Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-05-20
Ii | lex FROM THE HON HARRISON
CRAY OTIS TO JOHN WulPPLE, Esq.

your letter with report 10 the Legislature o.
Rhode Island on the Athcrlon resolutions and Won,
speech explanatory Of your dissent from tha ,enort
/" " certainly fiatterng TO me 10 know that | live
your recollection, and the opinion of one so long
Withdrawn from the notice OF the w,,J ,nJ an ma,
uepation IN public aifaiis cop,d Great. enb,r conf
oence OF uls'fust IN your owr-iormed with the ad-
vantage oil intellect IN full igor and defended by ar
s""' ~ "nth Nothing of substance can be
aided ! our fsIdest under these circumstance
"ou'u nave opposed upon me an obligation OF cour-
"sy W lin the best opinion | might upon novel
SUI, CT But as your report Though upon Il new
Question which YOU have disposed of by an eloquent
ana conclusive argumen) grows out OF IN old sub
Ject--lhe conditien Of slavery among our Southern
brethren, and the relationship between their rights
and our duties-which has been familiar to my
ihonshts iof halt century, was quite prepared 10
examine its merits, aud have no other trouble in
replying To your favor but that which is common 10
age-a loss where 10 begin and where to leave of.
Had been a member OF Congress. called to do
eide upon the Athetton resolutions should not have
voted iof them AT the same tine, | have doubt
OF the constitutional power OF the House TO adopt
them. But considered The org NAL refusal oil Con
gfess To heat commit and obtain report upon the
resolutions regarding slavery IN the District of Co
lnmbia rs unfortunate aud lmpoluic. 1t sure
To be coniounded III popular belief with denial of
the right Of petition itself and thus touch the com
munity in lis most irritable nerve. Ii WIS also an
unusual and apparently unhind and cavalier mode
]
qnesIed under new cireumsances-enHted 10 auen-
ton on account of the number of petitioners.
had also predicted three years ago in public speech,
that the abolition movement would be mingled with
political intrigue and party politics. These oblec-
TONS thought would he in great measue ohviated
by the report Of the committee, which, being I'M
der the control If the majority would have ended
IN the same result as LAYING the petitions the
bic, without afofdng plausible occasion OF offence
or complaint.
n,,t / 1l, / III I
member of the Rhode Island Legislature, should
have been found on your side IN opposing the report
oil your committee" inasmuch rs the question there
assumed entirely different aspect. 1t one lhing
for Congress 10 refuse to ACT upon peuton, aud
another thtg for Stale Legislature to deny the
right OF the former to regulate us proceedings.
There nothing ~ the Athefion resolutions which
negatives the right ot petition, and nohug Which,
IN fact, mpairs rs value. petulon IN the consli
tuhonal view, IS Il request offered 10 government
supposed to have jurisdiction Of the subitcl Ion
redress of some grievance. The rlghl to trnc, and
o. consequence 10 Offer such petition bClongs 10 cv.
cry leaceabe assembly Of tie People. Tins gh
also involves tie fght Ia make the Government ae=
quainted with the subject matter ii the peuicn-
tel 10 have il read IN tltcRsD, matteroi course,
10 which tlcre Mo V be yald objections. Thousands
of netitions may relar the single objects
palpably out Of the PROV uce and competency oil TO-
ytfnment decide which the minds oi ma
iority may be known to be made up hey may be
ilagIdntlS INDIGENOUS, ana HumeiJls al" luminous
enough 10 occupy IN reading unf.asouable ume'
But If not read, the Legislature addiess'd IS bouha'
1t least, To hemkcu 10 statement Oh tho SUBJECT
nltler-io be informed OF the character OF the grey
ances sought 10 be Iedfcssed. Otherwise the right
Of petition would be nugaqry-at least nominal and
unworthy of a pllcc among the fundamentals OF i
CONSTITUTIONAL the voice OF me-" crying IN the
Wilderness
This right, thus explained, has. think an in
riusic value. II belongs to the whole and every
portion Of the People-eXtends TO all subJects--ls
indispensable 10 an exposition OF their sentiments y
wants, and popular and patemal Governments Will,
when exercised command attention and obtain re
lief unless the first SHALL after Information and re
Fiction be thought super1uous, and the last mex
pcdient or lmrracticable. The exercise OF this
right IN a particular case may, as you have IN
geniousy shown, be of value. sui the iight
remains, and has value in nseli-llke a perennial
fountain, in repairing to which one mans pitcher
may be broken aud his water split, while the soulc.
remains iaexhaustIbIe.
With this explanation Of my views OF the ,ighl
and value of the privilege of petition secured by the
Constitution, am prepared TO 30 the whole length
OF your argument and countet-fepou IN TIE distnc-
so deliberately drawn between the right oi pc
tton in the People and the right OF Congress 10
reg late their own Proceedings, and consequently 10
dispose Of petitions at their will aud pleasure This
you lave so amply illustrated, that the argument IS
exhausted, and little more is lett me than to say,
" ditto to Mr.. Burke" ] will venture, however,to
make one suggestion conhrnatofN OF your views
and that, not 10 render them more luminous (which
cannot be done,) but merely because II had occur
red TO me as decisive Of the question from my own
uuaided reflection.
While the abolitionsts insist upon the duty oil
Congress to do something more than merely hear
lher petitions statement OF their contents, ihey
furnish no standard for measuring or defining lis
extent. They do not inform us al what stage OF
proceedings il may be allowable for Congress TO ex.
ercse lis discretion in rejecting or poslponlng pc
tition Ii would seem reasonable that the claims OF
petitioners to the attention OF Congress should not
he regarded as Of higher character 'saa those APP
peyaining to their Representatives on he noor-tiiat
The privilege Of the constituent should not ex-
ceed that OF member in his place Bul II Is uo'o-
rious that the ordinary proceedings oil Congress are
npon resolutions offered by member or fePoitea
by a committee. Every member is entitled 10
offer resolution upon any subject and It IS equal
~ certain that the House possesses and exercises
at pleasure, the right of refusing TO consider resoiu
lions, ard OF postponug or rejecting them without
debate The lips of the member are thenceiofih
scaled upon the subject thus disposed OF. suppose
however that the same subject IS Afterwards present
ed in the form petition from persons ont OF uoors'
ne,haps nv the same member-and that the House
i consii,nlionally bound and ac' upon It
because it is petition the acton must De upon
resolutions and these must OF necessity cobct WIN
the previous decision, and supefsene 'ue '"'es '''
have been applied to resolutions on the same SUP
;,t He,r ,h,n the lit Of The House 10 regu-
late It's own proceedings is annuled ny Tue iS"' Vi
petition H., -;
Let this doctrine be established, and there is no
yaoary or exiravgance which an assembage OF pet-
TONERS may not concoct INTO TIE form o. ie'on VA
which Compress must act violate the cohstltu-
| lion In the North may petition iol the aooii'
lion of slavery in the United States. lhe SCUM may
Ina sci