The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-05-06
FOR THE MADIsoNIAS
FoR THE MApIsoNIAS
ADDRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC
STATE CONVENTION TO THE
PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA,
Messrs. BLAIR & RryEs

ADOPTED 81 FEBRuARY, 1874, RICHMOND VIRGINIA
In connection with the subject of extravacsnt
appropriations, II must be observed. that he can
DOT be deemed a friend TO :" rigid economu,n
who, In the space of four years of his Admins
tratiun, shall have sanctioned an expenditure OF
Upwards OF fifty -four millions of dollars, bevond
rhdt he himself beiiered the public service
reasonably 10 require, and that, too, when the
Constitution furnish d remedy, which he re-
fused to apply. This culpabe dereliction of
duty in failing TO return these bils OF extrsva-
CANT appropriations, their inexcusable inalten-
ton TO rigid economy" in the disbursement
OF the public money was not less seen in It's col
lection. The mosl palpable pecuatois were re-
tanned n Office, after their failure to account for
The moneys collected by, or deposited with them
| SO that as has been we'll observed scdrceIv
a mail but brought us accounts Of public de
| Jduiiers, fdHhiess public agents, and The cru
Of corruption rung an alarm through The ride
ertent Of The land The professions Of Mr.
Van Buren, are one thing: his acts, and prac.
tice quite another His professions as to a 'ri.
gil economy were the tub to the whale. (a)
The tenet OF economy" belonging to the Re
| publican school, /, none Of his.
But OF all the deviations from a strict con
structiou of the Consti ution according 10 the
Virginia creed, The constructions, claim ed BY Mr.
| Van Buren,, touching the condition Of the negro
race in our body polite are most mon srous-
| He claims, first, that single member of this
! Union can, in the formation Of State Consritu-
ton, confer on negroes III qualification. Of the
People" Of the United States, for whose
Liberty and that Of their posterlty, the Consti-
| tuition has beenestab she'd. He claims
| %. That by the Constitution Of the United
States, Congress does possess the power Of 10
lettering with or abolishIng slavery in The District
Of Columbia (b)
Sd. That in admitting States into the Union
| Congress can, by the Constitution Of The United
States, prohibit negro slavery and the introduc-
ton of negroes into such States. (c)
4rh. That the Constitution coniers on Con
| gross power to restrain and prohibit negro sls-
very IN the territories Of the United States.
| 5 h. And that negroes are witnesses in the
sense Of that instrument
Such are the constitutional readings, which,
according 10 Mr.. Van Buren,, are conferred by
the Constitution Of The United States.
| The importance flowing from these construc-
| tons require that the principles upon which they
depend should be examined some " hat iu detsil,
when the materials for examination furnish the
means.
LIST. Can State, in the formation of Con.
stllutIon, politically constitute negroes People
| Of the United States, when the Constitution de-
clsres that II is established by the People of the
Usued States to insure domestic tranquility
and secure the blessings of Liberty TO the Pro-
pie and their posteriiI Was ii established
by negroes, and for the liberty OF negroes, and
| their postenty1
Let the meaning Of this word People, and ofihe
term Liberty Of the People," as used il the
Constitution, be well ascerslned and fixed.
At the time these terms were used IN the
Federal Convention, and by the People when
adopting the Constitution Of the United States,
they then had, at that time, a fixed aud well
understood meaning.
Al the time of the adoption Of tae Consttu-
too Of the United States, there were within the
territorial limits Of the States three distinct
races Of men. The Indian, or aboriginal, the
European or white, add the African negro.
The European had already driven The Indian
race beyond these limits, or nearly eytirpated
them, except in few cases. Whatever was moi
accomplished by the dagger, was effected by
the dram bottle. To civIze and incorporate
them into our body po,ic had not been attempt
ed; certainly It had never been done. On the
contrary, to get rid Of them seemed the sole OBJ
ject.
The negro race bad been introduced into the
Colonies expressly for the purpose Of occupy