Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1851-04-15
RRsTARIks or NIEE. HHNTEIs,.
on rEffERsos,
on LIlEITaI1OlNS. GUARANTEES. r,

4 Convention the lpsg1 respl plnllons an ateT1t
has beenTeads 10 axe . few oeseFsetions IN et-
Z PianstiQn theEeot : Z
REsoIvEDS That 4 iitee q i've y By
ie ChaT ii shall BE - reI1Es
4 early adas hles "
L ~ = - my Be ssais6t
\ seEt IN the sew or with seela
sss 2 ss 9 ne sIse iaslIsss. s q
gl1Fdlag asaihsi the o. ne 1s&-
Eayihs and Feyeaae FeeEs g me sesea.
meet
/ owe an aoology 10 The Convention foF OfeF.
/ ing, al this late day, the resolution which has
Just been read and certRiniy an Pianation Of The
teasons thai have prompted me 70 submit q now
say AZ this late day, Tor undoubtedly g y laie 10
reference 70 the length Of time that we have beSn
in session Whether Il is late or early IN FefeFs
enes tothe period when We shall Be ahleto bring
i our Iab6fs 70 4 close i another. question. he
reazonss them that have rompted me 70 oieT tho
reSoiution are theTe II am not mistaken II
tbs course OF the discussion upon some OF the
various miacei ilane0us matters which occupied
cur atienfi1l IN tie month az Oclober Il. the
i idea was thrown out, and according to-the best
lot my recollection, aequieseed in generally BY
THE Convention, that there were certain of these
/ limitations upon the powers OF the government
OF guarantees, as they have been called, in their
character, Immediately, (at least in the view u.
ken Of this subject by some gentlement1 connect
ed with the question Of basis. The idea was ae-
7uieseed in, II am not mistaken, that q would
/ proper
subject Of the basis and apPOTtiOnmsut Of repre-
| senlatinng 70 have committed .oits charge The
consideration ofthis question.
Aceordipgly,a q series Of resolutions, which I
had the honor 20 present early in the month Of
January, were referred % this committee. No
action has been had by the committee upon the
subject. IL il true that most Of The resolutions
of similar character submitted 10 the Conven.
ton were referred 70 the Committee on the Le-
gIslatiVe Department, and have been reported
upon. The resolutions submitted by myself, and
which, alone were referred 10 the Committee on
the Basis, have not bsen acted upon or eOnsideT-
ed by any committee-Other gentlemen having
taken a different view Of the snbiect-DoT was it
even printed, il being suggested 10 me at The
time offered the resolutions that they would ap.
pear on the journal, and that that won accom-
plsh the purpose Of calling the attention OF the
Convention to their character. Nos, the course
which the debate has taken on this subject, e
strikes me, shows manItesuY the importance OF
doing what this resolution proposes 20 be done and
in the best form in which Il can be done. VAS
gratified to find, from the course OF argument OF
the gentleman from Fauquier, (Mr. SeOtt,) that
he had adopted what seemed to me to be the true
mode of arguing the question now before the
Convention in regard u the basis and apPOTtiOn-
ment of representation. was gratihed when
heard the gentlemen from Fauquier give 20 the
debate a turn Of more useful and profitable
character, in my judgment, than these arguments
about the right OF the jus H81jOTis, this PTiOTI
reasoning about the formation of government, and
about the condition of men before gOTeTnment
was formed, all Of which, TO my poor aPPEehen-
sion, is Greek.
understand nothing about it. believe in no
such thing as mankind's ever existing without
government. And here permit me to say on
this subject, that am mot conservative nor can
agree precisely to be eiassed as an infinite Iadi-
| cal, with my friend from AeeOmae (Mr. WiaeO
| am a utilhaFian, and If j stand alone, as the
leader and rank and file Of that party. that is my
position. go for tho practical, and against the
i iheoretic and abstract and speculative. As 10
the condition of man before governmenf' vas
formed, l know nothing Of il. But, as was re-
marking the debate bad taken practical turn,
since the period when the gentleman from Fan
9uier addressed the committee. was extremely
gratiEied to hear him announce, If I understood
him Alright, that he was satisfied that limitations
or guarantees, as they are called, could be framed
and incorporated in the constitution which would
remove the appTehensiOns that are entertained by
SO many OF our eastern brethren, especially in re-
gard to this tax-layiDg and aPPIOPriatiDg power.
When heard him announce that propositions,
thought began To see day break, and that there
was some hope, that we would not only soon
reach The end Of our lebors. bat that we should
be enabled 10 settle these questions amicably and
satisfactorily. Bot my hopes very soon vanished.
when heard the gentleman annOunce the other
proposition, that he was also satisfied that the
guarantees necessary IN OEder to affect that pur-
pose, would destroy this grand system Of inter
nal Improvement, Of which he announced himself
to be 60 ardent and jealous an advocate. Now,
I take issue with him upon that subject. came
here earnest and as fasta friend Of a jndiciOns
(if may be allowed to use term which has
been greatly perverted in reference 10 another
sublecO system Of internal improvement az the
gentleman from FauquieT, CT any other gentle
man upon this floor. But IL there 10 any one
thing which propose to aid in accomplishing
and to exert all my humble faculties in this Con-
faf nf
the roots, and putting an end 10 this eOETDPt sys
ten, for it can be termed nothing else, that has
been carried on in reference 70 this subject ofin
ternal improvement. in our legislative halls for
the last few years. dare not, because Ieannoe
dol without violating, the courtesy which is due
to another body, express The depth OF feelings
which entertain on that subject, and fear that
shall be too late IN our action IN regard 10 C.
There Il race going on between this body and
the one sitting In The capitol yonder, and am
afraid they.ys get the yietoFy-that we shall
| be too Iate-and that we shall be very much in
tthe position. if j may use n homely phrase, Of
Hooking upthe stable EffeT tie hoFse = stolen
i Az just nows am perfectly persuaded
that there can Be such. .limltafions and gnaran-
ttes il.erted In the new slsended Constitution
as viii lfoSd 70 ouf eastern brethren, and also 20
iis Of the Valley, forswe are Identical with them
IN that Fespect-ai saueh guards against the
abuse Of abis taS-Paying and revenue appropria-
Il ting power as We have q right 70 demand, or at
all need. Il may be done IN such way too, as
At the same time 70 place the system Of internal
Improvement npon an infinitely more stable ba-
sts, and lead 70 the adoption Of a just system Of
/ Development of the resourees Of the State more
safely, more rapidly, and infinitely more wisely
1 than is now going on IN our legislative halls
That Is the proposition which, az the proper
time i Il shall fall 70 my Iot TO address The come
mittee, shall endeayor 10 maintain.
The gentleman from FaBqRier remarked IN re-
gard % this slave question, that he had no difIi.
/ al, IL
concur viii him in this opinion. I am perfectly
willing 10 eonfide in onr hrethrenzin every part
| ofthe State upou this subject Al present. fhaye
no distTnst Of our western brethren now Bot
trust itatthe work Of our hands viii last n least
/ ten or twenty years, and by that time new gene
ratinrl will have Sprung, M md we knnsE not a.