Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-10-13
COMMUNICATION.
SPEECH OF \. II. CLAIBORNE. ESQ.
1t Pafriek Comt-hoHsc.

Claiborne attended, AMI addressed, in the Court
housc, thai portion Of his constituents who weI,
present. \ sketch ofhl> speech follows:
Mr.. ClunonSr said he Ind ever considered il
the duty of the representative TO keep his constiin-
cnts advised OF the proceedings of the legislative
body. In conformity with tins opinion, he had IL
nliormly sought every means III his power, from
time 10 time, 10 apprize his constituents of the po-
litical and fiscal situation of the nation. Recent
events, ot the most important character, admon-
Shsd linl, that II would be we'll To add to the 9th
or channels OF impartng Information OF what has
TRANSFERRED IN Congress, the more convenient one OF
oral addresses lie said, he coutd not refrain from
expressing his qualification that thi, numerous assem-
bly, furnished So fit an opportunity for public adj
dress. The kind manner his constituents had re
ccived what he had said al former periods, con-
WINGED him, that, though he WAS destitute Of that
iervid eloqnencc whlch Is ST. captivating, he would
he hear with patience, and that the matters on
which he should speak, would be considered with
canlour. lie said he had addressed letter to his
constituents, which he had published in Lynch
burg paper. 1t had been transferred 10 other pa
pers, and had been commented on. 1t was to him
source Of great qualification, that no fact it con
tancd had been denicd-and that many had al-
mtted the conclusions which he had drawn there
from. He said it had been his wish, from the first
moment he elected to Congress, TO this day,
and 1t would always be his wish 10 limit the duties,
or taxes, TO the wants of the government. lie
should rejoice, if matters could be so regulated,
that the government, IN time OF peace, could not
have one single shilling beyond what indis-
pen,iblc to maintain il. lie believed an over
flowing treasury in time of peace, wa, uniformly
attended with the most disastrous consequences
Ambitious men would look to il as the means OF
advancing their unholy progress to power, 10y cor
ruplng the people, through the fundamentally OF
and IA pensioncd press. Suspicion, said
he, is most detcsable trait in private life but il
is not So in the Representatives In public life il
opens the avenue To truth, by instigalng to cnqn-
ry. Man is fond of power and having obtained
it, when the common Incentives exist, he is prone
to abuse it, Let the people, with eagle vigilance,
examine into the official conduct of their represcn-
tatives, and investigate the opinions and conduct
OF aspran,s. They will then be alike safe from
all injury, arising from the supineness moral oh
hqnily of their representatives, and the aspl-
rationS of n selfish and unprinciplcd ambition.
You are, (Said Mr.. G. Republicans to the core
You are State Rights mcn--l on are strict con-
are for administering the icdc-
raj government according to lis Lottery on are
for continlng the action OF the federal government,
to federal relations only. II tins is true, and hope
and believe IS YOU are for restricting the govern
ment to the exercise of the powers delegated by
the CONSTITUTIONS and vonr suirages, frequently con-
ierred tell me, that Vt look with jealous eye
on the entertainments of one department OF
the government ON the others. As long, sad
Mr.. c. as these opinions maintain their as
cenda lcy, in these States, our free insitu-
tions are safe. The bcnclactors of men from
foreign lands seeking the means of amclio-
Tho Of l,pir hrnt bpr ma
come here, to study our constitution and laws, and
investigate the cluSes that have led to political
Your country will continue to en-
large It's settlcmenls-yonr population Increase
yonr agriculture, commerce, industry, cities and
establishments will grow and we
may soon attain IA proud and enviablc rank, a
mong the most powerful and polished nations OF
the earth. Mr.. c. SAID, he happy in the be-
lief that he and his constituents agreed in the OPT
Mons he had thus hastily expressed, and in looking
back on his legislative career, he rcjoiced in the
recollection that he had never once lost sight Of
them.
He said he we'll knew that the removal OF the
public money, from the pace where II was APP
pointed by law 10 be kept, had produced the Bit
terest feclings.-The father, not unircquenily adj
vocated it, because ofthe supposed uncons'itution-
atv of the law that created the place of dcpoSe
The son, not unrequently, bitterly reprobatcd
the measure, alleging that the public faith was
pledged, and that the government had no more
right to avoid the fuIhlment of lis contract, (eUen
nHh II .UORSter,) than private citizen had 10 d
void his 1t is impossible to describe the turmoil,
produced by the removal tina, long prevailed
through the country but happily the storm is new
passed. We look back on il the mariner looks
back on the dangerous reef, from which il has been
his lucky destiny to have escaped. History has
embodied all the facts of the removal on its i'm
perislIable pages. They will remain there, whrth-
cr as examples to follow or to shun, time only can
determine. On every thing lating TO this subject,
posterily will rcudge the verdict OF these times.
He said, he did not intend to say word as to
the manner the repositories OF the public money
had been selected, oras to the principal agent
who had managed the fiscal operations OF the
government. lie said, he had sometimes indul-
ced wish, that the bitter dcnunciations that the
removal had led to-, and the removal itself, had ne
yer occurred but he would not, if he could, OBJ
Iitcraie any portion of American history. 1t would
be fraud on posterity.
Mr. G. sad he was happy to announce to th'
assembly, that, at the last session of Congress,
bill was passed. which again regulated the custod,
of the public money, and slcnced all the clamo
thai the removal had produced-a bill, that met
in all lis parts, his warm and undivided approba
lion. When he turned his thoughts to this glorI
ous bill, he felt like the sedtossed mariner, who
! after night of darkness, storm and peril behold
the great lumnary of day, throwing his enlivenn
RAYS from a field of the mdcst blue, ON an ocea
as smooth and as calm polished mirror Yes
the deposi,e bill of the last session has been wei
described as a light, dispelling the darkness tina
for wears has encirced our political horizon an