Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-06-28
To raE Eplroas or rnr Vino.

q - w 10y my usnus upon speech OF j udse Rohef
4 son, delivered in the House Of Repgesentatiy,
Swhhe he wss our representative on the 7th ,
reoruary, 1851 upon the proposition OF Mr. Thomr
\ son, OF South Carolina, to eensure "Old Married.
". one'ing, or expressing his wish to Offer pet
uon from Harss. for the abolition of slavery
IN that speech, the question OF the recep,ion
aoont'on Petitions, and the new-faugled right ,
4 petition, are discussed with such glowing ability
an apu'y SO much beyond any can pretend 1,
tha' nave determined 10 suspend for tho pressr
my argument, and request you TO publish The 3,
ua.t from the speech, which send you herewith
Allow me, before | take my leave OF YOU IN
, io'ning, however, to thank you, gentlemen, f.
your tnssnonim,ty in declining to expose my ESQ
, phistries and unfair reasoning" Mcthinks / he,
your merry Pegasus ncishing and pranciny near m,
ana snoring hre from his nos,rils, like steam en-
sne "hen she Is ovsreharssd with caloric, and lar
Puase cannot describe my gratitude to Won for N,
Ieiuns "the erittur" loose upon me-
must say IN my own behalf, however, that If
nave INDUCED in "sophistrics" am not .on,ciou
OF u, anu certainly did not intend to use ''uafa
Arguments" as have no feeling that ~onlJ inJ,r
mo to do injustice any one on this di,cus,on no
even TO the Abol.tionists-It is my purpos,. crr
'ain'y, TO discuss the question fairly
Lei me suggest, however, that while il was &c
nervous IN you not TO put forth your strength uno
me, the same may not be said OF f,rho,,,n. 30
Warus The speech send you and propose thers
E'ors; that you try your hand upon "i.i,tle JACK"
we have oil heard OF the conflict between "rhnn
der and the Back Gum" but I confess I sh,',I
Whe'her the waggoncr was right in his estimate 4,
their relative powers in battle.
HANOVER.
Extract from he Speech Of John Robsrison.
While up, Nc. Speaker, will correct +, m;sco0.,,
W tVn mo which the gentleman from New YorL
! LNi'' SRAseER) seems to have fallen in ree,rd :,
the views of myself and other Southern ,ncr,Sos,
VINO voted against the resolution of the istb of lar
! uary. That gentleman, # correctly unde,s,nnl
nus, considered our vote as influenced by the mo
] nail - II
upon tue right OF petition.
t"r' GRANGER explained. He said the sep,Io
man from Virginia had miss ppreheni,d him ~.
hiu understood the gentleman froln V,ryin', anS
SH southern gentlemen who voied with lin. ms
u'ihS 80 on the ground that thew were onno,a, -
the reception Of memorials on the .uIi.ct Of -
'ioh anu had given them credit for their manly ond
CONSISTENT course on that occasionl ~
Mr. Il. SAID he was pleased to learn that he had
oeen msiaken but the vote had been misint.,n,.
ted here and elsewhere by those who Nj 49,
u worthy their notice. ana he desired Then 40 c a.
ne was Concerned, To correct the erroneous ron,,.
uon; voted, sir, Continued Mr.. II op,ins, III.
.IsU!u'on IN question, because, by recurring nil
abolition memorials to be laid upon the tabIe !, r.'
ceSst tily implied that such memosials sh,nIJ b =.
es'0sa' nave uniformly denied the pronri,,v oc
the rec plon, and an daily more and p,o,o g,
'inced that the greater part Of the annov,nca ona
as"a'on experienced here from the aboliIions,, has
arisen from this favor shown to their mer,o-;ais
The power OF the House to refuse TO rocsv. 10
cannot be justly denied. The parliamen,arv rrJs
itSeh WHICH, upon the preseniment of A ne,,,io, soe
quarry requires the question TO be put wurrprp
~ suAtL BE RECEIVED. necessarily nipple, that
power Tor the moment 1t is admitted that th, ones
ION may be put, IT follows that il NAV be nnsrssJ
e'her aihrmatively or negatively and. CONSEQUENT.
~ hat ina reception, IN tho exercise of sound
discretion, may be refused.
me right OF petition, like all other human RIGHTS
must nave some limits. IL is generally Admitted
mat the House may refuse TO receive petition. in
ueCoruS or insulting IN their language But who.
Is me ruIe or the reason, OF con6nns thi, nnv.r a.,
ScJee'ions on the score of !anguage1 Why no, re.
fuse 10 receive them where the subject r,,,;o. :; ~
yond our jurisdiction or the application So r,iI
ihnoIal, unjust, or unconstitutional AS 10 reorir,
no GeAoerailon, and deserve no favor The ,',b,,
OF 'he petitioner may be CO extensive with The Snr
s''ui'hal power OF Congress, but cannot transcend
H. IL Is an absurdIty in terms TO talk of risb, ~,
petition, where there 10 not n correlntivo no,s, y,
grant. why ask what cannot be given ? VVbc,s
mere exists rational doubt, petitions agree ought
10 DO received and considered; and no one will 90
.a'e' 10 respect the right within just and reason
ao'e bounds. But where the petition is pIainIv nm.
just or unconstitutional; where l. canno, be or,n,cd
"ithout rohhmg others Of their propsrtv or ,beir
rights; without violating that instrument, v,c b,ye
sworn 10 ooservei or endangering the Union: il is
our duty TO guard, 1t is insulting i'm i,S cb,5oc,o
~"a'eVer may be ITS language, and ought not 10
be entertained. IL is idle TO receive petition vc
are Predetermined 10 reject; and no wrong !, done
oy, refusing 10 entertain al application which il -
snuecorous or unJust to make, or unlawful to grant
suppose pelItion praying TO take away a mans
lie by act OF Congress- to abolish the Trial bv ;ur,
establish national church, or do any thing elSSs
prohibited by the Constitution: TO what end Tsrsiys
w And do not these abolition memorials propose
HoIa'e me ConSttutIoni Do they not seek TO
t'ke away what that Constitution recogniscs ,s
property and iorbids to be taken excep, for pubIc
use But gentlemen say IL is more Tespeciful IN
receive them, and lay them upon the table witbon,
reading them. Sir, deny l.. They who tell them
at onoe frankly, that they will not receive then
because they ask what ought not to he granted trs,t
them With full rs much respect as those who. boast.
ng u 10 the exclusive friends Of the rsht of pet,on
receive them, and lay them aside without deigning
90 !ook az them. II isa mere pretence, a mockery
10 cali tins respect for the right of petition
Tins, MIR Speaker, is the view took Of the rs,o.
uuon Of the lssh January. Believing that the abo.
uIonists demanded what Congress had no moral mr.
constitutional! power to concede, was no, wing
Is give their nemon,ls admission. | was not vii,
hog that this Hail. devoted as II should he IN b,r
monious deliberations for the common GOOD Of the
Union, should be made rcceptac c for foul and
odious bels upon the character and institutions If
the Southern People. But the House have orde,.d
Otherwise. These offensive memorials in many
cases signed by women and children ignorant of tho
institutions under which We live, and not knowing
II - 10 be hoped, the consequences Of their Coy
have been Teceyed-out Of respect il is snd to tho
right OF peuuon-and are TO be preserved forever
hnong the archives OF the nation II there Nera any
hope of success, would ask a reconsideration ~
the resolution under which this Outrage is inflicted
upon US, and order to the Clerk 10 deliver Then,
back to those who presented them. Sir. have told
gentlemen from the North, and tell them again.
that they DO not, and will rot fear until il sbol
be too 'ie. appreciate the motives or the feelings az
the Southern and Southwestern Peope. Perh,ps
they canncG Tor is law OF our nature that We "a
not, without difficulty, en:Cr into the feelings of 9TH
ers differently situated from ourselves n,rcpt
only can Know the extent Of parental affection. he
only who has experienced Il realize the strength
OF that tie which binds the husband to his wife So
SIR, Northern men can have hut faint concepton q,
the emotions we experience at the uncaising assault,
aimed at our peace, our property, our rights and
our institutions. They sit secure and unnn,veJ
while the missiles destined to ussail and annoy Al.
nre prepared before their eyes, and cooly and mos,
| phuosoph c'y wonder at the warmth Of the Souib
How, SIR, would they beir similar aggressions unon
themselves Would they st calmly, and listen 10
petitions for the establishment Of slavery in the
non-sIaveholdlng Stntesl- IL seems cir they think
/ they wou!i-WilI they receive petitions from H. r
South 10 abolish the aboliiiOnists And let me tell
them that the People Of the South regard abolition
ism and obolltlonlss as grievances illl az hard To
bear with as they possibly consider US or our in
| suiutons.-WilI petitions be received here 10 bar-
ish them TO put them to dea'h7 tSeveral North
ern gentlemen appeared 10 assent IL Gentlemen
am to understand, think such petitions would be
admitted. Then, SIR, 90 further, nut n sttonge,
case. Suppose the Southern People had Organized
| societies TO seize upon the wives and children Of
their Northern brethren, to make them hewers of
wood and drawers Of water, in lieu Of tho slaves
sought TO DO wrested from them; suppose these so
ceues boosted oi their growing strength while their
psuIons we're daily flowing by hundreds into Con.