But, if
every thing should operate with exact accuracy
III we should experience no disappointment, the
people OF the Commonwealth may cherish u hope,
that, they may find some relief, after they shall
have groaned under this load of OPPRESSION for the
full period of seventy years.! We must pass
from the scene of action children must be
numbered with the dead long before the arrival of
the day, when we may even hope for relief 1t
has been said by most profound thinker, that the
Chief characteristic of the English pcopc--inhcr
tied by their descendants here, is that, they asso
ciatc as inseparablc, the ideas of liberty, and of
exemption from taxation. is it to be expected that
the people will submit to this cxorbitant taxation
Tor the purpose of paying for their own property
tax themselves to pay themselves. Collect from
them an amount sufficient pay them for their
slave property, you take from them amount
equal to the value of the slaves: and you had Just
as well take the slaves themselves. Let us exam
me INTO the amount, necessary to be raised for the
purpose of calculating this plan. There with
In the limits of the Commonwealth 469 721 slaves
which at average of 5000 each, would com
mand the of 500, 9liS0O. The cost of export
ing our slaves to Liberia, ut $3.50 EACH would be
Sl5,5O0 S92. This sum added to the amount of
the purchase money will afford an aggregate of
SlO9,ll5, 692 to be raised in seventy nine wears
exclusive of the amount necessary for the current
expenses OF the Government.
My friend from Petersburg, has estimated the
amount necessary to be raised, at Sis, 600 900,
exclusive OF the civil list. Neither of us has stat
cd any account of the expense to be incurred for
the purchase and expectation of one, born after
the taking of the last census. We have only cal
culatcd the cost of purchasing and transporting
those now in existence; the real expense would be
greater than we have the means of calculating
SIR, the people cannot bear it; and rely it, they
Will not bear if. The unconscious minds of gen
u"men seemed TO have received an involuntary
conviction of this truth; and according ly, we find
the gentleman from Dinwddic already referring
to other sources. We are directed towards the
government of the United States: we are to ask
our portion oithe public lands. Observation-Disclosures
rested, magnanmOus Virginia is To be dragged, as
mcndcant, to the portals of the General Govern
mcnt, to beg the crumbs which fall from it's sump-
tuous board Can we expect ctfcctual aid from
that source! The largest received by
the Federal Government from the public lands
S2,l79,65S 80 cents The population of
Virginia, i'll federal numbers, is about the one
eleventh part of the entire population of the United
~ fed md
attended with success may calculate re-
cciving the one-elcventh part of the whole amount
annually derived from the public lands, which will
about equal S225, OOO Deduct this sum from
Sl,4OO,OOO, and you have balance of about
Sl,l75,OOO to be annually raised by tax pro-
pcrty exclusive of the current expenses of the go
vernmcnt! And this system to endure at the least,
through the full term of seventy mine years! Yet
the ardent gentleman from Hanover, has main
tanned that the wisdom and practicability of this
plan, has been demonstrated beyond the power of
rctutatIon. Sir, has it been shown that we NAV
discharge annual debt of $ 900, by the
payment of $685. 600? We must still farther lose
our confidence in the resources of the public
lands, five reflect on the fluctuations in the price
of lands,--the difficulty of making sales and col
lcctiOns;-and the fact, that the entire stock of
land may be exhausted before the expiration of Sc
vcnty-ninc years. 1t is also proper to remind the
House, that all estimates have been made, not
on an average of receipts from the public lands but
on the largest amount of any year.
MIR. Spcakcr,--if we disregard these suggestions,
ana PROSTATE the commonwealth, as a suppliCant
tor charity at the hands OF the federal government,
and fail TO obtain the wretched boon, what will be
the sense of humiliation with which our people
must be afflicted! And, sir, is it not probable that
our application will be neglected and despiscd!--
that we ourselves shall be spurned from the pre-
sencc! Reflect on the remarks submitted by my
friend from Brunswick, (Nr. Shell.) Shall we
make vain attempt to procure amendments to the
Constitution? Can expect the cooperation of
men, who, by conscntng to such amendment
would virtually admit that their political career
has been distinguished by total neglect and disrc
gard Of the principles of the government which
they have solemnly sworn to sustain? Would you
consent to receive the boon? Would you accept a
gratuy from the federal government, in the alb
sencc of all constitutional sanction. Sir, trust
it is impossible. trust that this Commonwealth
is not destined by her own solemn and deliberate
act, TO invoke Il violation of those sacred
principles for which she has so often pro-
tesscd an nviolablc attachment. Sir, |
know not whether to express Of morti-
fcation, or Of astonshmcnt, at the declaration of
the gentleman from Dinwiddie, that person ever
heard of an objection to an appropriation of the
avas of the public lands to this object, or to OBJ.
leCts of n similar charactcr:-that these avas con
stltutc distinct fund, which may be appropriated
to literary purposes, and other objects of like char
acter. Is it possible that this is sol Is there any
clause in the constitution, any provision ofany sort
which distinguishes the proceeds of the public lands
from any other revenue of that government When
these proceeds go to the treasury, do they not
mIDgc with all other monies, and constitute one
common fund, for the constitutional purposes of
That government | say, / filled with pain
and aStonishmcnt when [ heard such de-
claratiOn cmanatc from such a source
from VlrgInian--a south eastern Virginan,
who Processes to belong to the state right party.
No man ever heard of an objection Has the gen
tcman never heard of that transaction to which
alluson has been made by the member from Kan.
awba, (NIr. SummcrsD Did he never hear Of the