Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-11
RICHMOND WHIG.
= i Il Z CHI
OF
MIR. BRUCE, OF HALIFAX.

I
In Committee OF the Whole, Mr.. BRrcS resumed hi:
remarks. follows:
Mr. Chairman feel than apology is due to the com
u'Se 'os 'rO1ohg them again this morning. Some days
ago met With AN eminent legal friend HE saw that
labOrng under disease lie told me th.tbe knew OF
remedy, and advised me 20 come up 10 this Hall and
make speech. lie said that when he was troubled with
any kind OF alment dyspepsia disorder of the liver
ne always made point TO make two or three hours
| speech, and he found in it a eompete remedy be-
eye, Mr. Chairman, that this remedy is known to the
legal profession generally, aud think that they never
hesitate TO use II tor every class and degroe OF diseases
Tor common ailment speech of one hour when the
case becomes worse, speech of day when the Symp-
toms become uncOntrollable speech of two days but
SIR when they venture upon a speech of three days
they are found TO be very nearly in articdo morts-
Laughter
do think Mr.. Chairman. that great deal of abuse
has been unnecessarily expended upon this Convention
not ouy by the people OF the State but by the press
the State The cause OF our delay has BEEN think
rs solely 10 the epidemic which has been prevalent in
Richmond for the last sixty days
But, sur will oer no more apology, and will proceed
at once to resume the thread of my argument which
addressed to YOU on Saturday.
My object this morn ng will be prove that the pre-
sent oppressed condition OF the State Of Virginia is
owing 90 The operation and the work OF our Federal sys-
ten. Well, sir Que has but TO open his eyes to see-
requires no aFgument TO show-that Virginia has not
KEEP, pace Sth her sisters of the North in all the ee-
rHeRts OF progress and material wealth. know con-
sole ourselves with the idea that We have great moral
qualities that ours Is peculiarly a soil which grows gen.
tlemec OF high moral intellectual! and social qualities
But, Mr. Chairman in this SorN, at present consti-
tuted, the poverty x nation does not peculiarly
commend l.; sui he estimate which is placed upon
States anj NS-Ona Is owing IN great to the
prog ,es4 hcs tsey making in wealth, in improve
l-eAt aud IN accumulation Of capital and in this respect
must a, knowledge aud all acknowledge, that
Virginia is a lagCard IL the lace.
Now this must be owing C one OF three causes First
the natural iucrosjty u the ReCpe Of Virginia and the
ieriOrity o. Der sol secCHi - ,e peculaty cr their
ius4ucI or lest, it is owing to tie peculiar workir
of our kede.al System.
need hardly stop say that Virginia is not peopled
BY naturally inferior people, nor ucsd sop to defend
the people Of Virginia against suoa charge of irfer
ority ;s. Virginia has descended from the same an
Costry as our Northern brethren, Aug gc-SaXOn blood
courses IN veins and t cannot therefore, be owing
90 this cause. Nor is t owning the uieficrity Of the
soil and tie natural advantages Of Virginia. Her rOs
ton, hcr climate her noble rivers, her splendid water
Es1N invite enterprise, all invite to energy and in
dustry. Bat Virginia is hggard in tOe race.
Now, sir wish % show ,hat this institution OF slavery
has not en- the depressing which has kept back
the progress OF the State. See here sir. beg read
a iew figures and viii trouble the Couyention
again with Of them. Ia the year l77i hundred
and sixty years after slavery had been Introduced into
the colony Of Virginia, ud sir, tina, population
reater than the population OF any State in this Con-
tedeIacv and remember that at that time the area the
tue GN.-lFd-dple OF virginia
bat little more tan tht; OF MUs5tCbu7sCttS AZ that
time the population of NrgiuI 800 u00 the popu
! htOa Ct Massachusetts, was a5uUtE of New Cgk
ls0t,p gud Of Pennsl yauia yUUtlH Nine yeaIs
a.,erwasis-i+ order 20 chow to yCu th1t this
asceudaucy OF Virginia had not been the asc5u-
dWcy Of poqG,ltOu alone, but OF wealth-we ind when
she General Government made levy on the States for
l.iiou and half c. dollars Virginia had 10 pay $2J6
uuI, Msslchus us S--l 900, New York Sl2S n.u and
Peuusy yly1uia - oUI. Tlus you that Virginia hli
I NH 70 HH N. ION trr Il
Now IL seems TO us ,has after one bu-IIed and s~--
years OF slavery IL Virginia ~ .ea'y
| thaJ slaysrv - nos entitled 10 say
alG any depressing eject Oh The material
/ progress q the State.
! Nov, si-, VIA; VAS the condition Of the Northern
Siatcs Taey had bu. few slayes-not enough to make
them au c..ar4t Ia he calculation OF wealth OF pop
ulatoa. I.o1 tlc poverty Of their sol aud The rscr OF
their clmate, hey necessarily embarked in commerce and
in manufacture BUt may remember that under the
navigation laws Of Ecgsu pissed by Cromwell in l75l
there great restrictions placed upou tCOnsl trade
and especially upon Colonial manufactures. The eNgcucy
OF tue position ot hc bern States compelled hem TO
adopt this double stem OF manufacture commerce
.hey ut4r tle sea, and bad ev,ry Indictment 90 in
yit them to aat course Aud may adj, Mr. Chairman,
that thc slave trst- also q Of grCa- uroh
New Eacaul.c. great AS l. Nas 10 tic mC.ltr coun-
/ tl; JI. h Traffic of slaves with t1a. g-,a depot ot
/ ~lt,es-kugs-Cu, Jsui2ic--was extensive end very
/ profitable.
Now, ia, came the declaration Of war-a war which
e,ulted ia tc emancipation OF the Colonies This Tecc
say rc-tric the commercial Intercourse between Eg
land ard ihc Colonies aud operacd 10 give st,u;iIs
10 thc mauu tur,s Of iae North. Iaeir commerce, Of
course, cu- up aud IuiaS SOrtbly affected tu. the
ml-utctlros stimulated by tie Ct the Ecya.u
/ lion. Well ,r VIXEN peace Was declared, 10 was iolud
| Impossible that Northern manufactures and Northern
commerce could stand ia competition with the WaDutar
lures Of the commerce Ct Cughnd. Aud sir tie first
Con grsss that semi y3 alder The adoption OF the Con-
i,uOn OF the United states iuauguratcd that system o
mposts and tonnage duties which were pIoessetiy IL
tended protect ibe commerce aud the manufactures
/ OF the North.
Supposs they had no. had that protection what would
have been their condition Eagiand would have monop
Of zed the co3stuE trade she would have mouopoized
the foreign trade she would have carried all the surplus
produce Of America 10 Europe This g perfectly GER
tain They were skilled manufacturers and had been for
hundreds Of yeaIs Tlus, sir, if all the colonies bad
been permitted 70 bear the relations to Eaglsud
that they before led borne. t l. perfectly obvious that
Virginia would have gone abroad With her agriculture;
aud r il perlec.iy obvious too that the North
would have obtained footing at all But sir, her power
" drove her 10 profitable branches o Industry, and our
climate ard soil invited to continue the pursuits Of
| agriculture.
Now. sir. in 1850, as I have informed you the tariff
policy inaugu.4ted, aui hr. Madison, IN that Con
gress deliberately said that although he was friend OF
free trade vet he would relax biz iron rule in favor OF the
infant manufactures Of the North Well SIR thus it con-
uued aud thus the Northern States continued to pros
per under the protection OF the Genera. GONernmenL-
Aud think have shown that without this protection
they would never have made start even IL commerce
and manufactures
Then followed the war OF 1914. This war itself was
proecton 70 the manufacturers Of the North. Ii cut up
their commerce confess; but their manufactures great
" douTshed, AID became important interest IN the
Northern States But when peace came the menBiao
OF the North we're PROSTATE IL the dust GOODS
were bought under tbla moderate tari, from Elgand
and inunated the whole country. Ard what ~"- 'N-
] 'ec'' 4"''' ~ a oamor from New England and ftom
the Middle States. They said they ruined without
aud the tariff Of Isle wac -lssed-a ta- noG vety high
but sufficiently NIGH then thought to revive the
fallen fortunes Of the manufacturers OF the NCrth.
So tar all the progress that had been made by the
North under the protecting OF the General Gov
ernmenL That IS perfectly certain; aud they never
would have progressed, they never would have made
commencement without i,. Il generally believed
throughout he country, that Of the South mcs. 80
tar beyond the North in wealth and in population.
Here let me pause. nation that engages in CON-
merce and manufactures must necessarily if get
footing be wealthy, must make greater progress,
than nation confined TO agriculture That is perfectly
clear but what contend for Is that without The foster
ing care Of this government they would have made
any progress, thSy never S~Gd Rs.o even obtained
footing or have made beginning. Thel for, the IN
dusry Of the North has been protected by the eSsa
ton of Congress And here let observe, as a re-
remarkable coincidence that the recedence OF the South
aud the rise Of the North begins exactly with the insu
guratOn Of the Constitution Of the United States The
year 1889 which established our Federal Government
and our Federal Constitution is a year that seems fatal
the South because from il grew all these protectors
al this prosperity which has so pefect characterized