Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-06-21
COMMUNICATIONS,

directed To walk; II abandon that palladium Of
S,' liberty our rights will be immediately gone No let
snte them. as Of old Baaam's ASS that they turn
not away rom the pah Ia which, II we kecr
liberties they should adhere with underwriting regularity
rr"nure once To the world rather Cong
they have rshtto exercise powers by alton aud
requires not the sd Of prophecy foreei Il We may
Judge Of the future ny the past, that those great and
esushle rights which How from nature are gin OF
Naure's Geo, will be assasSinaied bv the rude unfeenc
hand of fcroeious dcspoism That body will not only pass
Ah'n and S'dton Laws, which they have had the auda
city topass in the h year Of the Cor sttuon but will 20
on TO increase The black catalogue OF crimes, tangled
AMI existing only in the brain Of suspicion amt political
Nllany t oi the best patriots and the
purest blood Of (which America boasts, streams. The
Trends OF liberty viii be sacrificed so many obstacles
o thoir ambitious designs; aud cspotsm covered with
the gore oi PATRIOTS, Viii stalk with impuuy us"
The above is q sentiment uttered on the 18th day
OF December. l79s, by that ilus,rious man, JAMES
BARBOUR Of Orange, who having filled up the mea-
sure oil his earthly glory, has, in a green old ace
gone down TO the tomb full Of honors, and rife il is
TO be hoped, for that immortality that awaits the
good man, when he passes from this scene of trouble
and sin TO that "bcer country, prepared of old for
the meek and pous.
The author OF the beautiful panegyric. in the
Wing Of to-day, who signs himself c., has said
nothing that was not more than meritod by Gov
Barbour, but by some unknown oversight the most
decidedly grand and renowned period Of his life
that which 10 every Virsnlan Of sound patriotism
Is The highest evidence Of his transcendant powers
oil mind, as well as the proof OF his pure love of Re.
publc1nsm has been overlooked-I refer 10 his
course in the Legislature ct Virginia in 90. and
his opposition 10 the Alien and Sedition Laws
GoV. Barbour took his seat, as the Delegate from
Orange, in the Legislature Of '9S and '99-beins
then las he has since said OF himself but beard.
less boy) in his 23d year. The eXigencies Of ,he
times were alarming, and caused many a stout hear,
IN quail before the Tremendous array Of the power
OF the Federal Government, then armed 10 crush
civil liberty, and to lay the foundation OF splendid
system OF despouc arisiocracy upon the ruins OF the
hopes OF the friends Of free government.
IhIs State had heen ed In b,,
the discussions Of the Alien and Sedton laws. and
Their operations, especially that OF the latter The
Federal and Republican parties had called out the
ablesl men OF both sides the validity of these
laws 10 the Legislature, the one party to sustain
| the Federal Executive, and the other 10 ntocl,in,
the alarming signs OF despo;sm in this first attempt
TO throttle Liberty, and send her bleeding admirers
| TO the dark prisons already prepared for such as
Iarei 10 express dissent from the wild chimeras Of
| the elder Adams.
There never has been a time since nor will there
ever be, when such phalanx of great and noble
nte,lects were assembled in this State The friends
| OF these ab0mnable enactments were headed bv
| that great man, George Keith Taylor a man. who
| Il he had lived long enough To have corrected his
| political heresIes, would have been one OF the
! brightest ornaments on the page OF his coun-
| try's history. Then young man. compare
lively, he gave the evidence Of a noble spirit bid
ding lair 10 make the nation feel his might. The
Republicans were headed by that no less powerful
man, Col John Taylor OF Caroline, less poli,i.
can, than an Agrculturaist, but yet a man, emf.
nent for his simple and sterling patriotism and ex.
ated intellect. The preamble md resolutions
supposed to have been the work of Mr.. Madison
condemnatory of the Alien and Sedton laws, were
submitted by Col. Taylor and enforced in n plain
and argumentatlve speech, and was followed by MIR
u Taylor oil Prince George, the great champion OF
the other side. The discussion, regularly com.
menced, brought all the intellect Of the House.
On the l7th, Gov. Barbour obtained the floor. The
intermediate speakers between Mr. G.. X. TAYLOR
on his side, 10 this time, Governor Barbour had but
little to say TO, II Gen. Lee, Of Westmoreland may
be excepted-He had IN his eye none hut the Lion;
a less combatant he scorned to grapple with-from
the commencement, plainly intimaing his intention
to reply to MIR Taylor alone.
The speech is before the world, md has been for
IL years. When his age and inexpenence, az a
statesman and debater are taken into consideration
1t may challenge an eaua! many language or IN anv
nation. Burke nor Pitt, in their best DAYS would
only have been his equal, glowing, as his whole
soul did, with the pure fires of liberty and pro-
ioundly impressed with the belief that tyranny was
laying her rude hands upon the noble fabric Just
Immergng from the crucIble OF oppression. The
noble and ingenious sentiments which pervade
every sentence OF that speech, such as gave 10
Virginia her high character in the Union, and by
which weTctained the respect oil sister States and
the whole world, until the bright prospect was blast
ed by the curse which recalled Gov. Barbour from
his post at the Court OF St. James, 10 make room
for iayorte OF that miserable cd man. who doubt
less honest and meaning well, yet, without one ne
cessary qualification, has inflicted a heavy blow
upon his countrys renOwn, the effects Of which will
long mark the epoch Of his administration as one 10
which oar country was well nigh, II hot entirely So
eneulphed in ruin. One remark as 10 his conduct
while Minister TO England, will I'LL up the niche left
by G. He had received his instructions from his
Government as to the principles upon which the
long ngated questions arising out Of the British
Colonial trade with this country. These in
structons were all so framed that II they had been
acknowledged by the British Ministry, as Govern
or Barbour insisted they should be, since they
only asked What was equal and just great benefit
would have accrued 10 the citizens of the IT, States
especially the shipping and commercial interests
The plan Of arrangement was rejected, and Gov
Barbour seornlng To InIure hs government by weld.
ing 10 the naughty demands OF the Ministry, very
soon returned home at the bidding Of the iupe-
rtoi power nt Washington. Mr. Van Buren, was
dispatched with Instructions as his successor, and
he was directed to represent that the govern
ment had changed hands, and what had previously |
been demanded as matter Of right" 10y his prede.
cessor, Gov. Barbour, in relation 10 the Coonia
trnde was now solicited "as boom" not upon such
terms as the American Government had slated. but
upon such plan ~ the British Ministry should pre-
scribe. The infamous deed was done. Tho naughty !
Ministry offered the piiiabis boon. l. ruined ,be
carrying trade TO American bottoms and IN the eX
pressivo language Of Peleg Sprngue, Senator from
Maine, IN 1881, while tho Senate vas discussing the
recall Of Mr. Van Buren, for his yielding the question
Of right IN this matter, Just demanded by c. B,l.
ttin; Thus, SIR, says he, was the American E1rle
made 10 crouch ~ tho feet Of the British Lion ~
The writer, then but youth, witnessed the con.
test IN the Senate The Investigation Of tho sub-
lect filled him with the loftiest conceptions Of Inc
worth and patriotism Of Gov. Barbour who migbt
/ be rallied his neighbour, while for Mr. Van Buren.
he entertained all the indignant scorn that lover
| OF his country could feel for tho traitor who had
betrayed the confidence reposed IN him. and brought
disgrace upon the country he was bound 70 protect
even NJ the hazard Of his life. Es,imaLle AZ he
was, and high as he should have been in the conf
dence Of the political party 70 which he was attach
Ell from boyLooj yet, for his noble defence Of hi,
country while IN England he never received that
foil moed Of praise which justly belonged 10 the
history Of hIs conduct.
But he has gone We who delighted 10 honour
the man, who thought only of putting honour upon
his country IN all his public together with
tho fond wife, tho dutiu sons, and devoted daugh.
ters, mourn over the friend Of the whole human
raoe-the sage Of BarbounyIlle. We loved him
while living, and will long cherish his memory as
one Of the iairest specimens Of the Virginia gentle
man-the Ameriean patriot and erudi,e scholar.
| It's pathway through lite has been one Of glory
| ~ such, points 10 us who come after him, TO be
faithful 70 our trusts Serving our country Tor our
countfy's good"-and ss the last act Of our venera-
| ,'on end love, we would nscrbe a monument 20
ns ZANE, WITH the same sentiment ascflbed TO Mo
liere on ne Statue IN the French Academy "N0th.
/ ing was wanted 70 his glory; he was wanted 20
ourL' Mr Adamstruly sppIisd this 70 great man;