Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-12
VIRGINIA. LEGISLATURE.

/
before,) in placing Mr.. McDowells name before the
Legislature Of Virginia. peculiarly fit and proper
person to fill the Guhernatoral Chair of this Common
wealth. he could not have believed c could have Deen
called upon again to throw himself upon the 'ndul-
gence of the House, certain charges prefer
red against Mr.. Mcdowell, by the member from James
City, (N1r. Gregory Knowing as he (Mr. Chapman)
did, and he presumed almost every politician IN Vr
GINA that the charges preferred, were totally I'M
founded in point of fact-and although those charges
had been sprung suddenly and unexpectedly,
still, Mr. G.. of opinion, that with the evidence
then in his possession he would be able to satisfy any
impartial mind, that they were certainly founded in err
ror and msconcepton. The charges preferred by the
gentleman were, LIST. That Mr. Mcdowell was IT, S
! Bank man-2nd. That he in favor Of Internal I'm
provements by the General Government-3rd That
he was in favor of Protective Tarlff--and fh. That
| he was on AbolItiOnist
Mr.. Chapman said, that he might merely put in a
plea of not guilty to each and every count in this
Indictment and call upon the prosecutor tor his proof
and without the examination of single witness IN
the defence, he was sure that enlightened commu-
nty would unhcsitatngly render verdict of not gua
H. But as charges frequently without even par
Gle of proof to sustain them, SO used by unprn
ciped party presses, to deceive and mslead honest
communities, Mr.. c. felt himself in duty bound 10
place Mr.. McDowells opinions and views upon those
subjects in their proper light. He would take them
up one by one and prove by the highest and best ev
dpncc, viz Mr. McDowell's votes, and writings,
that each Of them unoundcd IN truth
The first count in the indictment charges, that MIR.
Mcdowell is United States Bank man. and If MIR.
c. understood the gentleman correctly It. founded that
charge upon the vote given al the session OF ls3sa
BY Mr. Mcdowell, when member OF THIS Assembly,
upon certain resolution introduced by Mr. Steven
son. gentleman then representing the county n Spott-
sylvania) Mr. c. said that the journal OF that session
had n minute before been placed in his hand, from
which he perceived that the gentleman totally mis-
taken with regard the facts Of the case and instead
Of proving the fact stated By the gcntcman from
James City, proves precisely III" revrrsc-That vote
tablished, beyond the possibility OF doubt, alr Nc.
Dowclls opposition to Bank Of the IT, s constitu-
tional grounds the highest Of all grounds. Mr.. G.
begged the attention Of the House, whilst nc read from
the journal. Al page 100 would b. found the following
proceeding:
J "a motion was then made By Mr.. Gimer TO amend
the said report of The Committee by inserting before
the last resolution, the following:
kr.oIreG That hereby intended 10 give any Implied
sanction power which has been claimed by Congress TO
raIIsl, United states Bank
"Whcreupon, a motion was made by Mr.. Steven
son of Spottsylyania amend the said amendment, By
substituting therefor the following
Resoirsd That General Assembly of Virginia.
sanction the power which has been claimed hy Congress- cab
Assembly, that poweris given 10 Congress by the Constitution
Of The United S3c as IN, been frequently and '"inn decar-
And the question heng the amendment TO the amend
mcnt Mr. tmer. determined in The Affirmative Ayes p
And amonet the noes, Mr. G. said he found recorded
tho names of Mr. Gilmer (who, on this OCCASION the
gentleman from James City anxious To elect the
GovernorD Mr.. Mcdowell and Mr. Gregory, the gen.
tleman from James City himself. MIR. Mcdowell voted
against the amendment proposed by Mr.. Stevenson,
because he preferred Mr.. Gners amendment but the
amendment Of Mr. Stevenson being adopted the cues
ton arose. upon agreeing TO the amendment as amend
ed which was vote simply upon the adoption of Mr..
Stevensons amendment, and the principles OF that
amendment-and it was the question which tried men S
opinions upon the constutonalIty OF l. ). Bank
and the journal showed, that upon the adoption of that
resolution there were IS ayes and 33 noes Amongst
the ayes stand recorded the of Mr.. Mcdowell
and Mr. Gilmer, BY which they soemny declared, that
Bank of the IT, 5. was unconstitutional hut, unfor-
unatey for the gentleman from James City, iwho has
made all this noise, and preferred those charges against
i Mr. McDowe) his name stands recorded against the
resolntionso that the Journal to which the gentleman
referred, proves that Mr. Mcdowell is opposed TO u.
S. Bank constitutional grounds, whilst the gentle
man from James City himself net, proven by his
vote recorded on the journal
4 Mr. Sneaker, (said Mr.. ca f Mr.. Mcdowell had
upon that occasion voted against the resolution con-
corning the consttutionality of the u States Bank,
las understand some gentlemen dd) because il had
no proper cnnnexion with the matter under consdcra
ton-thc subject being the 'remnval of the dcpositcs,
he might we'll have done so, entertaining as he id the
opinion that U. S. Bank unconstitutional for the
reason above referred to-and should then look for
Mr.. McDowels opinions as expressed upon proper
occasions, for his true position upon this question:
Well MIR. Speaker, if the gentleman from James City
had made enquiry and examination with re-
gard TO Mr. McDowes opinions before lac preferred
his chnrges, he would have ascertained that Mr.. Nc
Dowel upon his return home i'll the spring OF 1884, be-
came candidate for reelection that he addressed cir
cular to the people othe County Of Rockbdge in which
he Internationally takes the ground that Bank OF the
L. s. is constitutional That circular lately publish
ed in the Valley Star, Ia paper published in Mr. Mellow.
ellis county, and would no doubt have satisfied the
gentleman cf James City, had he thought proper 10
have examined it, of The injustice Of the charge he
has brought against Mr. Mcdowell. MIR. c. said, he
not willing TO permit the charge to rest even here
although all were probably convinced of the into
which the gentleman from James City had run; but nc
had other observation-disclosures more to be relied upon
1 than any yet adduced. He meant Mr.. Mcdowell 5
letters to which was attached his own proper sigma.
turc, written both 10 political friends and foes, giving
without disguise his opinions, not only upon this, but
upon all the charges preferred by the gentleman against
MIR Nc Dowell and Mr. c. said, he would ask pcrmis-
SION to read an extract Of letter from Mr. Mcdowell
to personal friend though Wing, written in Novcm
Der last, as follows:
EXTRACT of a letter from Mr.. .HcDoaoeH
"And as points and not detail viii be the most accept
able, may say in thu lump, that am unti-Aboton,
anti nted States Bank, anti Tariff, antlnternal I'm.
provpncnt BY Congress, anti-dstr;buCn amongst the
States Of The federal revenue, antI-nssumpon OF State
debts by Congress, antiStae Bank deposit sys ems,
general and Special and for the Sub Treasury system
our md ont. | am State Rights man-believe the
General Government to be compact OF The Stdtes-to
have no powers but enumerated ones and those ncccs
sary as means to their execution and therefore believe
that can never he administered in its true spirit but
when all Substantive implied powers and all donbtui
ones are carefully and rigidy excluded from its I'D
minis,ration A word of explanation may be proper.
My notions upon the policy of Virginia as to her
slaves are we'll known, but am not therefore an abo-
| ltonist any more than Rives Roane, any one
else Virginia. the of her slaves may do with
them as she peases Does it follow, that those who do
not own them have the right 10 do with them as
they please Just the contrary, one wouldthink. The
truth is, that the Aboltionss, as body have set upon
foot system of measures which not only affects The
safety but the sovereignty of the States These rnea
sures lessen the security, therefore the value of our
slave property In other words they go to mod fy and
CONTROL and are avowedly intended so to modify and
control certain rights which certain States have seen
fit 10 establish by law. Buhow they control such
rights by taking from their security value, without
attacking and limiting the sovereignty which ESTABLISH
AhnEtinnsm chilled. is