Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-11-29
CoNGREss.-2d Session.
SPEECH OF Ma GOODS, OF VIRGINIA,
on VIRGINIA LAND CLAIMS
Deferred in The House Of Representatives., friday
Jnae %, l542.

Instructed inqur: into The anoun; and character the
eufs "hen eays nen mace ~ ,h ~ ~
anonn Of IL. claims sill outstandng aud whether any
description"
MIR. GoGcIs moved 10 amend the resolution By s.rs
ing OF. "Comni:tee on Revolutionary Claims, and IN
sorting either select Committee the Committee on
| Public Lands.
| The question of reference discussed briefly BY
aesss. Goggin, Stanly, fall, Summers, Arnold, Ho.
ard Of Michigan, and McKcnnan; when Mr. Stenly
modified his resolution as 10 substitute ga secc'
Committee" for s'ihe Committee Revolutionary
/ Claims
MIR. GonnE of Virginia moved to amend the resolu
tion TO add, "or 10 satisfy the outstanding claims
which are just and we'll loundsd aud that The sac Com
u.i,,ee have leave to roper. by bill or otherwise.
Mr. WlsE briefly supported the amendment
Mr.. HALL of VI. obtained The floor, and expressed h
desire 10 submit some obscsyations but, the morning
hour hsvins nearly EXPIRED the subject was lad over
Thursday, June l6.-hlf. HALL addressed the House
during Tie morning hour.
Friday, June 17.-Mr. UNDERWOOD spoke in favor
| of certain class of claims.
Tuesday, Juno 2l.-Nlr. GlLarR replied TO MIR
| HALL.
"Wednesday, June @2-Mr. GocoIS spoke an hour
in support Of the claims.
| Friday, June 21.-Mr. Gonde spoke in favor Of the
amendment proposed By himself
Mr.. GOODE said The remarks he shon, Offer
would be few, ard briefly expressed. lie should moi
impose on himself as task, 10 drag on, dull and
tedious honr he shond be glad TO escape from the
necessity Of speaking, the House could DC 10 excuse
! him.
When he offered the amendment. to the resolution
Of the honorable gentleman from North Carolina, (alr
Stany) he had 10 wish to provoke this debate. lbs
sole purpose was 10 invest the committee with com
p.cie jurisdiction rather than with partial authority
over a subject deemed By that gentleman worthy Of
examination For himself, lie could say, with perfect
sincerity the; he felt very great degree CT indifference
az 10 the action which should be taken By the House
He had 10 interest in the subject which was not com
mon TO every member AS far as the principles OF JUS
lice were nrolved-a far The claimants had we'll
founded demand, lie certainly desired that they should
be paid As fer The honor sc the nation involved
SIS far :s under ob!.at:ons, founded on a
Jus, equivalent he desired 30 preserve the honor o the
alton without bealish; farther than this he had TO
wish.
|, ha. already tccn shown, by his honorable col
leagues that this no. mere Virginia question
he came nat lorw ard as mere Virginia advocate He
supposed that if classification Of the Claims could be
effected it would De found that large proportion had
enurcd 10 the benefit ni those who were not resident
citizens OF Virginia Kentucky, Tennessee, Alsbama
mississippi OHIO, Indiana and Illinois, would DC found
have interest n the suhjec', bearing far Proro'
lion 10 that Of Virginia. s.Thc far West-the na9ni
fcen, valley OF the Mssi:sppi-had long since lured
from the hone Of their fathers many Of the enerprs
ing adventurous Of sires who had dedicated TIE
un;enued labo. &C their ces IN tie achievement of tae
Independence oc lie naiioa lie aishcd the question
could be discussed and understood s:.hout al'usoh 10
The S;..a of Virginia; for, ia hr inmost heart n did
believe that her relation to the snbjec. had wrought
derifaen, 10 The claimants. Tine Tas, WHEN tbs Cnud
net be- Tine YVES, asn The House Oh Representatives.
OF the United States not accustomed 10 Cheer ana
encourage every 6ctater hc i,gccd sarcasm a, THAT
people Who in the Gay nf Revolutionary struggle
had given to the nation Washington Jefferson and
M9rshal The first caf.an--ihe first stattfnlan--
Tic first Judge! Times changed, and we are recon
cilrd 10 that change.
Mr. Goode said, tia: in being compelled to aluce TO
his Stale lie should no: ~ charged wi,h the indulgence
of those feelings Of pride and vanity habitray ascbad
to her h. legation Tho very question before the House
i,volred consideration Of the aid afforded by Virginia
10 tie great cause q: American independence. The
tendency Of the remarks Of The gentleman from Yer.
mont (NIr Ha!D was 70 depreciate he! ef1rts WHIST;
then were her contributions 10 that cause, &c attesscd
BIZ impartial history, What the number Of troops
sent by her 10 the field Ard 81 hat their reward =
These were the topics 10 &c discussed, TO enable The
House to form judgment on The question they were
called to decide Al the very dawn of the Revolu.
.ion when the alarm gun was fred by The cid BAY
State Virginia responded in strains of patriotic enthu-
siasm. Having long cooperated with her sister colo
MES in resen,ing the injuries inflicted By Great Britain,
she made common cause with Massachusetts, and pre-.
pared at once sustain that cause. In the Spring OIL
l77 before the Declaration Of Independence, she pro-
Fall the same year. she raised other regiments:
and in I77c she raised six additional regiments ,nck
in. an aggregate Of fifteen regiments. Mainly and orr
gnall; designed for The protection OF her own SOIL these
regiments soon gwen M ior lie common cause,
subjected 10 the authority of the Continental Congress,
and placed under the contro. of the commander in
chief Such was the :crce embodied by Virginia, and
cont cut 10 The var Not enrolment OF the nj
lila. made subject 10 martial law Tor The purpose oil
sudden and efficient demonstration On an invading enc'
~ ~, farm
for pecuniary demand on the Congress; bat force
actually raised, and embodied, and sent on to meet
The chance nnd peril Of war-n encounter the burning
aards of The Souh-to mark with their blood the
of The No,th-n every cline and in every held |" en-.
counter and 70 conquer the enemies OF America.
This force heinz removed to the seat Of war, far
bevond her most Northern border, it became neees-
sary TO make additional provision for he. own de-
fence and accordingly she raised, IN rer'd success.
sion, two regiments Of infantry, Two reg'mrn's oil
artillery two regiments at cavalry, and third re-
ginsnt Of infantry for the defence Of her g.TEisens
Added to which, were the tao regiments command.
cd Nv Colonels Clarke and Crocaat IN the Illinois e1
pediiion which resulted n the fall OF kaskasSas ano
Vncennes and the conquest Of that bounde IS territory
in which the soldier OF the Revolution vas promised
home for his declining years. This wss force sus.
tanned BY my State addition to several smaller corps,
and also that deridsd State navy, against which the
pe n,eman from Vernon; (Mr Hall has thought pro-
oer to direct tie power Of his sarcasm The whole
Cannot DC cQHpuleu a. ICES -
five regiments including the State nasy; WHICH is
thought by isr too ow cstin.:s.
To enable us 10 form correct judgment on The vote
which We are now give, it is proper 10 inquire wha,
wss the reward stipulated 10 lie given By The State TO
her ralIant sons Il s unnecessary to aireIt to her
colonial poverty. II is known tina. her pecunilly re-
sources we're inadequate to The great cccason she,
had ~. he means, in money, Of sustaining "a !,
army in Tie field. She WIS the r'gitfnl ow" :
vast unsettled territory, wlth wiiich s4person who
generous reward TO valor; .ng tho var, the
"n l7;s, she stipulated 10 air
should ens; Tor three yessss promises! Tie officers,
continental bounty la salincs Who should
s ss5ss ssssy promised ssS tss s
Isa :ae ao n s service, or been slain in battle
disssfs land bounty pasd 70 ssers and
sodsrs who had sstg,d 5 sS s sSao %,
cashercu or ,sr annnr, of the original boun