Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-10

Let the people oil the west, De wen assured,
that in the peculiarities Of their climate, their
habits, feelings and pursuits-in the fixed and
unaiterable laws Of nature-they have a more
effectual Gordon ~sanitairc than any with which
legislative art can environ them.
But to return from this d~igression-for as
such, | consider ito the proposition OF the
gentleman from Albemarie. Some credit is
claimed for it on the ground Of its being the
plan of Mr.. Jefferson. Sir. no man holds IN
greater respect than | do, the character and
services of Mr.. Jefferson. His memory needs
no eulogy from me. The author OF the De-
claration of independence, and the ackaow-
lodged champion of democracy. The patron
of science-the founder of our laws, and iden-
tilted with all the important measures which
have elevated his country to the summit OF
greatness, his fame is beyond the reach OF
cavil or detraction; and when impartial his
tory shall have lone her office, and the moss
of ages shall have gathered on his grave, pos
terity will concur in the suffrage which pro-
n~ounces him the ablest Statesman, Of the pu-
rest republic upon earth. Admitting this to
be the plan of this great man, and according
to it all the respect it deserves on that &C
count, let me tell you sir, that the most vain
and Improbable of all human efforts, Is that
Of resuming the unfinished labours oil the
"mighty dead"
The fragments Of their thoughts are not
only valueiess but dangerous The same &c
MUS which conceived them Is necessary to NIL
I'D their details and to select the Int occasion
for applying tbem.-When Hercules died,
there was no man left to lift his club. That
MIR. Jefferson INDUCED the hope, that slave
nv might, sooner or later cease TO exist a
mongst US, it is impossible to doubt lie low
ed his country enthusiastically, and having
assisted in bringing all her Institutions to the
utmost attainable point Of excellence, he re-
GREETED that there should remain what the
most fastidious might consider, a b.emish on
the goodly edifice. 1t was the day dream OF
the patriot and the philanthropist- Who OF
us, has not, at times, been beguiled into the
same lovely anticipation And yet who can
look around on things as they are. and not
awake to The reality that it is "all but a
dream?" Had Mr.. Jefferson thought eman-
cipation practicable, why did he never at
tempt its accomplishment He spent a long
and glorious life in the service Of his country,
and much of it, in her legislative couhclls-at
a fine, too, when this "monster' was yet IN
its infancy Look through your statute books
and records and see them flied with the mo
numents of his genius and industry. When
did he relax ia his efforts to promote the wei
fare of his countryP When did he grow wea
nv in devising measures for her honor and
happiness? And when, let me add-did his
daring spirit shrink from the execution oil
what his judgment approved? Yet, MIR. Jei-
ferson lived and died, without proposing
emancipation. And is it for US to buckle his
manly armour on our stripping limbs, and at
tempt a work which he would never venture
to embark in? With just as much modesty
and wisdom, might we aspire to mount the
chariot Of the sun, and, with feeble hand and
giddy head, to guide his horses along the
heavens. But after all. this IS not the plan
of Mr.. Jefferson. He always recognized the
right of property in slaves, and admitted that
they must be purchased from their owners.
.(See letter TO Jared Sparks.l He evidently
hoped that at some distant day, the increas-
ed resources Of the country, aided by the
proceeds Of the public lands, might supply
the means of compensation.
have dwelt thus long on the proposition
of the gentleman from Albemarle, because
am confident 10 the belief, thatitis-and VIII
continue to be-the fayorite measure OF the
abolitionists. 1t is recommended to them oy
the fact, that it dispenses with the trouble
some necessity of providing means ier the
purchase of slaves; and it has, moreover,
gained currency and popularity from its sue
cess in Pennsylvania. although the clrcum
stances under which the experiment was
made there, were totally different from those
which exist here. Slaves constituted but an
inconsiderable share of the wealth OF that
State-a still smaller proportion OF her popu
iation-and the loss was still further allevia
ted by the expedient of selling slaves to the
Southern States, before the act OF emancipar
ton took effect on them
Various schemes of emancipation, allow
ing a fair compensation to the slave. holder,
have been suggested in the course of this
debate. The gentleman from Kenawha pro-
poses to raise the money for purchasing the
slaves by taxation, and to apply it in the most
economical and ~effectual manner, according
to certain rules which he prescribes. to the
removal, in the first instance, of slaves Of
certain ages and sexes He avows it as his
belief. that the people will pay the tax cheer
fully. Sir, the people may pay this tax
they may pay it wiilingly-they may respond
to the demand again and again-to the
twentieth time, as long as they are able to
pay But at last. sir, they will be able to
pay no longer. To purchase and remove the
slaves now in existence, you must tax them
according to previous estimates, to the a
mount Of lis millions OF dollars. How far
will you have advanced towards this object,
before their means will be exhausted and
their pockets empty? Bot suppose your eff
forts are confined to the purchase and re-