Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-04-20

/, the Chair. sna 0LivgR BALDWIN. Esq..
Of Richmond, appointed Secretary
!. On motion Of 81 Patrick, Esq. Of Kanawha,
il wss resolved that committee be sp.
pointed By the chairman to prepare and re-
port resolutions and an address 10 the PEG
pie Of Virginia. The chairman appointed the
following gentlemen :---,Iessrs. John D. I'm
bodsn, Nicholson Johnson. Vincent wi.chsr.
Hugh w. Shelley. Joseph sssar. and Thorn
~ Creigh.
On motion Of Mr.. Patrick. the chairman
was added TO the committee.
The following address and resolutions we're
reported By the committee:
Aa appeal 10 the People Of TirginiG.
Constrained by sense Of responsibility to
their immediate constituents and the people
of tie State, The Wing members Of the Gen
oral Assembly earnestly invite public attcn-
tian to certain ncts Of that body mauifes,ing,
IL sn alarming dagree. tho uiscbissous policy
Of the Democratic party. They would make
this appeal Ia NJ mere partizan spirit The
acts Of which they complain deserve in their
opiniop the condemnation Of all candid aud
independent FREQ men. who naintain and ex-
erciso the rights Of private judgment. against
the dictatiou Of party organs and leaders. 1t
can be truly asserted that no paltry desire to
secure party advantage has suggested this
appeal; it has sprung FROM higher motive !;
II has been ccerced BY a sense of duty to tho
whole people OF tho State. without distinction
" parties, under perfect knowledge Of the
efforts that will doubtless be made to close
ths public mind against its fair consideration
by the usual war-cry that is employed to
arouse tho passions and prejudices Of the par
". Approximations Of this sort cannot detor
them from this challenge Of tho public judg
ment and scrutiny to the course Of the Dem
ocratc party in the Assembly; and il 10 9th
er voice shall be raised its teprobstion they
will not be the less satisfied that they have
discharged their duty to tho public, nor lcss
prepared to ascribe such result to the un
fortunate tendency Of high party excitement.
20 smother tho voice OF reason and justice.
II is rot to bo Understood. however. that they
intend hereby to relax the bonds Of their par
.y organisation, OF 10 court the saiFrages Of
tho people on conditions Inconsistent. with
their principles On the contrary. there is
everything in the course Of the State and
Federal administrations to adnonsh them Of
The duty and necessity of clinging the more
closely to their organization 90 great ma
tlobal. conservative party, and of cherishing
the more earnestly that sound. genuine Rep
iieanism, which lies at the foundation, and
which opposes to the license Of Demo racy.
the wholesome restraints Of sober, hsbitual
rcgard for the peace. the honor aud stability
OF their froe government. Struggling in toe
minority. they have bated not ole lot or tit
tie Of courage or of hope in their reliance on
the eventual triumph Of truth and correct
principles; but they have not always enjoyed
the privilege OF remonsrrance against the
course Of The dominant party ON questions
cfthc deepest and most general interest, they
have been inexoT.biy denied hearing. OF
else their voice stifed in debate by the leg.
islatise gag, It ia to be presumed that the
measares complained Of have alr.ady epra.
ged much Of public attention so that brief
enumeration OF the most prominent Of them,
may sufice to arouse the vigilance, and pro
woke the Investigation Of the people il oil
sections Of the State
Cursed and afflicted as tho people Of this
State have been, and still are, oy the cirsu
lation Of an Illegal small note currency Of the
worst ina ginable kind, the assembly under
tho contro. of tue Democratic majority, has
fsi!ed TO provide remedy for this great evil
and. as 1t ready at any time and upon auy
pretext to sacrifice the public interest to somo
abstraction of their creed has sternly denied
the only reliefths: could DO given, in refusing
to authorize the Banks to supply safe. con-
vertible currency in the emission of notes un-
der The denomination of five dollars. Tho
inevitable consequence ensues that new
brood of swindling shops will spring up with.
out and withla the borders OF the State, man
aged by uoknown and irresponsible men, to
tax the trading community aud cheat the la
boring classes With the most unsafe currency
that the wit Of man can devise Perhaps,
yet more pervadilg mischief attends it, in
the depraving effect upon the morals Of the
people. OF an open aud continual violltiou of
law which Gnds no small justification from
the culpible liberation Of this state Of things
by tho democratic law makers of tho State
The Democratic party commits many alb
surdtles, Il not crimes, sooner than allow the
iotallibiiity Of its political faith to be drawn
ouSs uaNtuS OuC6 ueClaTeu,
under vastly different circumstances, its on.
position to distribution of the proceeds Of
the public lands, it will not now surrender
that tenc, osi:s crccd, though it now obstructs
tas very policy 10 was designed to promote
It will be reeollected that the State was in.
daced to foreso or disclain her share o: this
fund, with the view of securing its proceeds
TO the Federal Treasury. aud thus essenioe
the necessity Of increasing the Tariff on for
eign goods, But, now, he who will oontem
plate the lavish grant of these lands for all
sorts OF purposes; millions of acres that have
beet granted to the States in which they lie.
for the establishment of schools, colleges and
the encouragement of public works; the I'm
hushing claim that is now strenuously urged
for the total surrender of these lands to the
new State. and above all. the startling fact,
that this immense fund sufficient to enrich
oil the States il the Union, has come to be
regarded as topic to be welded for cleo.