Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-01

and the CONSEQUENCE was. that population increased
and wealth accumulated there for ycars-for ages. in
deed-whilst your western country was still all unln
habiteJ wilderness This is the solution, at once,
the reason that up to this tme--a brief span II
the history of State-though long !crlod compared
with the ordinary duration Of human iila-ihe cast ha
contributed more largely to the public revenue than the
west But the cause having been accidental, SO VIII bt
temporary its effects. Compared win INC Ordinary
length of national existence, ii will truly he cvanes
cent as the evening dew when found by the morning
SUM- spread over the face of nature II is even now IN
deed fast fading away For not only is the maicl
of empire TO the west but tho seat OF wealth, too L
desncdto be there
of the census as to populations but also in other IN
formation furnished by it, and i'll the fact That The pro
portion contributed through the medium OF taxation II
that region is rapidly increasing that derived Iron
the east Thus, i'll the last te years, The excess IN l'
western section, of the per cenlage increase III lh> re-
spect a, been about thirty per cent. and that increase
under existing circumstances, and owing 10 The iact lha
restrictive causes, which formerly existed have been Of
are being removed, there can DC doubt Will he more
and more rapid hereafter than il has been heretofore
until ere long it will be i'll the ratio OF gcnmerical pro-
gression and soon equality will exist That whole re-
gun rife and rich in all Ike elcmca, Of wealth. ahG
national greatness, and ii Is destined al no remote nay
to contain tccming population, and to be lrlllini Ill
every material which contribute to human safety u
human happiness, TO human culture, Improvement and
pronclity Events are rapidly irIlnr tu that result
and when the term rapidly III reference 10 .
nations career, speak in reference 10 nation liic
time. and in reference to the brief term ol man OK
istrlcc We og TO recoect that we arc not her: Ia
boring for ourselves alone, but for generation, TO COME
and we should moi entirely with reference to the
stale Of things existing now, and which may aId Will
cease in few wears but to that state oil things winch
will exist hereafter, and which must be permanent III lis
character, so far as regards the State Virginia mus
the cause of this inequality of taxes being accidental
and the effects of that cause being cvaicscent, ask
whether il is sound policy with view TO the correction
Of elecsn their origin thus accidental, and in their a-
ton thus cyancscent, To incorporate into YOUR organic
law provision utterly odios To tho aiorily of the
people of Virginia that in question: ask east
ern gentlemen 10 ponder upon this question:. | have
myself, with those who advocate that side OF this Ics-
ton, community if not an exact equality of interest.
In considering this question should look mol with an
exclusive eye TO present advantages which may accrue
to particular section, but to consequences involving
the interests of the whole community, which though
yelled IN the future are SILL to he with sufficient
dlsnctness 10 warn III course here against the
breakers ahead therefore again ask you, my eastern
friends. whether TO correct effects sprging from
cidcntal cause thus hecng and tralsitury i, prudent
or wise, or statesmanlkc, 10 incorporate into your
stitIItlon principle which it is evident Is od0us 10
majority OF your people, and which must lead 10
quences that will affect urollsly the peace and pros
pcrity for time, they shall not eventually prove fatal
10 the unity, and thus the destiny of your time hon
orcd Commonwealth: do not thrcaten-l beg gentle
men not 50 10 const1ie my anguage addrc,, them in
the warning voice of friendship, in the spirit and with The
feelings Of hrolher-the child Of common parent.
know the eastern people too well 10 appeal TO their fears
and if was not thus acquainted with their characters
should have too much respect for my own 10 do So But
appeal 10 their wisdom and patriotism. and 10 those
attributes only do appeal Eastern gentlemen virtual
~ tell Us in regard to this matter, that their property
must be protected from the plunderg tendencies Of the
western people for that is the plain English OF much
that has been said this floor. That their property
must be protected by comforting political power upon it,
lest we should wrest from them. portion o it,
and appropriate 10 ourselves Now, beg my eastern
friends to consider for moment upon this subject the
attitude in which they stand The right of properlv is
the lesser right and has been so considered bv the
friends Of republican institutions, while the rights Of
persons is the higher right Now if YOU cauIct trust
u.s. the majority, with the ordinary power subject 10
reasonable and proper restrictions 10 legsatc in regard
TO your property, can trust you, the minority with
the power 10 egslae in regard TO our lives our iber
ties and right to pursue happiness and to possess
the of acquiring and enjoying property Eastern
gentlemen tell us on that subject, .:Why, we cannot in
wade your personal rights without invading our own
This is great mistake. Gentlemen very much dis
posed occasionally to quote Mr. Madison and would
ADVISE them TO weigh what he says upon that subject III
OF the most beautiful and luminous Of his political
articles have ever On this very subject he said
substantially than this there is no greater mstake-tha
the history Of the world teens with examples to conro
vert thi, idea Of eastern gentlemen that minority
the majority without expressing themselves. speak
from memory not having the article before me- This
very subject Of taxation, this power Of aXaon cannot
it be managed not only TO Cypress the pecun
ary, but to Cypress them by drawing from them and
concentrating and perpcuatng in eastern hands the po
litca power of the State Is not that consequence
which may result, and will it not, if ii should prove de-
trimena 10 western rg hts and interests Though YOU
may not aSsa their personal liberty yet such action on
your part would affect of the dearest rights of free
,rl -. II
of the country large portion of the western country
is still unsettled the titles to lands there great
tent being still in the Commonwealth With view 10
obstruct the settlement and pd increase in wealth and
population OF that region, could not the east adopt such
system of land laws would reard its growth and
prosperity lsnot such state Of things possible And
would not this impair the right of western people 90 TO
possess the means OF acquiring property and pursuing
happiness - There are various other modes BY which
their personal rights could be invaded without invading
rights Of similar character in the east II IS the ma
| turc OF man "to feel power and forget right" Be-
Sides we are not making constitution for this gcner-
alton alone. ! should perhaps not fear tho prrpetra-
ton oil these wrongs in the present generations but we
are making constitution for generations to come, which
will involve, for veal or woe, the interests of our
descendants, perhaps to the hndrcth generation And
what may occul-what spirit may sway the government
in the progress of mc-no human tongue can tell But
it is the part Of wisdom TO provide for every postion
which the bad passions of man NAV induce him TO as
sumo in the pursuit of what he may deem his interest
and his happiness at the expense Of others And can
not personal right be invaded The committee cannot
have forgotten the remark Of the gentleman from West
morcland, (Nlr BEALE, made on this floor few DAYS
since, that he could trust the west fight the battles of
the cast. but not to tax their property and that there
fore, il was necessary that the power of the government
should be vested in the minority. We'll, would il re-
quire any great stretch Of fancy imagine that when
that power became consolidated and fixed and when The
bad passions Of men shond be let loose and sooner or
latter in every cline and country. they do for season
rule the hour, that personal rights would be IN danger
Of violation. Gentlemen tell that constitutional guar
antics not worth the paper which they are writ
ten, yet they tender us just that mode Of protection in
reference TO our personal rights But if what they say,
as Just stated by me, DC true, what will we have TO pro-
ect those rights against majority of the legislature
representing, not the majority, but minority, of the
community and responsible not to The former but
solely to the latter; I do not contemplate these
things as probable in the present gcneratio-ar from
it, But we are not providing for the present genera
ton simply, but we creating that which all fer
vcnty pray may be perpetual in its existence and opera
ton in our beloved State and if is our design to pre-
parc constitution with that view, il is the part Of
wisdom of duty, and Of honesty prepare il in such
form and shape, and cmbody in it such prnc Piles, as
will enable il to conduct the ship of State safely through
all time to come and in reference to all the possible
meets that human aft irs and human nature assume.
But to recur again to the subject to which | have
already adverted, and which properly belongs to this