Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-08-05

If We are to stand together as united
pcoplc, ii, when the storm comes, az it speed-
lily may, from the angry portcnts we have
seen ia the political firmanent Of late. we are
to bear up against it, shoulder to shoulder,
our Western brethern ask to be relieved
from this degrading discrimination against
them as to their political condition.
/ "Tbey win have The same pride and other
passions which we have and viii either not
unite with, OF will speedily revolt from the
union, if they are not in all respects, placed
Oh equal footing with their brethren :"
Aye, sir, the Scottish, the mixed races
Of the West, referred to BY the gentleman
from Mecklenburg, have the same passions.
/ the same prejudiecs, and the same devotion
to equal rights that our brethcrn the descen-
dants Of tile Cavaliers have, and az we are
taught in this memorable speech of George
Mason, they viii not submit to violation Of
these rights | ask my Eastern friends not
to receive this as a warning from me and
much less as menace, but as an admonition
from him whose memory they hold in such
high estimation, 1t is warning voice. com
ing as it were, from the tomb Of the illustri-
Gus dead, reminding us that freemen win not
bear insult and oppression. George Mason
knew it because he felt it,
He proceeds.
1T has been said that they viii be poor
and unable to make equal contributions to
| the general Treasury"
That is the argu nent now used by our
opponents--the Western part Of the State
is poor and consequently unable to make e.
quail contributions to the general Treasury
Now what is the answer Of George Mason?
"Ie did not know but that in time they
would be more numerous and more wealthy
than their Atlantic brcthcrn"
We know as certainly as anything in the
future can be known, that in time-and that
in no distant day-our western friends will
be not only more numerous but more wealthy
than these of the east. Here then is furn-
ished complete answer in a nut shell.
The extent and fertility Of The soil made
this probable, and though Spain (this was be-
fore we made our purchase Of Louisiana)
might for time deprive them Of the natur-
al outlet for their productions, (thc Missis-
sippi River) yet she will because she must
finally yield to their demands. He urged
that numbers ofinhabitants, though not al
ways precise standard of wealth. was suf-
fciently SO for every substantial purpose"
Thus ends the record of this brief but
pregnant speech from him who drew with his
own hand, the magma charta, at least so
far as Virginia is concerned, or republican
liberty. And | submit that it is clear, if
we but look not only to the sentiments but
also to the spirit that breathes in every line
of this short memorial of that great man
pure patriotism, VIC can have no difficulty as
to the question now at issue, in determining
the true meaning of the bill Of rights.
Again, sr--if we turn from the teachings
of George Mason, to that of James Madison,
as found in the same debate our position is
fortified in still stronger degree beg
leave to trouble the committee with few
extracts from ia speech delivered by him in the
same debate. In replying to certain remarks
of Gouverneur Morris he says But his
reasoning was not only inconsistent with bis
former reasoning, but with itself At the
same time that he recommended this imrli-
cit confidence to the Southern States, in the
Northern majority, he was still more jealous
in exhorting all to a jealousy of a Western
majority. To reconcile the gentleman with
himself, it must be imagined that he deter
mined the human character by the points of
the compass. The truth was that all men
having power ought to be distrusted to a
certain extent The case of PENNSYLVANIA
had been mentioned, where it was admitted
that those who were possessed of the power
In the original settlement, never admitted
the new settlements to due share Of it
England was still more striking example.
The power there had been long in the hands
of the boroughs-of the minority-who had
opposed and defeated every reform which
had been attempted. Virginia was in less
degree another example. With regard to
the Western States he was clear and firm in
opinion, that no unravorable distinctions were
admissible either in point Of justice or policy,
&c. In another part of the same speech he
says; "i1e could not agree that any substan
tial objection against fixing numbers for the
perpetual standard of representation It
was said that representation and taxation
ought TO 60 thgether; that taxation and
wealth ought to go together ;that population
and wealth were not measures of each other.
He admitted that in different climates. I'm
der different forms Of government, and in
different stages Of civilization, the inference
was perfectly just He would admit that
in no situation, numbers Of inhabitants were
an accurate measure of wealth. He conten.
ded, however that in the United States it
was sufficiently so for the object in contem-
Iplatiop. Although their climate varied con-
siderably yet as The governments, the laws
and the manners ofall were nearly the same
and the intercourse between different parts
perfectly free, population, Industry, arts, and
the value of labor would constantly tend to
equalize themselves" And in this connec-
ton, permit me to add that Mr. Madison. in
the fitty-fourth number of the Foderalist,
shows clearly that slaves, so far as represen-
ted in the federal government, were consider
ed as persons. He says: Let the case of
the slaves be considered as in truth pecu-
liar one. Let the compromising expedient of
the constitution be mutually adopted which
regards them as inhabitants, but debased
by seryitudc below the equal level of the free
inhabitants, which regards the Stare as d.
Uested Of taoo,ffths Of The man."
Here then we have George Mason and
James Madison, the two most active and dis
tinguished participants in the debates of the
EaIn r