Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-18
Remarks Of Ar. WATTS, Of Norfolk tounty IL ra,,
nliNte Of tic Whole Narch %. ISL

Ia
bored speech, especially at this late stage of discus
sion which, in my humble Judgment has long snco
been exhausted In truth, lmay say it was with gra,
difficulty that could get my consent to address
you upon this subject at ALL for not only believe b
know that nothing that can say will either iut,ero.
or edlfy any member upon this floor. And when sln
have expressed the few thoughts bring with mc ."
this subect-if, indeed shall &C able to EXPIRES, ,L.
at all may claim your hands the concession nj ~
merit and ono only, to which few who have prccedrd
hue have, in this debate. asprcd-and that is the rer
OF brcry. And with this view, have brought w;,h
me no statistics of the amount expended in one nr an
other region oil the Statc-ol tic amount Appropriated
east or west Of the mountain. ! bring with IN. ro
complaints that tdc-wltcr Virginia has received Ie.
Than her proportion Of the public bounty or thar ps
mont Virginia has received mere than her share ~,
~hat IS sometimes dcn1nlnatcd here the public nlun
eer standing here As one OF tie repre- senryes OF the
former ma: be permitted to saw ii she la, received
less 1t Is H" because !c might not have received NOR
ot because. IN her general ps;tr 10 the principlc i,
'o'eH Il; these appropriations >l!e has ec!incd-uay
!"se"-'o urge 'cr equal right 10 Underwater
hs"' Eas SCION bccn seen the door Of your trea
s.rs, WIN t|se continuous rapPings which seem sorr
'l.lss 10 rave been almost mIortnatc and uy.,,r,
Gus Is !; they lad come from the spirit land Sill
aiil b";!nd 10 admit thus much, that whenever she ,
'sk-t for bread she has received it, and no, Store
icnc'cg she has asked fish, she received il, and not
serpent; Her petitions this subject have ccucr,v
been grantsGunvcrsa!!y Whenever she has presented
herself with united front.
And the gentleman from Augusta, Mr. Surrrr.
who IL now IN my eye. vii! understand ire when sar
hat will nor permit myself TO be brought into con
I!ict with M brethren Of Piedmont Virginia ,r'
question OF unequal appropriations. at time 4 mi.
will not in the hour OF danger, spring question of
etiquette on this or that wing OF The forces with w1ics
am cooperating. which will only serve to diver, ~
from tic point in s>uc and which may, in the end in
Volvc the tate Of the whole army. east and west No:
that * not The purpose for which am here. Como
Of I cor,,
here 10 ascertain whether il be true or not tina, in or
sanz!ng tie Legislative department Of our goycrnmen,
one element and one element only. is 10 be consulted
and that the naked element Of Numbers. came to as
certain whether i, be- true hot that in our organic
law the profits Of labor the of the brow, the i>t.
tut!os and property 81 this Commonwealth, ho
lett 10 the wli. caprice, cuPdy If an unrestricted
ina nrty. come ascertain whether il be true or
not that the principle is 10 he regarded fixed aI
established that enc hundred and five west of the
mountain forever 10 control the dcstinics and for
tunes of one hundred mcn east OF the mountain, he
Irrespective Of Interests one hundred and five
is Numerically more than Hundred That is the
question. and gentlemen may disguise il they please
they may m;sfy il ":ti figures and statistics they
NAV throw aroundi the charms of coqucnce: thcy may
rGcT i Of ii, aud fearful Importance 20 The east;
with the tarp;c>l III -ht> of coqucncc, bat whenever
they Ia march boldly up IL it, th"v met by =
= crn aad stubborn fact. which icN,trity parry
cva,'c and with which their tbc"r! ot numbers
never rc mad" !" harmoa!zc II is tbs: that whatever
basis system. eastern Virginia must and will pay into
yo- treasury two dollars 10 every dollar paid b. tie
Tia. this surrender oithr taxing and apprcpr!-
ating power to the prime pie Of Plumbers Is The abandon
Of all protection 10 the very element which lies
al the foundations and keeps lis wheels
in motion. the Srua; element " ici stands prominently
forth, both in peace ami in the Chief and almost
cny subject OF Legislation and taXation repeat. the
abandonment OF ali protection For. II 1t be 10 r
tcrest of majority 10 heavily, to spend freely
they will do Never, III ANY condition IN which
has sc; been placed has he proved himself superior
the united influences Of power, interest and ambition
We know it. Ii is historical fact II is fac: which
none can dcny-"hicil nature itself proclaim.. VIZ
need no. 70 out OF country 10 prove il. Look
what has been going Oh in your own fedora, government
Ever since The organization Of that government there
ha, been war o! interest between the Inaiorit, an the
minority. which the former has always been the
victor and the latter has always bcc!. the victim. Loo.
to what is going in reference the disposition
of Your piblic intdS-a system which principle Of
Justice s.:ctor--a system which claims for II, IA
Their this very majority. and whose bapiisnla name is
robbery.
did intend to introduce \ few quotations here from
certain authorities in conncXloa with this su!cci, hu
] am amns; afraid 10 10 have learned. for tie
first time since came to this Coivcuii1i that the VIA
dom of the past is but folly 10 the present.: tina, the
light, winch have heretofore slionc upon the path
way of liberty are cc!ipscd-otally eclipscd-hv tic
luInnaricS which bow blaze around us: that the old
maxim that ''expcricncc is the mother of wisdom,
obsolete in the presence of modern majoritcs. But
with the permission of the committee, | will refer
briefly TO few OF these Authorities, aad let them pass
for what they worth. ask the attention Of Tie
committee TO Il few extracts only Tor moment:
ssThosc who have writt,n on civil government Law il
down rs a first principle and all history demonstrate,
the same, that whoever would found State. and make
proper laws for the government OF il, must presume
that all men are bad by nature and that they will not
fail show their natural dcpravity of heart whenever
hey hay a f.
may lie concealed for while, account Of some SO"
crct which does not then appear to Of small
experience. yet time. which justly called the father
Of truth, COMMONLY brings it 10 light in the end. -
.Nachiar.L
Constant experience shows us that every man IN
vested with p1"cr is ap! 10 abuse it; he pushes uE:
he comes tr something that limits him. This apples
as well T. Numbers a, to Que man. Is not strange to
nay tha. virtue itself mas need Of limits: To prevent
the aDuso OF power, il is necessary that, by the very
position of things power should he check TO pow
cr.'--Eon'<sY":cn.
- SO endless and exorbtan, are the desires of men,
that they will grasp at all and form no scheme 81
perfect happiness with less II is hard 10 rccolec one
folly nrmity vice which single man subjected
and from which body of commons collective repre-
sentative, can be wholly exempt '-SriH.
Laws are intended not otrtst to what men will d.
but toguari against what they mag do. '-Juniya
1.-The ambitious deceive themselves when ,hcy pro.
pose an end TO their ambition. ''-Roch,Jruca.L
might 60 on TO quote authority upon authority until
/ had exhausted the long catalogue Of distinguish
who have added the. testimony 10 the same
tmcnts and they would be but the echo Of what na,r.
herself proc.lms TO all.
And lock what has been going on in the wor!:
abroad and around you What is it that has so oitra
divided kingdoms and appropriated their plunder~i
provinces to surrounding, empires; What but this lbs:
Of power: What is il tina; now see gtcring as
conquered trophy in the crown Of Austria What, hr
the last ray Of hope that fingered in Hungary torn from
her bosom o. this lust Of dominion: Even this Anglo.
Saxon OF ours, which has been so much Iaudct
this committee, has Yet proved itself superior
these oycrpo"cring establishments. We Gamer hold "
hands and say will. truth, " Thank God We are
other men" Look the suberf!gcs which
have been rcsorcd to for ,sar-tftc vars for pndcre
pl"Edars for Protocols and teaticsthe protocols az!
treaties for tc contamination Of the original b"r!5s
whose end and aim and object dominion.
But pass on from this sub cct another. And here
desire to raise the question more explicitly whencs
comes this right Of number, 10 appropriate to thcm."'''
legislative majority and to ru.a in all the affairs o
government Did YOU never ask yourself the qucs,ol
can ma jority DO wrong! May they do wronsi VIZ
thcy do wrong And have you never raised the ln''
dental ucstion in your mind have thessHin Sgt
do wrongf There i. but to decide the Gue:oT
You would answer it precisely rs Mr. Jefferson t4
when he said that thcv had no right tn do wrong A..