Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-16

GcS"iating fury Of the Indian Cholera, The
many scourgcS with which Heaven, in it's wrath,
mas punished sinful people. We're | tocitly to
dcqucscc III Il course tending 10 these results, |
should hold myself guilty of wanton dircIiction
of public duty
SIR, | would have the West to act, and act with
trnncSa. would hive them lody, To stand
IN til" gap to cntrcnch thc.Hs,t ives in the astncss
OF their mountains, and mover give an inch to the
advGu chg Cnciuy. | wuu,d even sever the unity
OF The State before wouIG tolerate the niroduct-
ion q; ;hiS Cvj,. Bat, sir, do not come TO this
SUBJECT, a. IN Justly iutjmatcd, like Bandit, Car
bomari, to take away your property without your
CONSERVATIVE, sir, in this Hall but desire TO
join with yo, in good faith, in an honest, di.igcnt
and Faithful inquiry into tie cJPcI'""cy and Frac-
iicHb'tiyOt removing what Is On al hands admit
tcH to &c evil to the entire State. our desire
40 obtain the end in view, We can bc actu1:cd hv
40 immcdoi", personal or r"l.jSh motives. By any
scheme which could he aGopcd, we must be taxed
FIR the deportation orslIvcS tN; exist no. amongst
us. We shall destroy that property which has
heretofore ami npw bears the greater portion Of the
taxation OF the state and III great degree relieves
us from the burhcns of the Government. We are IL
bout to tax ourselves .cr the renewal of
slIvcs-lmd in all times hereafter to throw upon
Ourselves increase OF the taxes and burthcns of
GCvCrnmCut--lud yet we who have not, nor can
haze, any other object than the public interest
are not to he trusted L do conceive that on
this question. the West acting from motives
that cannot he impugncG--irom special and cXclu-
sivc rcgarj to the public veal.
L had hoped that on this subject, all would have
united in t,ritl!iGl inquiry into the extent of
the evils of slavery so far it affects this Com
mOnwcalth--thc cNpcdicncy or practicabili,v of
providing some effective system of abolition If it
should have been found that the public interest
required 1t. Bat how strangely DO things stand
--onc portion OF the House, and they TOO, who
cIam TO no more Immediately Interested, the nc
mcnt the enquiry is rropoumdcd, commence
I'cIr opposition. and with an uncompromisinr per
Severance, maintain il through every stage OF the
P'ocCeuing--eIcry argument which might have
"Ci%nt mere, or elsewhere, is urgcd--cvcry device
winch might aid in preventing even al invcstra
ton, Is thrown in the wav No obstacle which hr
man ingenuity could devise is left uncssaycd Tins
situated, what are to do!--civc up in dcspair2
NO SIR; let MS meet their objections, and if possible
demonstrate TO them and their constituents the
iaiiacy OF their course. do not intend TROUBLING,
'A2 House with repetition of the conclusive rca
SONS and demonstrations we have heard, cvinciyc of
inc necessity OF action. Our opponents, them
SriNes' WIN Il few exceptions admit the cxpcdicncy
Oh some measures calculated to reduce the evil /;
Is iru" they do not admit il in direct tcrrs Int II;
inc character ot their arguments all of which are
comprise" IN two main PrOpositions--lst We are
c"nStilutonulIy prohibited from all legislation upon
the sulcct I'd, If not So still orr SITUATION 10 ~
Observation-Disclosures is irnpract:cahe. II is said
however, by some, that I'll" a;tuution of the com,
Wy does not require any Legislative movements on
inns SuhJcct--that no danger exists; that the coun
Try is quiet and prosperous; that the agitation of
=
now called the 'pctty affair of Southampton
Are thc1o avcrmCnis trWe! No sir not one of
lhem'-Do we not each of us know the downward
course oil Virginia! DO we not and feel that
Silc is b"Sct with dangers? The SouthamDton
instruction was not the substantive cause OF the
movements in this Hall. That affair was but =
spark iFo the magazine; but flash from hat black
c'o"d wnlch is rising ana gathering in its folds the
'ilHerD"tS OF terror and rain. lfno danger exists
why 40 these gentlemen trcmblc al our discussion?
why tell us that the number and intelligence of tho
saves are such, that even our deliberations are
iriught with danger to the community? Do NOT
tii'Se gentlemen by their fears admit Tie fact that
iIlgcr docs exist that in truth resting on ~
magazine, surrounded with ignitinr materials Has
hoIcNcry thinking mind long seen and felt the ey
tStencc OF danger? Otherwise why has this subject
Always heretofore been discussed in this Hall
with closed doors? Why your rigorous poIcc
system? Why did Mr. Jefferson. in his letter
read OH Friday last by the gentleman from AIbc
marie so coqucnly pourtray the evils and dangers
"i slavery, and with patriotic fcrvor, urge his
Trend to excriOn for its removal? What, sir. was
'he language OF Mr. Randolph, on the floor of Con-
grcSs in his celebrated speech i'm opposition TO the
Ia war with Great Britain? Il quote from memo
ry) DID not that gentleman then declare and URGE
4" reason against that measure the danger of w;lr
ing an external war, with latent enemy, eyistinn
in the bosom of the Southern States? file avcrrcd
mat such even then was thc approximations from
Tins population that bell could not toll in this
lropoliS Gurng the hours OF rcpose, but the mother
y "' i'i'"!ult"illE clasp, with instructive horror
ner Iniah! TO her bosom, under the fearful anicpa
jlon tha' was the alarm OF an Instruction. ISut
FWPo'H @Mt"HtHr nos mutGmur in Ills" This
gentleman, like others, can now sneak of tho
southampton affair, and the source whence
IL sprung, as matters of minor import, dccarinr
thht mounted on his Roscnante, and unaidcd with
ms own mighfy arm, he could drive 500 rcvoltcd
Africans across the Roanoke. But sir il seems to
De part OF th" policy of the times TO render ridicu
"nS the incidents of Southampton; and vet. we
m from, tIn -
he Executive, written by several gentlemen now
members OF The House, then the spot Witnessing
ne scenes and actions of the times, as they transp
cd Among these, we heard one from the gentle
nan from Dinwlddic, (Mr. Brodnax,) then com
nahoihT oi;cr OF the troops detached for the sup
PRESTON of that revolt
SIR, the pen of that gentleman presents in Iv;no
'"lorS ana with graphic power, those horrjd and p,
'pPhlliNE scenes, winch it suits the policy Of
himself and others TO treat as frivolous and min,
Por;an'. Had lime to refer to that volume OF Exc
cutIIc correspondence, could read to this House
citcrS ana testimony, equally conclusive, of other
gentlemen, now also members of this House and
advocates OF inaction.
MIR. bHoDNAX said, he was not in the House ON
saturday and lie rose to ask, whether any letter
written ny man was read hich inconsistent
WIN statements made 10y him i'll the House. He
lad repeatedly declared that if the increase of tho
black population not checked, there would be q
succession of scenes like that of SOUTHAMPTON;
,ut he had denied and Inc now repeated that denial
nat nc Dc!lc'cd a general revolution would ever
axe place in which the blacks would overthrow the
power the whites
Mr. Z. resumed. ] heard letter written by the
,cntlcInan from Dnwiddic, read 30 this House on
saturday last, by the gentleman from Rockbridpc.
MIR. McDowcIl) and in that letter, (Which is now
N i!c,) the scenes of Southampton arc depicted MS
before stated; yet the author of that letter. in his
pccch the other day, spoke of the SOUTHAMPTON in
direction Il "pCttY affair"
Mr.. HRonNAX said, think tie gentleman has con-
onudcd the language sfothcr gentlemen " III, mine.
speak for myself, and | have only to say what I