The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-09

! anu LOT tne aOil'y ana eioqutbcc WIN WHICH Ill
views were uttered. Possessing mind at one
strong, keen, aud discriminating; a spirit DARN!
and resolute, he was well fitted To begin such
contest, and to bear it- chief brunt. Beside hi
influence and efforts as politician, he was al
able lawyer and one Of the first scientific an,
| practical farmers in Virginia. He wrote well
both no politics aud agriculture. Clear and con
else, yet containing a spice OF wit and dash o
sarcasm that rendered him an agreeable pen
man.
! Ills work on agriculture, called "Taylor's Ar
ator," is the first " ork on the subject ever writ
ten in Virginia, and one Of the first in the United
States. SO well written, and so practical has i
been considered, that il is matter of regret tina
he did not divert his mind sufficiently from pol
itcs, after the passage Of these resolutions, te
have written out more fully his opinions anc
practices in agriculture. The work is rae,
mixture of agricultural experiments and mode,
OF procedure, with defence of the institution
! Of slavery in answer to the assault on it ir
Jel1erson's Notes; amusing comp laints of the
poor system of farming general lily pursued, and
sarcastic political dissertations. He defended
the resolutions, and proved the laws to be un
| constitutional. Other able men were on the
same side and spoke with great effect in favor
of resolutions condemning such obnoxious
w HSol Shiy w lliiaHl ID. NlcH
Mr.. Mercer and Mr. Daniel were among these
men whose reputation is well known in Vir.
GINA for sound judgment and firm integrity, as
! well as for the power of speech, that enabled
them to defend with the tongue whatever thei,
hearts or heads might dictate. William Pope
and James Barbour were among the most ard
ent advocates of the resolutions; the first man
of wit and humor, and so imhued with it that he
could not speak even on subject that interest
ed him as this one did, without giving full scope
to his peculiar faculty. Although the youngest
man in the House, James Barbour was one OF
the foremost in denouncng the laws and his
speech was considered the most effective that
was delivered.
The three most able opposers of the resolr.
tons were George Keith Taylor, the brother.in.
law and friend of Marshall, General Lee and
Edmund Brooke TO the first we owe our
penientiary system, and many other improve
ments in our criminal code; he was the most
thoroughly informed man in the House on
questions Of Law; an acute, profound and elo.
quent lawyer and politician. He defended the
laws as necessary and proper under the state of
affairs then existing; asserting that Congress
had the right to punish offences against the
law of nations, and to ensure domestic tran
guilty, by preventing foreigners from in'erfer
ing with our affairs of State; and that this the
alien law provided for; that the common law
did not punish sufficiently the RIGHTEOUSNESS of
the press, and that to prevent false and scanda
lous lbels from being issued was not to abrdge
its freedom; and this the sediton law pre-.
vented. General Lee, Edmund Brooke, and
others, men of great reputation for high toned
character and ability, followed in similar strain
The resolutions passed. were transmitted to
the States composing the Union, and excited
discussion and called forth opinions wherever
they went. In the ensuing session great dis
play of talent was looked for, as Patrick Henry
had left his retreat, being elected to the legsIa.
ture, ard intended to advocate repeal Of the
resolutions; lle friends and opponents of the
laws were very active, and the best men Of both
parties wereeected to the house; Madison, the
author OF the resolutions, was among them.
Patrick Henry died; what his influence would
have been, i! is Impossible 10 say had he entered
The Legislature we should have seen another bat
tie OF the giants had he been overmatched and
overcome by his numerous and able opponents,
he would have fallen Sampson like, dragging
down his enemies with him. Richmond was
again fllled witha crowd anxious TO and hear;
the resolutions had caused men to think on the
powers OF the federal government, and the pub.
lie mind was stirred up. Kentucky was the only
State that responded to the resolutions, accept
ing them; every other one had either passed
them by, or Condemned them. These replies
called forth the celebrated report of Madison
explaining and illustrating these resolutions. 1t
settled the Question in the minds of most men;
and gave to our people the first clear and we'll
understood character of the Constitution. The
opinions thus expressed and explained, serve as
standard by which to measure the powers of
the Constitution, and will ever be regarded as
the most useful and lasting emanation from the
mind and pen of Madison.
Richmond has then the honor that within it
the first organized system Of resistance was pro-
posed; again. that in il the federal Constitution
was adopted, af' or strict trial and thorough ey-
animation; and now again she has the honor al
most alone, and in the face Of opposition enough
to have shaken less determined people, of
having shown how that Constitution is to be
explained and carried out