Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-05-06


sentation is an Innovations an attempt
torevolutionise all the principles upon which
this government has heretofore been organ
lied
Sir. are we to be told as the pretext for
all this, that man is not capable Of self gov
ernment? is the doctrine to be ratified
and sanctioned by this body, which was
advanced by the gentleman from Fauquier,
| (Mr Chiffon some days ago, that he had
very grave doubts whether the problem Of
mans capacity for self-government had yet
been solved. 1t was in the progress Of So
luton, but it had not yet been solved
And be deem it inexpedient and uuwise
to entrust to majority of the people
| of this State the control Of their own
governments. Sir, whether that problem
has yet been solved to the satisfaction of
the gentleman from Fauquier or not no ra-
tional man can doubt that il must be solved
on this continent, and that every effort to
arrest the experiment is vain and idle
Our destiny is fixed. The great expert
ment of mans capacity for self government
on this continent must be tried. We have
embarked in the vessel; she Is now on the
broad ocean
"paik heaving boundless, endless and sublime"
Her PROV is set; her helm is fixed, and
whether we are destined to lie cast away
upon the shoals and rocks of anarchy, or to
reach .ae haven of the highest, social and
intellectual development of man. time only
can determine. But the experiment must
be made; and when we shall have failed,
when the noblest prospect which ever
awakened the hopes Of the human race
shall have ended in disappointment and sor-
row, then it will be time enough for gentle
men to frame tbier systems of government
founded upon the melancholy catastrophy
of such failure. But, until then, we have
but one course open before US.
But we have been told, sir, that in every
community there is majority Of interests
meaning monied interests, and majority
ofnumbers meaning the free citizens of such
community, and that when this majority of
interests is not lodged in the same hands.
as Is the case in Virginia, with those who
constitute the majority of persons, the lat
ter, that is persons, should yield to money
in the organization of the power of govern
nent. Ii this principle were sound it could
not advance the scheme advocated by the
East upon this occasion. For that scheme
leaves those interests, as / have before
shown, wholly under the control of the ma
jority of numbers. But cannot admit the
soundness of the principle as it is main
tanned by those who advance it.
That all the great material interests of
community are justly entitled, and will
at all times receive, the support and aid of
government, no one will question. Gov
ernments are instituted, amongst other pur
poses, that men may acquire property in
peace, and transmit it in safety to their pos.
terity. There can be no fear that govern
ments based upon the will and affections of
an enlightened and virtuous people, will
ever be unmindful of the interests of prop
erty. 1t has been well said, that the sane
tity ofprivate property is the great cardi-
nal principle of European society. That
there, the jus privatum is everywhere sa-
credly observed and strictly enforced. Can
| less be said of American society. or of
American institutions? Assuredly not
| But to concede that the pecuniary interests
/ VI any Stdtt. uO ulattct uOW Situt, Suu Out-
weigh in the scale of an enlightened politi-
cal economy, that immence capital of moral
treasure which is locked up in the lives, the
liberties, the affections, the duties, and the
responsibilities of a majority of the free
and intelligent people of any community,
it seems to me is doctrine better suited
to the climate of Russia than to the lati-
tude of North America. As in the eye Of
Heaven, one rational and immortal soul is
of more value than the whole material
world besides; so in the eye Of enlightened
statesmanship-in the eye of political JUS
tice, man, with all his vast moral and in
tellectual capabilities, is UNNECESSARILY be-
yond the mere material interests of society.
If, indeed, government was mere mercan-
tile partnership, as some gentlemen here
suppose it to be, with no nobler or higher
purpose than to add dollar to dollar, there
might be- some foundation for the idea, but
government exists to protect life--to pre-
serve liberty-to enlarge the circle of the
domestic sympatbies and affections; to elc
vate men in the great scale of social civil
cation The power, the strength, the glory
| of republic resides in its population. 1t
is their labor which creates her wealth
! their genius which adorns and illustrates
her fame their wisdom which guides her
public councils; aud their patriotism which
defends her liberties, and maintains her ex
istence. Sir, these are not the sentiments
of French Democracy, as some would lead
us to believe. They are the sentiments of
enlightened statesmen and patriots through
out the world. And never have they been
better expressed than in those celebrated
lines which come from the pen Of one of the
purest men, and most yirtuous statesman
which England has ever produced:
| "What constitutes State
| Not bgh-raised battlements or labored mound
Thick wall or moated gate;
Not cities proud with spires and turrets crown
| ed
Not land, nor broad-armed ports,
| Where laughing at the storm, rich navies ride (;
Not starred and spangled courts
Where low-browed baseness watts perfume to
pride
No men high-minded men;
Men who their duties know,
But know their rights, and knowing dare
| maintain.
| Thaoa eanst;tuta n StofeO