Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-20

more human lives were wantonly sacrificed more wild
ows and orphans made suffering and pain endured
thanas felt by the whole of France during the entire
perio Of the Reign of Terror Yes that at the battle
Of the Borodino there more men butchered than
all the murdered of the French Revolution for which
the people were responsible. might refer the Com
mittee to instances in history which familiar
doubt to its members when King Interest in the
and person of Cesar or Alexander or Ghengiskon
ravaged the face of the earth and moved down
harvest to crafty their pride and ambition An Attln
who led on his eopluerng qnd destroying forces assum
ing 10 himself the appellation of the scourge OF God
the destroy of man, boasting that the grass
grew where hs horses hoof trod.
Mr. Chairman, ! will hasten to close, but permit
me- before do conclude to state while do not believe
that the government of Virginia has been always nd
minstered wisely and economically and in way to
pand her population and to develop her great resour
ces yet such is the extent of her territory the fert
ty OF her SOIL and the mldness of her climate that de-
not believe there is people under the sun who have
enjoyed greater degree Of happiness of freedom,
exemption from oppressive taxation than the white
population of Virginia and that the face Of the eartl
there is not people with lighter hearts aud greater
exemption from the ills to which flesh is heir.
Much, perhaps too much, has been said during th:
debate about the aristocracy of Virginia We have nc
knights Of the garter or OF the golden spur III thu
Convention; if We have any here whose torefather:
enjoyed the high distinction, would remind those tina
in this republican government that their fathers motto
ety can do more for them than the merit Of Cato die
for his sons their fathers merit may set them up L
view" I would not point to them as aristoerats te
make them the Jest and laughing stock of boys and
rabbe would not resort this appellation TO make
them odious to or unpopular with their neighbors and
the people; or if they coyet the distinction would
thereby help toswen their pampered pride. None can
lopht NJ hos
her legislative action but with all her defects love
and admire her more than any other spot earth and
whenever l have temporarily wandered beyond her
borders, WAS proud to tell strangers That was a
Virginian and native of Virginia When the old
Duke Of Ormond the last great and vtuous nobenlan
in the reign of the Stuarts lost bis son. Lord Ossorv
gallant and promising youth, he declared (" He would
not exchange his dead for any living son In Chris
tendon" Permit me to cay would not exchange the
past gores of Virginia for the living prosperity of any
State in the Union.
These n, the chershed sentiments Of my heart. Ny
ardent wish 10 renorate this ancient commonwealth
to build up and unite III the bonds Of bretherly love, all
its parts 10 form a consolidated connection that can
not be severed marriage between the houses OF York
and Lancaster from which peace and glory and pros
perty will flow not in n triple crown, but 10 the ditfu
sion Of liberty happiness and equal rights to all her
citizens. To present to the people of Virginia con.
stitutontha will not be grudgngy assented to BY
bare majority but be adopted by the reclamation OF all
her citizens and which will produce unity of action III her
councils and restore brotherly love oil within her
widely extended borders.
Many gentlemen on this floor have deemed it not i'm
pertinent to the subject under consideration to give TO
this Convention passing notice Of themselves or oi the
district which thev represent Permit me, sir, to fol
low their example am from the Valley Of Virginia,
native of AugI,:a and ADOPTED son Of Rockingham,
and which last county have the honor in part to re-
present here. That central part Of the alley and now
~, nf P,,nly rlop, Arm K
bridge and Botetout was settled BY people not from
the eastern part of the State but By race ordinarily
called the Scotch Irish. They came principally from
the states Of Delaware and Penny where they had
temporarily soiournej They marched upon the Valley
about one hundred and twenty years ago with their RI
es in one hand their in the other and their bibles
in their pockets. They as equals took possession Of
that land then bowling wilderness but where now
to me- no region on earth hath rvulets 10 pure or
flowers 40 fragrant With their rifles they DESTROYED
the savage monsters Of the Wilderness and repeled the
.til more savage Indian With their axes welded BY
heir own sturdy arm they su1dued the forests and cree
ted their comfortable dwellings; and that revelation
from heaven which they brought with them directed
them where to look for aid and consolation III all their
sorrows and Affections. Scarcely had they covered
their log cabns before they not by slaves and servants
but bT their own physical efforts, raised the Augusta
church the first temple erected in central Virginia to
the worship OF the living God where they and their dc
scendans for generations have worshipped as equals
They not only came there equals but they educated
their children as equals and when the contest came on
with great Britain for liberty and equal rights, their
sons who had been taught by precep and example that
men were equal and capable of sefgovernment flew
one man to the standard of their country and of Wash
iugon and there were but few fields of victory or dsas
ter during that pr0trac@d struggle that did not witness
the dying devotion Of some of them to the maintenance
of those great principles From this race of sturdy free
men am descended and while this region cannot in
bo of hy bnsi
labour snd economy of ourselves and our fathers with
the aid and advice of our German people, who now con-
stitute large part of our population and who have
taught how to enrich our lands and proper course
Of crops our whole people have so far improved the
Valley and increased their wealth, as to have equal
weight in the legislative department whether the
other basis is adopted Yet they do not they cannot
stand indifferent to the claims of their still western
brethren who are bone of bone, and flesh Of our
flesh descended not from the chivnry of the east but
principally from the settlers OF the Valley now strug
liny against fearful odds for these equal rghs which
our fathers asserted and risked all to maintain. De
scended from of equals, living among and repre-
senting people who recognize no inequality. feel
bound by feeling ofmy heart and sentiment Of my mind
to sustain them in their claims for equality. Through
life have associated almost equally with these from the
east and west At school many Of my fellows were from
the east At College they were equally divided and
there we associated as equals equals we PLAYED Mt
the same games sped to the same goal, and swan
in the same stream and if one cried out "Cassus help
me or sink" he likely to be from the east as
from the west and when in stronger years entered The
army of my country my companions were from the
east and the West, and equals side by side faced
the same common foe of our common country and If
disputes unfortunately called them to the field of honor
thew met rs equals have found but few of my early
school mates and college companions in this body but
those few have met here as equals None of my fel-
low soldiers and expect to meet but few of them
again until the earth and the shall give up their
dead and we shall all again rally equals to the call
of the last trumpet.
THURSQ.4Y, MAJ l6. 1881.