Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-03-14


understood as not commanding ns 10 ltestrre il. II
Is impossible, Should think, 10 maintain, that the
record oi any resolution OF proceeding o the Sc
nate can be elpmG.d from lis lonlnal, III the lite
faI sense and tue acc. paton oi that VOID that
Is, wholly hlotted out erased. Indeed II would
be dlhenlt 81 10 eNpnnpe an. pant oil the journal
without impairine the record OF something else,
winch all would wish 10 preserve unl, and FAM,
recorded.
The General As>rmbl, ITSELF sensible las
hnmhlN venture IL snppose) thai the fesoln-
hon oi tie Senaie III question cannot he actual
" tNpun.ed from tic Journal without Vie
Luton OF he Constitution, l1opos,s thai II shall he
sApuneed, "hy causing black linz 10 IL dawn
around the sad resolution, II stands On he ori
ein5l manuscript Journal, ard rie>e words paiol,
written across tie face Of the said re>oloion ard
Guilty ENpuneed by ord,r oil tin Senate II
other words, ii | mistake moi the meaning and
principle ii the Instruction. the Geneta Asscnls
bly,, admitting thai tho resolution oi the Senate
cannot, consistently with the Constitution, h. eA-
plunged from the journal literally, Yet th.uks tlal
II ulas heeNpnneed hematrti9. play Ike &c
nclal Assembly To consider the danger and tie
mlseh.el tln must How from precedent 81 Tins
kind-aaeh would, in effect. ,'lnd, positse IN
junction OF til, Constitution h, a netaphofiea use
81 words, and, whai is more, typical 5ang oi
deeds. doubt whether there Is 4 slela nfosi=
Sou OF The Constitution, which may not IN eluded.
and sci III nanelf, BY similar process and
must add, that thls typical method et .kpan, ton
Il more ahholtenl from my ieellne, al constitution
Al duty aud proptictv, than III, literal. udoubl-
vdlS the precedent admits ot Il broader and els-
er, aud therefore nolc misohlcsoos, appllt alion,
pray the General Assembly 10 consider, too, thu
hardship nj imposing upon the eonse nec> al men
acting under the sanction oi an oil, al oath, the
duty OF conforming thelr Official conduct Will the
rhetoric oi Their constituents In tn framing oi
h"S, ani III legislative proceeding, oi al klasls, II
has always been found wse and necessary Ia dr.
card all figures ot speech, and Ia adopt the PLAIN
est language IN lis plaln,>l literal aeeeprniion. If
RIGHTLY understand the meaning and pnlpo,e Of
the instruction gwen me, the General Assembly
would have me propose and vote tof an eNpnnetlon
OF the obnoxious resolution ot the Senate from lis
journal, III suoh a manner thai II shall not hc ex-
pn'eed ailet all, III whole ~ IN pat. Now, III
the ifst paec, da0l very much whether TIN,
could be done, even III tia melhod prescribed
and, III tie nrN Lace, II, entertaining the opinions
do ON the sub c5t, s. on5 VOTE lot any sneh pr
cess ot eNpun2ne, should be ruiS 81 mcnlale-
q0Fecaflon IL tn. discharge ri ny elllia duty |
h4mhlA hele / the paldon I'll the General \
srmil, and OF all good men. il cannot, II lis
mand. eAtingnlsl, the knowledge ! bd,e acquired
III my mother tongue much more, II | ean0ol dis
regard tie dictates OF reason and conscience, wblell
God mas planted III my breast IL be The ruler and
monitor 81 Ill nv actions.
! find myself constrained 10 say dat ! caul,ol
obey the Instruction Tor eAmneinp the resolution
oi The S'n9le, IN any nal,lel, lacfdliA OF hgnfl-
lively.
TEis ilfes me IN tie consideration oil the
cond resolution 81 tie General Assembly, winch
declares that 3" the Assembly regards the ripht 81
instruction as resting on the broad bass 81 the
natnn' ii representations and one oi the vital
principle, oi our free institutions ; and llat
: the dnlV o the representative 10 Obey the III
strnclieu, ot his constituents, or iesitn lie trust
with wlnch they have cloihrd Inn, order lhal
= il may BIZ transferred In the hands OF those who
will carr, into effect the wishes and instructions
OF The constituent body
And here, in considering lie alternative propo-
sed To me, canno, hui advert 10 the very peculiar
nature oil the act which ,Le Instruction requires al
me, and 10 some remarkable circumstances IN the
history OF the subject
The resolution which the General Assembly
proposes 10 espunge, is only the expression Of an
opinion held b, the majority III the Senate for the
time being, and the entry OF the Journal only
the record OF the fact that sue WAS the opinion of
the body. II must be obvious 10 the minds OF all
men, that the eApuncton Of the resolution from the
journal oil III" Senate, nOHINc affect TIM man
qnestIonS--Nhchor the opinion therein declared
WIS lnst erroncous--and whether n no il WAS
"lthln the competency OF The Senate 10 determine
on the sub rct OF the resolution can the de-
iacemcnl OF the record oil historical fact, IN what
ever manner II NAV be eaccd annul or alter the
tict itself or, in the present case impair III llIc
slightest degree, The memory al the transaction.
Some hundreds Of copies OF the journal containing
this resolution, have been printed; some deposl-
ted IN tic public archives, and some delivered To
mrmhrrs OF Congress iDr the time beng, which
have thus become private property, and been d.
pcrscd throughout the | mon. The resolution was
published III all the public Journals oil the day:
IL stands recorded on the Journals Of all the State
Legislatures that have Thought proper 10 take the
subject INTO consideration the General As>rnl-
bly, of rginia has Itself recorded II, IN the very
resolutions in witch II directs the Senators al le
State in CONGRESS-, TO vote for cxIunging il from,
the manuscript journal of the Senate. For any
direct purpose, therefore, Which the .xpuncton of
it can serve, viewing the act apart from the lnten-
ton, nothing be more absolutely nuoatury. The
resolution ITSELF the evidence al II, and HE opinion
il declares, " III all be handed down to postcrily
by faithful history; nay, even by the proceeding
10 eNpnngc II. 1t is in vain 10 say, lis the Gen
raj Assembly has said in the preamble 10 lis reSo-
luiionS, that the resolution OF the Senate Is an
assumption OF power not warranted by the Con
stuton, and calculated 10 sulsert the rights OF
the House Of Representatives, and the lundamcn-
tai principles of our free Institutions - for, II tbs
Ill