Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-11

tloss I-sG- III eqla! liant ~ worship III ths taGG
pie "a Liberty, ihs liberty which l. oiiy secured to all
BY equality and can only be equally enjoyed BY being
equally secured 10 ell. With these sentiments in my
breast though mountains in;erposc, and flowing rivers
intervene. will claim for tie valley, equally with the
cast and trans Alleghanv, Old Virginia, not sec
tional but as common. united inheritance. not onj
now but forever Tot As divided into districts and
divisions but as "o.e AID intyisabe in all tine, bat
must claim his upon the broad platform OF equal
rights, and equal Justice. Pardon my animation IT
was that word never which like the sad farewell that
started these thoughts will stand firm between the
NILS and the mountains with my constituents and stand
ing by the integrity ofod Virginia Will reach one arm
At least to STAY that army which the gentleman from
Halifax warned us might come up from the seashore,
PASS the Blue Ridge and penetrating the valley reach
The high Allegheny, land make oUr very iaba'l"!i5
quake will leave to other hands to sever the lies
That bind me to my native, n.r mother land and t"
DINERS still TO tear asundcr the cord and i'll the f'rcs
That bind Ire 10 my brethren, and ali TO the Bosom al
that common mother; tha: mother who living Is cur
IDOL but whom could never look upon III dissolution
hut from whom We woul,l all turn di-consoatr. and
leave the tears Of pity and remort TO tell the tale 81
misery and OF Woe OF a waiing tesolaticn. Shuddef
who may, reso who snail thi; is but the alnes pic
t;rc OF n country ,nt!oue
W hen look at the resuits of the csnsUa and
ment, now before liz am brought rIssistibly 10 the
conclusion hat the time has arrived TO settle this o
ton forever
AS the sand bar, separating n common stream, wash
ed by the floods, and blown b. the winds must, III
lims, cease to divide it, So look upon the gron Of con-
troyersy between east and west Virginia narrowing
down To nothing as fast d,sovns and soon to ,;;s:.
pear The smiles OF Providence and tie Cow Of time
natural causes and human means cooperating. ana
must ere long accomplish al that remains to be done
lhei united in love, affection, aid interest ctr
tans ahal! become plains, and our rivers lowon for
ever IN The diffusion Of common blessings. Then We
n al q lrp
To drop the figure snd come to the simple facts We
all must thai the west, which has now nEety
three thouszn! majority Of free white population, will
even upon the mixed basis have the power before the
lapse Of many years This seems to ne irresistaiie.
1t must surely happen in fifteen or twenty wears AT
most. Why then keep the issue open VIZ not close
II now at and iorsverl Is it wise, ia il prudent
II 1t were just, to postpone What will be gained
linie the great rciormer and arbitrator has already
settled and decided in advance nearly "r quite every
and is fast closing this. Why not then end it, and
heal this only of hcariburnng in the bosom 81:
the body polite: Why not Does an tl.nk.
when the time arrives when it must be amicahy adjust
ed or settle itself somehow. there viii be ..o,c
OF arranging satisfactorily; I'll parties AMI oci!o
as at present these matters deelaed essential for TIE
peace of ALL and especially Tor IN, end Of the valley, and
the east generally.
The west will now agree To give every guarantee ara
security you reasonably AK agains; taxation AID all
Danger to that peculiar species Of property n" 80 gel
orally held in common ly them: and when ticy tender
this why should they not be allowed 10 at
into the immediate enjoyment of equal rights-thcir
common inheritance. What 10 gentleman tc!l " :.
They language which, in terms By neccssar inpi
cation carry dspaIagemcnt, degradation and despair
They insist if the east is not 10 hold the power in
their hands the majority and fore"er all guar
an:les will be worthlessere paper guarantees. That
of guarantees without power in their own hands
will last. That they will not be respcc,ed
will be broken. In other words too pain To be ian
derstood that The west including the yaeT cannot lie
trusted and 70: they admit the vacy should be with
the east that her interests are identical, and uniting
III sction wouldgive te east the majority in Numbers,
and the power OF sclf-protcc:ion forever. When W.
ask tnis met, and told cannot trust yoa The
west is seeking power for the profits OF plumber, ;r
We afraid Of the call ofanothar convention and VT
he cast has been holding out OF our equal right
long forcing its minority government gron Us NIL wllri
time We have trusted them with oar personal right.
our lives, and Liberties well property And gen
tenen themselves sometimes, i suits the purposes
in hard significantly ask: Hare abused power have
VIC oppressed the west what grounds have YOU for
complaint what grievances You suffering; why
then your "ciamor"i Yes. the west now agrees
to every guarantee and TroteriGa and leave the
eas to prepare them; anil will agree that another
convention shall 10: lie called for 81 indefinite period
and that all may he inserted in the constitution part
and parcel and yet Ike ea, refuses them REJECTS them
scents them denoIacss them worthless paper gunr
tes. And pray. ii these provisions, made parts and
parcel OF tie constitution worthless what is the
constitution lts.i worihf Wat IS or presen, eonsi
tu.ioa 5reI +. The who.ei= made IN Of the parts, AID
t.a. equal 10 the wicle is rot par; binding and
valid another AID all equally Is ne. this truis
as We'll as svllosism
This manner Of treating en-! spnasing Il soemn con
st.ut;onal guarantees and express iiriitaons-ths de-
nal and scouting Of Tia virtue and validity d consita
.iona protection Of the rights c the governed, OF MT
norites and c,ajoiiies shocks ne mr. ever and
avery hope aid il mus If i've fegcth
or 1T all Under any constitution Whence ce:;:cs the
deaanc:a;cu What people are wei Ie j. old Virgin
ia hear scouting thn validity oi constitutional rrctcc-
tion The mother OF States sli Ct ST. rights, and
from eastern Virginia too. 1t "as from that source
first learned their value. learned il II their -choo il
has been my boast and my pride to stand upon the doc
tiincs OF the resolutions OF $500. have ever gone
with the democratic statesmen Vi eastern Virginia for
the sanctity OF constitutions and cr strict contraction
With whom must stand now Wien Ike fathers Of the
faith scout this creed and deny the doctrines Of their
own school ] had thought all professcd to feel
strong attachment to what sometimes proudly cali
free institutions, and to least Of them and Of our
civil and political liberties. rights and privileges. BGt
ii constitution. ard constitutional guarantees
waste paper aad worthless what dpia.on, VIA: id"
ga-conade. The people ndec if these things BE-
confcsscdy, everywhere, unit an. incapable # self
government; and il j. idle and than idle to talk
about it for people Oh earth are 1T and capable, ii
not, Tor We are rs vl!.itu', az Intelligent and
moral as any people under the What is there
in talking in this wayi What sanse Do We really
mean to stu.ify orrselycsi What do asl when
the very object Of assembling here, is make or
amend constitution! If such lie views and sea
ments really entertained if really skepucs upon
tho subject Of political rights aid constitutional gua;an
ties for their protection nnd even to free aud sef
government NO had as WELL and better adjourn sine
die and go home and tell constituents they have no
rights and tina; it j. iot worth while 10 have a con. THU
tion thai ii great folly and send Us here
What would they think and say OF us whom they had
sent here and had selected for wisdom talents and
eyperiepce and wha, Of themselves for making such
sciectoni For they would not believe U.s. that cons
buttons were vain and worthless things aud III! and po
I,;cal liberty their included, name and nothing
more And what would the people OF all the thirty
free and Independent State; Of this Union think and say
living one and all Of them under written constitutions
full OF guarantees and limitations of power and in the
full enjoyment of civil and political liberty all their
citizens enjoying equal rights and perfectly SAFE happy
and Tree, with al their governments with few cxcep-
tions) based upon equal rights and rumbers-wbat
would the whole world think and say-kinSs and sub
ects all
But forbear to press this Of argument The
truth il; there is not OF who can believe himself
when indulsins in such objections one whn must
not feel and know that this scouting OF the validity and
sutfcicncy Of constitutional guarantees, arising under
express ad positive provisions, is worse than idle it is