Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-24
EsEwATa2 ON ABOLITION.
Remarks Of 1fr. SHE'LL.
ICONCLUpr

Guircl is abolition, IT became 4 question of no
little concern and difficulty with gentlemen. to de.
wise somc equitable and reasonable cyncjicu, ,o
iiscrcumhcr the good citizcns OF this oood ola
Commonwealth Of this uncomfortable pcstilence.
To this end. various most happy contrivonces
have been resnricd to as likely to attain this mer.
citul object. The one, however, that occurs to mo
as being by far the most simple and direct e No,
the most just and legal, is that, for the invcn,;or
Of which, we owe 4 debt &c gratitude ,o Tho rcn.
tlcmon from Berkeley. lie proposes TO abolish
Speaker, tlIr. Woop Of AlJonlarlo in the Cboir !
ON the novel attitude Of Il Legislature seriously en-
g"ged in obatimg Il nuisance, was to NV mind
perfectly conclusive. | must say, YOU did in my
Judgment, completely abatc and abolish the ucn.
ticinor's argument on this point. You ey,l,incd
what | had never heard denied before, and VIVA,
! diI not suppose any lawyer would DENY. even in
thcSo days Of new and cxtravarant nrinc;plcs
that Courts Of Justice were the proper tribunals
where questions OF nuisance were to be moved and
dccidcd-and YOU demonstrated with , mower
which carried, | doubt not, conviction ,o cvcrv
impartial mind, the considerations aud tho rrinci.
pies which enter into and are involved in In, DO.
cISion OF questions Of auisancc,-and proved that
they could not DO made 70 apply here. even If this
were Il proper tribunal before which t., brinr tho
examination Of such subject. We know, sir. that
some very strange applications have, at different
times. been made to this Legislature for relief.
hut ! believe / am right when | say this is the first
Application ever r:dC TO abatc n nuisance. Nor.
sr, $ it among the least remarkable things occur.
rInC here, that tho application, contrary TO all ru!c
and precedent, comes not from the region infect.
cd-1ct from tho vicinity where the pcstilcnce
uocs exist, but i; comes from Il distant and remote
quarter oil tho State, far removed beyond the of-
tects Participated injury. And what is still moro
rcmarkablc, aud more strangely una accountable,
TINS Application 10 abatc, is not only made by a
"ISlhtercst"d stranger, but urged and vchemcntly
pressed against the consent OF the party ANNOYED.
NOW, s!r, admitting that tho Legislature is the
proper tribunal to abatc n nuisance-and that thi,
is Il nuisance, | would hunbly ask, what delegate
ought ilrSt TO have stood forth on this floor to
utter his complaint? Who ought first 10 have been
seen engaged in painting this evil-in pourtraying
us dangers, ana urging upon this House the nceos.
sly OF IT'S rcmoval-its abatement? Surely, sir,
acr"fH'ng TO all the principles Of human action
ana motive, the Delegate representing that county
"o'"'hS inc greatest proportionatc number of
saves, ought first to have raised the voice Of
alarm and lamontatiop. Coming from tho land OF
infection, he should first tell of it's existence
SUBJECT to the dangerous contamination, it was
MS especial duty first TO ask, to demand its rcmo
val. But, sir, so far from this Delegate standing
Iorth 10 make known the complaints of his con.
Sti'uontS, on the score of this nuisance, he is seen
s"IcInniy to deny It's very cNistencc-whilc those
rom alaF MAINTAIN that ii does exist, and that
friendly regard for the lives of those endangered
Ny us presence among them, requires its immedi.
ate abatement. Mr.. Speaker, this struggle is Ger
,aih4y an unnatural one, 10 say the least of it
" ould 1t not be thought Il little SINGULAR. thinl,
you, If a man in Mccklenburg wcrc to commence
regular proceedings in Brunswick, with the sole
intention of ahpting Il mill dam u. Il nuisance to
the people of tho latter county? But, sir, would it
not strike you, as bcin" precisely the most sinru.
lar contest IT had ever been your fortune to wit.
ness, ii upon the trial, ii should happen, that eve
~ man IN brunswick was in arms to sustain tho
dam And, sir, what conclusioh would you draw,
Whcn The prosecution was maintained on tho sole
ground, that the continuance of the dam was
likely to endanger the health Of the very people so
If mn ME- rora.f.- l.
tor! Who do you think, MIR. Speaker, would
pay the costs? But tho gentleman SAYS, that al
th"ugh TINS may not he Il nuisance 10 his country,
at this time, yet it will be 4 nuisance, and that
that wonld Justify the present movement.
The new lights OF knowledge, Mr.. Speaker, are
constantly flashing from every quarter upon us
Row, SIR, | had heretofore been labou-irr uuder.
tnc Impression, that Il nuisance was Il thing in
cssc-an actually existing evil: and an effort to
Hpato II, L had imagined, prc-supposod a state of
SciuAiIy existing annoyance. To move n Court
to ao1le a nuisance not now in being, but which,
on aT!ihnnctical calculation would possibly exist at
some distant day, ] am disposed to believe, would
SUBJECT tho party to tho suspicion Of having sub.
united rather Il singular motiOn-nor can |, for the
HE o! me, SEQ on what evidence such a case
could ever be successfully maintained. Accord.
ing to the luminous statistical calculations submit.
ted by gentlemen, | believe it is asccrtained that
the great black river of slavery (s it has been
termed Will break over the Western mountains.
in the short space of seventy years, and then il
will be Il nuisance in the West.
Inc gentleman Is engaged then in the solemn
work, not Of a6ating an existing evil, but one which.
ON the most accurate theoretical calculations, will be
OronSht TO lite some seventy years hence. He
strikes indeed sir. at the very root OF the evil, and
by n bold and manly blow he abolishes a nuisance
seventy years before it has life and being.
The best position, and much the most tonablc, is
that assumed by my friend from Amherst, i'm the
ingenious view he took the other day. He placed
tnc right to act on the salus popu.i principle. | am
not fond of using Latin MIR. Speaker, and could
but think the other day, when the gentleman from
berkeley was making his fine speech, that all his
arguments might be answered, except those he was
pleased 10 give us III Latin. | admit the principle
insisted on 10y the gentleman from Amherst; but
SIR, does not that gentleman perceive, that nv adj
MISSION does not advance him at all. The question
,ml'ncdIatciy arises does the public safety require
tHc adoption OF so important and dangerous a Inca.
sure? Is the public safety in fact i'm dangcr2
where IS tins danGcr,-in what part Of the Com
monWca!th? Is it TO be found over tho mountains2
NO not at present, but dreadful TO relate, unless
statistics be dcccPtious, it will he there in the short
space OF seventy years. Gentlemen tell us The
danger is in the Eastern Section-in our own Dor.
ton Of the State.
Mir. Speaker, it is really passing strange, that we
who live IN the midst of this danger, cannct he
mace 10 sec II, while others perceive it so distinct
~. | must admit, Notwithstanding the deep feel.
iuEs winch nave mingled in this question, that |
nave actually been amused at the unexpected turn
Things Save taken here. With the greatest sa-aci.
~ and humanity gentlemen approach us, and saw,
''"o must render you immediate assis,ancc-vn
''wiii moi stand idly hy, and sec yonr thro1ts en-.
." ~ c come TO arrest this enormous evil so rapidly
'accdlnuiaim% upon you. We mourn your melau.
'choly, and iorlorn, and Gisccusolatc condition.
Unless tbs curse be cNtcrininated, your tlroats
must aud will be cut. Wn feel for YOU tho warm.
"cst emotions Of friendship. Legislative aid We
''IFg DESTROYS TO afford yCu-Jp, apCrrf ;4 ~.