Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-11-07
mr.. LEIGH's PETERSBURG spEEcH

The Norfolk Races commenced on "Wednesday last.
Mr.. LEIGH'S PETERSBURG SPEECH
We promptly lay before our readers the Substance
of MIR. Leighs Spccch--as. 10 doubt reported by
himself, without a;:y of its ORNAMENTAL parts, the
illustrations, the bursts of feeling, and The ease OF
cxtempore cOquence." All these il seems ssnre
lost'-and il is well perhaps that the Public are told
of the fact; for they would wonder, when they read
this Skeleton Sketch, what has become of the sI,n-
did talents Of the Orator. They will find the sub
stance is Indeed dry, ANA uuornamcnted, and leless
cnongli-liiile calculated add to his fame as a
Spe0ker-ald fortunate will he be, if il add any
thing to his fame Statesman!
We concur with The Petersburg Constellation thnt
W appears to scithout prjudce,) flat stale, I'M
profablc,' and really unworthy of Mr.. Leigh's ac-
knowedged talents"
We shall reserve another time or TO other hands
review of the Speech before us. We shall dis
miss it to-day with only two remarks.
Certainly, according To MIR. Lcgh's showing, me-
verdd man meet with less political, poctical JUS
lice, than himself That all this calumuy, that her
whole "quver of poisoned arrows" should have
been exhausted upon one, who has been absolutely
pressed into the public service, hard measure
indeed. tscemS, that he was ''scnt 10 the Senate,
not only without any solicitation on his part hut
against his wishes, and indeed ia spite of his earnest
dcErecuiion." Aud it moreover appears, that he
"fid not entertain, am, never had entertained
the least hope of the Presidency or the least desire
OF that high dgiliiy"-ay, that hc "conscientousy
believed, that If he could reach the Presidency by
taking single step towards il, far from taking that
step, lac should recoil from it," Such man would
surely have some reasons TO complain of tho treat
ment he has received il he did find an his own
conscience (such) an nnpeneirablc shield against
the shafts" OF calulnuy, that he would scorn com
plain of them.
MIR. l.. also seems to console himself with the re-
Election, that his "noninaon for the Presidency had
excited the jealousy of the friends of Mr.. Van Blu
ren"--and had drawn down Of these attacks
upon his own head No wonder that MIR. l.. should
employ this argument; as he must have known from
px nj fItp ltnr how, rf,,ll,,
man can defend himself hy impugnng the charuc-
ter and motives OF his ASSISTANTS. Bu the question
Still remains open TO the facts whether they are
the liege subjects of Mr. Van Buren, ; and whether
MIR. l.. has not given grounds himself for their n,-
peachmeni OF his political course. And really, in
This point of view, think the Senator would have
been much better employed in defending his own
acts and opinions, i'm satisfactory way than
III impugIIng the motives of those who have crit
cIsed his course.
Mr.. l.. does no, spare Mr.. Van Buren.-Tlie at
tack on his character is indeed the foreground of the
piece. And strange, indeed, that il did not once oc-
TO him. that if it were just in him to ascribc the
attacks upon himself to 'the jealousy of the friends
of MIR. Van Buren," il would bc Just rs fair in them
10 ascrlbc his own attacks upon MIR. Van Buren,
10 his own relations towards that genenan.-- We
humhy conceive, that they would ut least have
come with as much grace aud propreiy from any
other man in Virginia, from the Orator himself.
But whether he he or he not candidate for the
Presidency, he is still held up for that Office by his
friends in Virginia, Though il may really seem won
dcrlu to some, how "a history so barren of Do.
Iiticnl incident should have been found cnIable''
oil producing such n prcteilsion. Aud il was
Incumbent OH MIR. L.. well to consider, how far
he should have furnished his friends with such
offensive weapons, against one whom they would
make his competitor for the office. In tie man
ner of doing it, we think him still more unfortu-
Iaie. lie has done no sort OF Justice 10 MIR. Van
Buren's talents services political principles. In
passing sentence upon the last Mr.. l.. has complete
iy overlooked n material part of the testimony,
VIZ: The celebrated speech of Mr. Van Buren, ia
the Senate Of the u. >. IN 1896 and with which,
we must say, speech of Mr.. l.. during the last
winter bears any adequate comparison. Mr.. V. b.
developed i'll that speech his State Rights principles
lie pointed the Bank of the U. States as the first
breach that was made III the Constitution. More
sill! In note which he annexed to that speech lac
pIea, guilty 10 the OF which he had been guilty
in voting for the Cumberland road bilI-and dccnr-
ed his doubts aud his dissent about the whole now
Internal improvements
Mr.. l.. passes from Mr.. Van Buren, TO the Bank
OF the United Staies-and every Development ,ai lac
makes satisfies us, more and more, that lie is not tie
champion whom Virginia ought 10 send forth to the
fight We are met again and again with alierna-
fIpes and predictionS The abuses of this INDUSTRIOUS
Bank are sottened into shade and supposiiions. The
panic about an Executive Bank which the orator
is pleased to conlurc up again. seems TO have para
lyzed all his Indignation have shaken even his
constitutional objections; and almost 10 have pre-
pared him for surrender OF Tie rainrars into tic
hands of the existing Institution. He still tells the
hai. in hrs opinion founded on long aud anxious re.
Election, noing Womb be ultimately lett to them but
choice OF evil. lie wou,d tell them, that the obr elton
10 National Bank constitutional grounds was aud had
always been cCiiined To Virginia, and ew very few
other States 0i the Union; that, therefore, whenever any
Administration should ,hink expedient, or whenever
a any moment the opinion OF its policy, much OF
its necessity should become general hroug The Union
at large, il happened in Sl516 National Bank would
be created, in sp OF opposition; that this was
consideration, which, il could Use be put aside
ought 10 be overlooked in calculation Of coLse-
qn-nres ~ tCns dDicHH 10 cOnceiUe hOtU This nation
could hang together in its present OF political union
and commercial relations, without general uniform cur.
rency Of some kind oer-hc believed the indispenn.
ne necessity oil such currency universally admitted
~ IoGs difficult TO cOncrUe how the Ranks could ut-
nls snch acnrrenryhccausc ii for other
surprising their credit solid. yet owing The multi ule Of
them would be impossible for people in distant paris to
he informed OF the stale OF Iieir credit or be able TO
judge oil the geDuincness oil their their paper
would supply the local currency. II was difficult To con
ceiDe any Wifhin the constitutional eOmpefear 0f
the Federal GoceTHn'eHt by which the State Bank system
could be suppressed e extension OF il States pre-
Vcnted-or cons itutiOnal means by which their
small notes could he drawn local for A.
TO the scheme which had been suggested OF
them hy the inpoon Of federal stamp duty il could OF
hare been well considsfcd it plainly
d was pcrycrsOn OF power civ prescribed pu,
pose, to another aud wholly different pup0,e which would
be Oun n practice. the most cpl and dangerous
all the ysemso construction that bad yet been
"Ail things considered tho institution of National Bank
would present usey The easiest method at least nj
providing general uniform currency Tor the " hole
Unon and would therefore. be resoried to- by those
who thought such al institution constitutional az we'll ne
cXpcdeni; and adopted, IL they lsd the inaiotv And