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

own State during that period, I will not rotor TO
those heavy calamities with which we have been
afflicted, by federal mSrulc. only ask the house
to reflect, that own lands have been repeatedly
purchased by our own citizens; and the purchase
money as repeatedly invested in the lands of other
States. Individual energy has triumphed over the
prodigahty of government, and purchased an en-
pure equal to that originally coded to tho federal
authorities. 1t is astonishing that the encrycs of
Virginia have been little relaxed by the opera
ton of this process. Sir, she has accom-
plishcd these great rcsu,ts-Shc has purchased and
pcoplcd mighty regions, by throwing Off the mere
redundancy Of L may use the eXprcsson,) the
mere cicTvcSccncc of her population nor have we
cause to rcpinc this course of events. Sir
we may have lost our citizens, but we have plant.
ed allies through the expanded West, who yet che
IRISH for the land of their nativity, the strongest
the most cndcaring affections. Our friend, our
brother is torn from among but he is prosperous
~ planted in the mighty distance; and though
mountains may rise between us, rudely obtruding
their mighty crags; rivers gushing from the noun
tam tops, pouring and tumbling over rocky preci-
piccs, may stretch between us their angry floods
yet oft, at the silent hour of night, when musiug
by his own solitary iirc-side checrcd only by the
little crickcrs chrp, will memory lose him in fond
meditation the casual, but endcaring enjoy
mcnts of his Childhood which lighted up, and
chccrcd the hearth of his fathers. Sir if that ia.
tai day must come, when this great coniedcracy
shall rock upon its basement, when it shall be
thrown into mighty fragments-naturc will tri-
unph ourselves and our brothers will cling into
an embrace, not to be severed by the grand con-
vulSIon.
MIR. Speaker,-It has been insisted by both the
gentlemen from Rockbrdge (Mr. Moore and Mr..
McDowcll,) that slavery impairs onr strength i'm
Tune oil war. One of them estimated that one
hall of our effective force must be retained, as a
necessary prccaution against the danger of insur-
rection This suggestion has been urged with so
much cmphass-and with such an air of conf.
denco that feel myself greatly embarrassed in
attempting even to impair its force. Yet L NAV
inquire of gentlemen whether, in adopting the opi
mons they avow, they have not disregarded the
lights of experience? We have gone through two
wars OF much difficulty. Our revolutionary con-
met especially, was conducted amidst the most en-
barraSsing dithculties-against the most mower ful
nation in the world-in the very heart of our own
territory-in the presence of slave population.
Yet, notwithstanding our colonial weakness, there
was no difficulty in the mana cement of our slaves;
ana there is no circumstance in the history OF
those days, which suStans the position here as.
sumcd On the contrary, men of wisdom and sa.
gacity-whose locks arc whtencd with the frosts
OF years, have made suggestions this subject
worthy of the profound attention of statesmen
Sir, in this age, money is the sincw of war-it is
not by the exerton of mere brute force, that the
disputes OF empires are now adjusted This is eff
iccted, In an eminent degree, by the devclopcment
OF the sources of wealth. 1t was the wealth
of England, which wrestcd the sceptre from the
grasp of Napoleon. For tho successful prosccu.
regular and unccasing stream of wealth flowing
into the public Treasury. The labor of society is
the source of its wealth; and in a country where
the labor is performed by the citizen, all the ope
rations of society are embarrassed, by converting
the citizen into the soldier. March to the field
the mechanic and the ploughman-the me
chanic operations of society neglected, anC
the glebc remains unturned-thc productive pow
or OF labor is imparcd-the sources of nationa
wealth are exhauStcd-the strength of the State i.
DESTROYED. N n ybnrn 4 I,o
al labor is performed by those not admitted TO In,
rights of citizcEshp--all the necessary agricultu
raj opcratons--all the necessary mechanic arts
are performed without any sensible interruption
even amid the tumulls of war The government
draws from society its regular and its necessary
supply and the gor of the State is comparatiyel,
unimp paired.
Sir,-thclc is no well grounded apprehension OF
scrvile instruction in time of war--wc hay,
armed men then in the land--asscmbled, & able b,
movement to crush such an effort. Our own his
tory and the history of the world will Justify the
opinion, that, without any aid, the old men ant
boys not required TO bear arms, are able to pre-
serve order, and discipline among the slaves On
citizens who reside where slaves are most numer
Gus, convinced of the correctness of this opin
ion-and dread much more the folly of lerisla
ton, than even the violence of infatuated fnatI
csm. The gentleman from Rockbrid1c mr.
McDowcl,) has labored to produce a different inn
pression-and felt himself authorised to report o Y
tracts from documents, in the possession of TIN,
executive, by which he sought to satisfy tb,
House, that, panic Pcrvaded that whole commu
nifty, adjacent to the of the Southampto,
tragedy. That great excitement, Strong emotion
| restlessncSs, mPatlcncc, and uneasiness diffuse,
| themselves through that community, is what
| shall not deny-that craven fear existed there i
what utterly deny, and repcl Sir, on the recita
| OF horrld barbarities, humanity must experience,
strong emotion strong sympathy for the sufferers
mat 1t is so, can be no cause of just rcproach |
was natural that should be so, in the instance t.
winch the gentleman referred Sir, the people ha,
no accurate information of the character of fin
outragcs actually committed. Their mapnation
were excited by cXtravagant representations; ant
perfect cquanlnity was not to be expected; bu
the gentleman from Rockbrdge, acting in the cha
racter of statesman; III the exercise of his off
cal tunctions-with all the means of information
at hand-with knowledge of the nature and OK
tent OF the ransaction--occupying a position
from which he surveys with composurc event,
gone by; seeks to seize on this momcntary feeling
TINS evanesccnt excitement to be relied on as a rea
son NJ StGte, for disturbing the relation of master
and servant! for affecting vitallv-for dcstroyine
the property of one half the citizens of the Com
monwealth! :! Yes sir the southampton TRACED,
is relied upon the justification of this great in
novation: 'tMiS grand and patriotic reu0Lution."
Mr.. Spcakcr,-l call on gentlemen acting too in
their character of statesmen, to reflect on the Incl
dents OF the Southampton tragedy; and | have ar
abiding confidence, that they will with me con
clude, that 1T affords satisfactory proof Of tho flu
u''y Vi dl apprehension, OF any successful, any
general, or even extensive instruction. Sir j
Will be remembered by the house, that the strength
OF the insurgents ranged from forty to sixty mer
freed from all restraints of religion, morality, oil
humanity-stimulated by the frantic genius of ia.
natIcIsin,-and exulting, and rioting in death and
murder. Yet 1T cannot have escaped our attention
that they took not the life of human being where
three white men were assembled! Is this the foe to
strike terror into the Legislature of Virginia. Sir
our citizens are safe, when they bear the proportion
OF one to ten 1t is proven by the history of this
notable instruction. II is demonstrated and illus.
tratod by the history of 81. Dnminnn. IL is In