Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-26
The Richmond VSEaE..
Speech of JAMES MCDOWELL, Jr. of
Rockbridgc, on the slave Question:"

oii tliI hpluNC SSuCStl IIls
Delivered in the House Of Delegates of Virginia,
on Saturday, tie 2lSt Of Junuury 1892.
Mn. SrENKER:-Th.rt are many circumstances
connected with the protraction OF the present do
bate, which make II, personally, undesirable for
me To enter upon it now. The various bearings
OF which it is susceptible have been cxpor cd the
principles which the decision of it should final.
iy rest have been stated and cxamiucd; the stores
oil argument and of fancy have alike been drawn
upon to sustain and relieve it-thc whole grorud
repeatedly, ably and successfully pre- occupic In
tins situation, silence, especially bv W .osc
habits commend it To his observance, and whose
legislative duties havo entirely detached MIN from
the immediate subject of debate, Ga debate, too,
Unexpectedly introduccd,l can only be broken with
positive disadvantage. And, Sir, | would not
break it now; would not oScn the lips which dis
crcton should seal, were it not that the question
which we are discussing, and the discussion itso,
have brought crisis on the country; have brought
up measure tor decision here, Of such evcntiul
influence over the social structure and condition OF
the state, rs to demand, impcra,ivcy demand, of
every member that, guided only by his Judgment
and his conscience, no should stand forth, firmly
and deliberately, and take his position upon it.
In doing thus, | desire that my reasons may ac-
company my act. Sir, il there sub
jet thrown before The public councils of any pco-
pic, which involved crisis in their affairs, that
subject is before view II in what aspect YOU
can, and decide 1T you may. 1t Is whose
consequences go more to the peace and power of
this Commonwealth; to that OF the whole slave
holding portion of our Union--posSiby to that of
the Union ltSclt-uuC which will wakcn up
throughout the Continent of America deeper
response of sympathetic feeling, and will compile
hcnd in its final results, a wider range of opera
ton upon intellectual and moral and christian
man, than any to which the Legislature of Virgil
MIA has ever been directed. Cast your eye for
single instant over that volume of consequent C rs
to our own, and to the millions of another race
whose dcStlnIcs are complicated with in
this mcasure-cast your eye to these as they lie
folded the DronOStinu m " nj
You Will nj once perceive that 1T is not in the pow
or o rhctorlcai extravaganza to give to that pro-
position any Fictitious weight; that it is not more
than competent for language itself, cncrvatcd as
its strong terms have become by familiar USE AIDE +.
quaicly to impress suitable conception OF it's cha
racler We, Sir, 10 whom IT is given to originate
and dispose OF the measure from which these con =
sequences viii flow, to he the actors in this new
scene OF legislation, viii stand out in the fore
ground Of our cOuntry's hstory-promncnt on
Its canvGss-the subjects of curious interest and of
various anlmadvcrsIon, to the statesmen and the
phlanthropists of a:tcrtmc. Thus elevated by
the circumstances in which we are casually placed
TO peculiar association with the future fate Of
the Commonwealth, /, for one, am deeply sensible
both to the responsibility and the distinction of
the posture; deeply sensible to the anxious call
which Virginia makes, in this trying hour of her
fortunes upon the caimcSt wisdom of her public
men; and am gratIhcd-nay, am proud, that
one, and an humble one, of these, il is permitted
me to respond to that call, by uniting with others
III,
however startling at the first sight, is the only
one III which a guarantee can be found for the
great interests of the State, for the permanent
security and happiness ofthc citizen. This policy
which has long been rcpresscd by unmaniy apprc
tensions or smotIcred the dream of imprI.ti-
cable benevolcncc; discoursed of by the statesman
only in his closet; and brcathcd by the Christian
only In silent prayer for his country:-this poll
cy, thank Heaven, can at last, be debated in the
face of day-n the face of assembled muti;udcs-
can DO brought Tor judgment TO the bar of reason,
and searched and decided 10y the lights oC truth
Advcring to the course of debate, that | might
collect from 1t the prominent points which it has
been conducted, and, far as practicable eXa-
mlne them myself, regret that any one of them
mas been lost to mc-rcgret especially, that 7 was
casually prevented from hearing the remarks OF
the gentleman from Petersburg, Mr.. Brown,) as
well because they have been represented as cxhi.
biting favorable specimen of intellectual power,
as because OF their assuming some new grounds OF
argument. Not having heard them, however and
no report of them yet existing for reference they
arc inaccessible TO me for any purpose, either of
criticism or conviction. SO far as the debate has
come within my knowledge, 10 direct enquiry has
nccn made INTO the relative capacities of the ne
gro and tho white man. iQbOrerS-as the mere
agents of production. This enquiry seems to have
oech cStoPPcd by the general, believe, universal
concession, that slavery was an "cvil." Thus sir
branch, necessary TO the full invests cation of the
subject and ono upon which the cxpediency of
gradual emancipation can well be supported, has
becn closed. / say well supported, because no
proposition can be moro easily conclusvcly esta-
pushed, both by general deduction from the princi.
pies OF human nature and by Observed facts than
th's that the labor Of free white man, in the
temperate latitude of Virginia is more productive
than that of sayc-yicldng larger a@rrcoaic
for public and for private wealth. But is not in
thS relation, not as laborcr of equal or of lose
caPabity than tho white man, that the negro has
OeeI considered; he has been considered chiefly as
an n'lc" element, IN the composition of our civil
SoL",5; d. constituting class which cannot be