Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-02-10
REMARKS OF
nj r. KIN n EY,
IN SUPPORT OF HIS NOMINATION OF
GEN. B. G.. BALDWIN.

GEN. u. G. BALDWIN.
Mr.. KINNEY said, beg leave, Mr.. Speaker, to
place before the House, for the important station
we are now called upon to fill, the name of a gen.
tleman who is known TO all ofus,-for he has been
teIlow-laborer with us, on this floor, during tho
present session ;-and my only regret is that he is
not better known--for to know him is to respect
and esteem him-and the better he is known, the
more will he be loved and admired, not only for
the qualities Of his heart, but for the powers of
his mind. The gentleman to whom he alluded
was Gen. Briscoe @. Baldwin, one of tho dele
gates from Augusta.
Mr. IL remarked, il had been his good fortune
10 nave known Gen. b. long-to have known him
well-both In public and private life. He had
oeen resident OF the same town, practitioner at
the same bar with him, for upwards of 90 years
Ten. IL. was now about 50 years of age-a ne
tive OF Frederick county, Virginia. graduate of
William and Mary coegc-an institution which
had sent forth from her venerable walls and cas-
sic shades, the most distinguished men of Vr-
ginia, or Of the Union. lie studied his profess
sion under the and direction Of his brother
in-law, the late Judge WIN. Daniel who was
Justly esteemed an able jurist, pure and upright
man. before Gen. Is. attained the age Of
Fl, he obtained his license, and took his stand
at the Bar of Stanton, then considered one of
the ableSt In tile State for it numbered among its
members, Chapman Johnson, Daniel Sheiiey,
John Ill. Peyton, and Others he could name-be-
ing thus brought in contact and conflict with
voted himself with zeal, an assduty, an indus
try, which never tired, to the study and prosecu-
non OF his profession; and aided by a naturally
fne intellect, he soon won his way to an extensive
practice, and eminence in his profession. With
undated zeal and industry he has ever since con-
tinucd to prosecute it, and is now, and has long
been esteemed, one Of the first lawyers certainly
in Western Virginia, il not in the State as is mo
we'd by the fact that his professional services have
been sought after in different and distant parts of
| Y For nctIt,
Baldwin is held as an able lawyer, a pure, mp
| right and amiable man, he appealed, and appeal
| ed with confidence, to the Delegations on that
noor from Rockbridge, Botetourt, Rockingham
Iendieton, Bath, Greenbrier, in short 70 the whole
Western delegation, and many of the Eastern:
| and he thought he hazardcd but little when he
said, that there was no man in the State whose
appointment would give more general satisfaction
to the aohoie west than would Gen. B's.-for whilst
there were, douoiless,some gentlemen, who have
personal preference, because of a more intimate
acquaintance with other gentlemen who had
been, or probably would be, placed i'm nominal
! tion- there was none, yes he would venture the
! assertion, there was not one, who knew Gen. b.
! VINO would not admit, if the appointment was
conferred upon him, it would be conferred
upon gentleman of pure morals, unblemished
reputation, good habits, and fine legal attanments
MT. said, that whilst Gen. Il. had not been
an idle, indifferent, or inactive spectator in the
political strlfes and conflicts which had marked
/
our beloved country, he had never been violent.
! bIgoted political partiZan. He had represented
! the county OF Augusta several times on this floor
! 1T was station rather forced upon, than sought
! alter by him. He had, in connection with Chan
man Johnson, Gen. VIM. Meow and Samuel
Mcdowell Moore, represented, and represented
with ability, the Augusta District In the conven-
! tion which framed our present Constitution; and
In his humble opinion, he could have filed any
once, State or Federal, in the gift of the People
| OF that district; but he sought none-his ambi-
ton lay not IN that way-his great ambition was
10 excel III his profession, to become an able in.
! rlst. He has succeeded-and Mr.. x. asked the
| House to confer upon his nominee the reward
due to diligence, industry, moral and intellectual
| worth.
MIR. X. remarked, that lie had a few more
| words TO say, and he was done-Thcy were adj
| dressed in a spirit Of kindness to his Eastern
! brethren }le asked them TO look to the fact,
! That there were now upon the bench Of the Court
| OF Appeals three able and distinguished Judges
| from the East side of the Blue RIDGE only from
| the West;-that our Governor s. every member of
| the Executive Council, our LIST and Cd Auditors
! Treasurer and Register, were all Eastern men
so were our two Senators in Congress. He ask
ed them, too, to look at the fact tha, the vacancy
! they were then called on 10 fill, had grown out of
the resignation of d Western Judge. In view of
all these facts, he appealed to the magnanimity
| OF his Eastern brethren, and asked them whether,
| II he presented them with Western man. pos
sessed of every requisite qualification for the Of
flee, Oor he would ask it only on condition he
presented gentleman Of equal talent and other
| requisites for the oflice.) they would not yield
this boon, for he would not deem il a right 20 the
! West. In conclusion, he expressed the hone
that this appointment would be conferred upon
native, talented Of the West-oue, Of whom
she was proud.