Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-24

was too vital and delicate to submit to further I
detiberatioD--that. this Assembly ought not
my. had not the right to debate it, beng an or
binary Legislature, and not ELECTED FOR TmE |
ruaeoAE; that his commitments were in great
alarm and disquictude about it, md that their |
alarm was much heightened by tbs fact, that
ce'taln newspaper editors il ihis city, and their
correspondents, had presumed 81, lar M to say,
wha' might ar might mt. ssh perhaps what
ought or ought not tn he doe with u-all this
might have been WILL, if the ccntlcman's fiat
c""ii have bren he Iuic of til, House A.
I" TIL. mrgni'ud at the subject, and tn. pur-
pos" fT which this General Assembly wa. elect.
co. D. leave !" sa: now. once for all, thar ns
long "a stand her. a legislator shall feel
myself l-gitinnel; COMP C: emf, and duly amtho.
'~IH' "n''r my ku"wn responsibility, to &C, ON all
""nJec's ordinary, extraordinary. which may
co"cern the wcf.rc of the Cnmmonw ca Ith
There - no suffice which can come he
lore me IN my Legislative capacity 80 low
That Will MT look down upon with kind
c"mplacency. AMI none 80 high that I will not
look mp n, with manly ir,nn.s,-none 90 al mi
n"''ve thnt will not attempt 10 !ouch, and none
p" gigantic, that I will not attempt to grasr tn
measure and TO weigh. | nckn"w lcdpr, sir, IN
IN the iLlne-s Of republican spirit the force and
Ooi'gati"n at Instructions mo matter how OBJ
t"ihed; bur IN thri. absence, will act on INV
own rcsponsibility-I will &C, for the best
VIII act Tor the people, because they h:ve con-
hdeh Their dearest interest to me, aud am one
If them.
i'"t, sir. tn" gentleman from Mecklen.nry.
t:ii' u, that his constituents, ar- greatly alarmed
!i"t thih subject should he entertained nv til.
'"E.slatnrr and permitted to cool and mature it
sell IN the b 's"tn nj calm COrnni tee. and that
u must not be lnn,er agi,stei-di the gentle
man not Know, That the ,nev,tabie effect of bi-
mnlioa would be- TO excite debate, which oil
were an*ous to avuiG: wish frum the hot
tom OF my soul, that is the constituents Of the
pnt lnfnaa
Was really nnxious To avoid dcba.e he had
au"p'cd some other mode: to di.prl their {; ars
ana quiet their. al,rms--I wish he had Informed
thcm through the press or some other orran
more agreeable to him and IF he could find
ohe.l-more salutary and prcservative of the
noer'y, happiness and peace, Of the country,
that this great subject had been presented to the
consideration OF The legislature by the respect
'ui pc''tion Of respectable portion Of the free.
men, and shareholders, Of Virginia-that it was
forced upon the attention Of tho Assembly nv the
peculiar condition of the comlnonw. aiih, and
!he shect which recent events might have on
lis permanent future welfare-that It had been
referred to calm, thinking and patriotic COM
m't'ce VINO would soon repsrt on it--th,t il
was not IN his power. or the power Of any other
one member of the house, to " thdraw it from
confederation, or limit debate-.hat the patriotic
| legislature Of their State, would do no,linp TO
| which they ought not to submit-an,I TINT under
DO circumstances would they be d. prved of
their chartered and unalienabl, ri yh: 10 life Pro
| rEnTr, and the pursuit of happiness. As to the
objection that reckless Editors and their i'm
prudent correspondents, had presumed go far m
10 nilhdc to this subject in the columns of
| newspaper, must be permitted to saw that
| the honorable mover OF this proposition to dis
charge the Committee, should, in order to hive
worked out bis rule to that maturity, which
was necessary to the apparent sincerity az we'll
IS efficacy of his motion, have followed it up by
4 IN will al ft< La i'll.
TINS liousc had given to editors of new spapers to
| take seats at our tahlc-and another, to close
the doors OF. this Hall against the anxious and
enlightened crowds who daily hang on our de-
| iberations, lest some EABnLrNa LOBBY GOSSIP
should publish in the streets, the treason we
are plotting. Sir, do not think the honorable
gentleman should nave quest toned the propriety,
or repudlated the right of any newspaper, to die
cuss this delicate subject, and Mt the same time
demand, or even permit its editor to publish aud
| oaZon to the wcrld. the fre-srand which he
was the hrst to throw into the magazine. am
sure Sir, that soon the hon. gentleman had Ia
ken his seat, he must havo been con WINGED of tho
great indseretion of tho House, in permitting re.
portcrs TO come among us. unless indeed, speeches
are 70 be made here, as it would editorial art-
cics q newspaper essays required to he writton
| TO suit the palate and consumption of Mecklen
| burg only. What sir, let me ask are all the triyi.
al trashy editorial articles, and all tho ephemoral
newspaper essays OF daily scribblcrs compared with
the speech, which tho gentleman from Mecklen.
burg, himself, and others have made. and many
more VIII make on this delicate subject. Sir,
cannot tor the life, of me, perceive their nice dis.
| ,nctions between tho ordinary and extraordinary
| rights OF Legislatures, the ordinary and extra.
ordinary rights ofthn press. cannot account for
tho delicate and touchy sensibilty of some gentle.
| men-thosc real true ''Smon Pures, who saw
VIII speak sedition, but you must not wrto treason
Will speak in favor of eternal, unlimited and ire
trievabc slavery, and you must print my
speech; but take care tia, you write nothing in
favor OF liberty. will tell You what is good to be
done for Virginia, anu you must print what say;
but at your peril publish not your opinions or
| those OF any other man who may wish to express
them will proclaim, that the Legislature Of
virginia arc about to rob the people of their pro-
pcrty, and you must print it-but beware that you
| say not a word, permit any other person to con-
| tradict it's truth.
MIR. Speaker, fear not the pres.-I love it-It
is the palladium of libery-it is our sheet anchor
In every national storm. AS long reason & truth
and JUSTICE are permitted to wage an equal W ar
against error, prejudice, and intercst-none need
tearh. The march of boriy, science, and virtue
by its freedom; and so delicate and important, so
unlimited and underlined, IL that freedom, that he
who first raises tho cry of iiccntousnsss, almost
certain to become its first and greatest enemy. Ey
ory attempt to trammcl the liberty of the PROSE-
been Matched in darkness and Inatured by crime
and ultimately evcntuatcd in an extension of light
liberty, and happiness to mankind.
For myself, Mr.. Speaker, had not intended Ia
debate this subject: Knowing its delcacy,
had resolved, as / thought irrcyocably, that on
any plan, schomo, or proposition, which might be
presented to give silent vote of aye no, and to
have prevailed on as many possible, to do like
wise. The very luminous view taken by the ablo
gentleman from Dnwiddic, Mr.. Brodnax, the
Chairman of the Committed proves to my mind
that scheme might havo been presented to the