Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-03-10
VOL. yIV:.....VO. 60.

wv i'' u"N anu men To he erased Tor
year, and then TO be expuuced--but forever,
as perpetual witness, faithful history by which
the conduct, the motives, the actions of men, shall
be Judged. not by those OF the present day only
but through all time. II was a wise custom of the.
'hlhcsc, which required the biography of each
Emperor 10 be \>iillon before the close of his life
and placed before him. rs 10 give him FORE
knowledge al wha, Tie world would think Of him
after las death II was designed 10 restrain his
e'l Pass'ons--io curb the exercise of dcspotic
sway itaddrcSNcd itself 10 his ambition, and cx-
citcd within HIM longing for an immortality in
the gratitude and admiration of succeeding ages.
But this provision IN Constitution is still wiser
Each Senator writes daily his own biography liz.
required 10 record his acts and takes an oatlr
! 10 keep that record and Ia publish il from time To
hm'.-lhe applause ~ ccuSure OF his fellow
Is not postponed until he has descended 10 the.
tomb. II Is daily uttered bv the living generation
Ito" powerful are the inducements thus address,
ed 10 zach member 10 be faithful the trust conf
DEED 10 Inn How much To be admired the wis.,
dom OF nm ancestors III framing The Constitution
II tins Wa lis only l,tule their title to imnor-
tally would h. established.
This sanlPio provision Is OF the great sccuri-
ties ot American liberty II takes nothing upon
trust II The Senate kept ho journal, it would boz
a secret oonehNc, where deeds the most revolving
mlph be performed IN secrcSv and darkness. Tho
train might there be l,id, the mino prepared and
Tie FIRST knomlcd!c 81 the treason might bc the ca
pl">on, and consequent overthrow Of free govern
nlcnt. liborty could NOT ,u-cNisl with sucl, a
state ol things. Iheie Is no liberty where there
is no responsibility, and ih,rp can be no RESPONSE
bily where nothing Is known. To have Se.r.-
'ary seated at The table of tie Senate, TO write
down MS proceedings aud to claim for itself the
right 10 conceal, obllleraic, expungc what he,
had wilttcn Is equiv aleni to having no Journal at
ala moehc,y aud iiaud.-The journal of the
morning ma, he cancelled ia the evcninc--thns
OF to-da, may be cNpnnecd on -morrow-cancel
/ II IN an, Way, whclhe, by black red marks,
whether with ,nclcs u, by straight lines, ii ceases
To be journal, aud that which was, is not The
journal is Ia be published, bat there is no Journal
There was one Yesterday, but ere IL can reach the
press, it Is cancelled marked out, OF cxpunged-
/ These are the necessary results OF obedience TO
instructions. II that journal contain transact ion
discrcdiiaho To the Senate, should preserve il as
a perpetual monument al its disgrace. II To IA
party leader, ! will rive him and his friends who
may temporarily have the a,ccndancy, no warrant
torrasc OF blur the pare which such AN act of
misconduct is Ircorded. | Should be afraid, after
performing such deed, il guia is what she once
was--and do not douh, il, to return within her
limits. The cNccralionS of her people would be-
Numbered in my ears The soil which had been
rod by her heroes and statesmen would furnish
no resting place | should feed m,>rlf guilty,
most guilty and however might succeed in con-
ccallnp myself from the sight OF mcn, could not,
III my view of The sui set, III, self from the
upbraldines of my own pcrlnrcd conscience. How
could return 10 m,N among her people, 10 share
their hospitality and kindness, viii, the declara-
ton on my lips, " have violated my oath for
Office and sooner llian surrender NY place in the
Senate, have struck down the Constitution u
If TN, S.nu,, has ,iul,l IA tnurb tIir lour NIL
under Instructions, II has right Ia do without
IL To cancel part, right 10 rNpnnec the whole
IL To use inh from pen, Il right 10 pour II from
II boitl"-to dc>,roN the Journal in an, other way
to burn ito make bonfire of all that is
bright and glorious in our history. know il has
been SAID lhar the process directed 10 be adopted
by youi resolution is not designed To sNpunge.
cnnnot believe this, and reject il equally Inluri-
10 Yourselves aud unjust those YOU represent.
You direct the words " Expuuged by order OF the
Senate" to be written across the resolutions Or
which you propose To make war. will not be-
lievc thai yon merely design to onsnare my con-
scicncc---n,ich less will indulge Tor n moment
the dra that Won direct "A inlschood To be record
ed by me. Those do moi understand You who make
such Inscriptions, and am not miscd by them.
/ The General Assembly of proud aud lofty State
is incapable of a mere bubble, aud such one
| as would disgrace kncs lester. No, gentle
men The act winch You direct to be performed, -
designed 10 be- aud is equivalent to, AN actual Oh
liberation in all its practical results. The manneT
OF accomplishing this act Of cancellation, is who'll
immacrial. In publishing THIS jonrndi, from,
time IN time hereafter, the resolution thus cancelled
cannot be published as part Of IT. IL is declared
Ia be rtpHpocd upon il. face. But, if in this l
could possibly he misiahen--ii after all ii is
" child's pla>--dc making few Hourshes,
and putting the Secretary of the Senate To the
trouble to write few nnmCanng words the q,ies-
ton would not hc changed Such as is the jour
nal, siallit re kept, unal,crcd in a letter, I'M
changed in cnmma--thc same as it now is /" to
the last syllable Of recorded time" Such is the
fiat of the Constitution. There is no, a clerk ar
deputy clerk in the Commonwealth of Virginia
who would execute such an order in regard To his
records. Tie people would he alive 10 the qncs-
tion and in vindication oi their RIGHTS would IL
containing the titles To their estates tn be cam
cclrd in any manner whatever. They surely
cannot take less interest in the preservation ut
the Constitution, tie great charter of all their
rights.
The effort has been made 10 hunt up precrdcnts
to Justify This act. The pages OF English Para-
mcntarv history have been ransacked, and AN ar
ray has been made ol examples drawn from the
times OF the )amcscs and Georges of England
" nh equal force might exar piles be quoted 10 jus
tiy an American President in executing capiiallv
citizen ofany one OF the States without the forns
uta trial He uuht pouallX he tilted i'm the