Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-07
DEBATE ON THE CONVENTION
SPEECH OF MIR. sOUTuALL.

SPEf,Cfi OF VIII. 5OO tJAl>lt
Delivered in the Huse Of Debgahs Of Virginia
on .Nondav, The Oil Of FeJrpary. on lie Bill
fer taking Tie senss Of liz People on he Call o
a Convention 10 ar,sui tie Constitution.
Mr.. SOUTHALL said, were he 10 consul
his own feelings or the time Of The House, nc
would decline embarkIng In this already pro-
tracled debate. Al one period OF The discussion
he had ielt disposed 10 express his views upon
the subject under consideration: and with thai
object had given his attention 10 The remarks OF
The gentleman from Wythe. When ne (Mf. s.
came to the House this morning, however COM
ing as he did with the expectation o hearing The
gentleman from Fauquier he had concluded lo
iorego the privilege altogether oi participating
in the debate; Tia, gentleman, within few mo-
mems past, having informed Mr. S. Of lis inab
lity, from indisposiiion, 10 address The Honse 10
day, he (Mr. S would, Unexpectedly, ask 10 bf
INDUCED whilst in a somewhat unprgpared con-
dilion, he submitted some Of the consideration:
which brought his mind 10 oppose lie substitute
submitted BY the member from Wythc 10 The BIZ
reported by The select committee.
Standing here, Mr.. b. said nninio:mcd Of III,
feelings and wishes oi his mnedale consiu
tents on subject 30 vilaily affecting their hes
ard dearest Interests; where, il upon any question
on earth, those feelings and wishes, when known
should be reflected, he felt greater responsible
~ resting upUn him, and more Than ordinarily
anxious solicilude that ne might ind himscl
faithfully speaking The voice o county which
had so generously honored him with i!s eetecn
and confidence. He felt, he said, an additional
reason for trespasSing on The Hlu.e, IN the TACT
that reflection and the e1perieace and develop
lnenls OF the last fifteen years mad brought him
10 a change OF mind as 10 The proper basis o.
government; and he hoped, an additional apollo
gy for his venturing on the flor al This lin,
might be found in the magnitude Of the question
before Us for, Sir, said he, that is no ordinary
enquiry the occasion Of no daily occurrence, The
consequences Of no trivial character, which in
volve the existence OF society, which propose tC
subvert our political ed;fice o abrogate The or
ganic law, and 10 resolve government into is
original elements; TO cut from our political moor
ings, and embark upon a wave, 10 be tossed We
know not where, and 10 go on voyage, the re-
suit Of which none could tell. 10 this age Of ac
tation and experimental an enlarged liberty
and progressive Observation-Disclosures seem
10 he lcoked-upon as tie mere creatures OF a
season. 10 be put up or pulled down, to
be abrogated, and again fashioned and mould
ed by every cross.road and stump POLITICIAN
For himself, Mr.. S. said, he approached This
question not unmindlul he hoped ol It's grea
importance 10 us and 10 posterty-claning as II
did, onr calm and deliberate investigation, and
pregnant as it was with the veal or woe oil the
present and future generations.
The gentleman from Botelourt has just said
that he opposed The bill, reported by The Select
Committee, proposing an organization OF con.
vention on what is called the mixed basis, should
the people declare in favor OF convention, on Inc
ground already expressed by the gentleman from
uT,th Ia haro far
and for relief from the expressions OF The MAORI
~ in this EIouse-a majority, as the gentleman
was pleased 10 intimate, who refused appropria-
lions for internal improyement-who turned a
deaf ear TO the claims otthc West, and who were
nseDsibe 10 the just demands OF the people in
that portion oil The commonwealth.
A declaration Of Ibis sort, Mr.. 3. said, came
with an i'll grace from The quarter il did. He
had ever stood on that floor rs the advocate OF a
prudent and rational system Of internal improve
ment. With a constituency whose liberal and
enlightened views as 10 State policy gave 10 their
delegates here reasonable discretion upon the
subject without lettering their minds and Icing
their hands on questions OF general and public
interest, he had, during his legislative course,
looking as he trusted he did, in The discharge oil
his dnIies, 10 his own people, andto the Common
wealth al large, gone for those measures OF in
terna improvement which he thought best cal
culaled 10 advance the common interests oil COM
mon country. He had endeavoled TO impress
similar views upon the extreme Eastern gentle
men. He was satisfied that the agitation oil the
question Of State Convention, was occasioned
solely by this subject Of internal improvement
There might be here and there, in The opinion oil
some, defects, real or imaginary, IN Inc existing
Constitution; but these alone, would never De
sufficient 10 overthrow il-would never induce,
Mr.. s. thought a prudent and rejecting people 10
upturn the social fabric, 10 innoyaie upoa, or 10
reform it. He had, therefore, at this and previ-
Gus sessions, urged upon tidc-waler gentle
men, 10 whom the Creator had been most boun-
,iiu in blessing with broad iyers and navl-
gable streams, 10 vote reasonable appropriations 10
our Western brethren, to aid them IN overcom-
ing their mountains and finding an avenue 10
the East with the wealth when IS now locked
from US By impossible barriers-to do more: 10
bring US closer together-to make us more homo
seneous-to strengthen The bands that unite rs
and 10 form ms in interest, what We are poiicaiy,
one people-ihe same and in1iyisihle. II was,
therefore, Mr.. S. said, with no liltle surprise,
lha! he heard the gentleman from Bo;etourt,
who had jus, taken his seat, charging upon the
majority oil This House, or upon the Eastern por-
ton Of the State, oppression ofihe Wesf-oppres-
sion Of The West IN refusing appropriations to
internal improvements abiding, as MI. S. suppo-
sed, to the defeat, on Saturday last OF the James
River and kanawha bill. Sir, with what justice
is this allegation made7 II the gentleman viii
but look among his own household, II ne VIII but
turn his eve to his western ranks, he will there
see who il was lha, inflicted The injury upon him;
tina, gave the blow which dashed his hopes, and
caused his lamentations; and whilst The gentleman
uters his waiing, and pours forth his regrets at
The loss of a measure which be had so much a,
heart, he canno, say The East did il! No, sir
when the time had come when enough Eastern
gentlemen stood forward 10 aid The West in Oh
iaining great and desirable improvement, Just
as !, il about 10 enter the bosom OF the Valley, 10