Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-02-01
lXPIfNGING.

-, tuo pre.e.,eu,s on record, 10 Mhch
.,f,,ly refer tie advocate oitlic Expung
- Resolutions inasmach as ''ieH VIII Heea all TIE
ar, which they can derive from arguments
IL, from past history, 10 sustain them IN their
\ ,;,o attempt to deiaoc the records OF govern
:, the teeth Of the constitutional II Junction
,,.,, ,hem involarc and pnmntiIatcd
~, Go, II these prcccdents, is entitled to pc
.,,s;l,ra,inn. from its intimate connection
al, ,c early fife Of The father oil tbs Illegal pro-
-. Wc refer, OF course, 10 the obl'lerai'on.
,,ou the journals Of Society at Chapel I'LL, OF
49, ,,,;,n e,pcIling one THOMAS HART
nrNTON, supposed 10 te i''e identical individual
| ",ears a passion to tattcrs" 50 admirably
.,,a Scpat,.. for a certain high crime and misdc
,,eanor therein spccfed--approprIa''ng TO his per-
anal use and bchooi, certain pieces Ct rag mo-
No, bronping TO hin,--liis anlipathy 10 that
..r Of currency not icing then powerful enough to
,.,.r him from removing the dcposltcs" Of a fell
low student.
III, second prcccdcn; has been lately brought to
81. ootice OF the public, by corresponds 1t OF the
.,ox,nd,ia Gazette, and may h. found recorded
=, lepp,h, in Mrs Life Of Patrick Henry. That
;,s,rous champion oflihcrty, having procured the
.s.,cc Of resolutions by Tie House Of Burocsscs,
in 1865, protesting against the power Of the Brit
,.b Parliament ",n lay taxes AID impositons upon
n. Inhabitants of this (hcn) Colony and decar-
,,q,bat " the General Assembly had the sole right
TO take coehizancc Of such matters, starred home,
the A,sembl, bcirg within two days of the close OF
,,x session: and says Mr.. Jefferson, who i, quoted
by Mr.. Writ as his al thory -good authority, VIC
hope, with those who cloak iheir sins under that
great mans broad inanilc,--
And the next morning, before the meeting OF
the House Col. Peter Randolph, then Of the (Ex-
ccutiyc) Council, came to he Hall of Burec$scs,
and sat at the Clerks table TIL the House bell
rang, thunbing over the volumes Of the Journals,
to find procedent for erpungins a rote CT The
Houst, witch he said had taken place while he was
member clerk Oft Tie House. stood by him
at the end OF the table considerable part OF tic
time looking as lac turned over tie leaves but |
do not rccollcc whether be found the Crasnrc. In
the mean ,imc some .f the tiniid members who
had voted for the strongest resolution, became a.
larmed and as the House met motion
was made and carried, TO EXruNGE IT FROM THE
JOURNALS. There beng at that day but one print
er in the commonwealth and Inc entirely under the
control of the Governor, 1--WE are better on) do
moi know ,ha this resolution ever appeared in
print" (sec Wits Life of Ilcnry.)
This is exactly in point--a contest be-
tween the Euecmire. (Which found a tool and mi
Mons then, as does now,) and tic Legislative
departments Of the government---thc former en-
dcavoring then, as ROW, To extend its prcrogavcs,
and the latter to resist its uncroaehnents the
rights of the people. The parallel runs on all
fours and fits the present ease though it
hadboen made for il. Let the people take warn
ing BY the past If they wise--and if they
know their rights, and know ing, dare maintain"
they will, in this battle between Executive
sance and Legislative independence, side with the
latter. In all ages and countries, the Liberties Of
the people have been insidiously undermined by
the gradual usurpa,ons of Executive ambition, or
arbitrarily cloven down by the strong arm Of EN-
ecu,iyc power. Let those who are not blinded by
party prejudice, beware how they give to that
branch Of our government supremacy which will
enable it hereafter TO set AT defiance the saluary
check of Legislative censurc!
And, after all, what advantage will the expung-
ing Of Mr.. Clays resolution confer on the ooun-
uy1 Is any great principlc involved in IT The
opponents OF that resolution, 1t is true, say that
is Observation-Disclosures fact and what then!
Would it net, 50 far as the public concerned, be
Just as strongly reprobatcd bv coun'erresolution,
resembling it, and setting forth the reasons of its
repeal, as by expungng it' What magic is there
in the " black lines" which so wcds the advocates
of the cxpunging process to that strange mode Of
venting their indignant Spcen1 Do they convey
an idea Of more marked dispcasurc, than tie p,o
cess which we suggest, of repeating or resembling {!
Surely not: and if not, why stick perlinacious-
ly to the mode If it be retorcd, why do you
object to the mode 50 warmly We answer, for
two reasons first, because it is unconstitutional /;
- and secondly because ii is dictated by mere spi
rit of man-worship-bv desire TO crafty the
aohm of the President, WHO has strangely taken it
INTO his head that erpunging is the only process by
which his conduct can be vindicatcd and his feelings
appcased. And this latter reason, by the way, is
at the bottom of the whole movement. 1t is not
to ylndcate any constitutional principle, outraged
by the Senate's resolution, nor in any other man
ner to conducc to the public advantage that 'hisat-
tempt has been made, but simply to prefer ano-
ther evidence Of servty and degrading homage