Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-02-08

tS AStu'"luB Fet44fEB WGrR prepare for
uelvery In the during tile anticipated dis
Of tho prOpoations offered for jnsertfoninthe
Contribution, declaring that no more slaves should Bo
admitted for permanent rOsidenee within thig STAT.
and that all children born Of slave parents In this
State, on and attera certain fixed and future neriod
should be deemed free-subJect to such regulations
IS tho Legislature might impose. But the adoption
BY the Convention, some days prior to tho discussion
OF the question, OF the rule limiting soakora to ten
minutes nS left the autlsor no other mode ofcouae-
cuttVely presenting his VIEWS than the ono herein
adopted.-He very respectfully submits what ID
herewith offered, to tho judgment Of the Convention,
and the peOple.l
1t is with unaffected difidence. Mr..
President, that rise to address the Com
vention on any subject, but especially
upon topic that is apt to meet with dis
favor from some of tho members of this
body, for whose opinions and character /
entertain u very high regard. But nv
embarrassment is very much relieved.
when 1 remember that in the discus.
sions here of some weeks ago, gentlemen
have themselves opened the way in which
propose to travel They first roundly
ignore tho discussion of the question.
What shall the Convention do with our
system of slavery? then discuss it.: and
then, IN debate at least, decide it. Sure
~ one so obscure Us myself, need not hes
ltate to follow, even in an enquiry of
otherwise doubtful propriety, where gen
tlemen so distinguished, and eyery wav
SO worthy, have already led tile wav.S
And why is not tho temperate and free
discussion Of. this question perfectly le-
gltimate to this time, and to the purposes
for which this body has been convened /?
We arc met here by tho will of our con-
stituents, as n free Convention-lexcu
me, sir, that 1 do not say u sovereign
Convention, n designation which the
events of the last few months have led
some of us to most heartily distrust)-to
form and propose q fundamental law for
the adoption or rejection of tho people of
the proposed new State of West Virginia.
1t is simply meeting tho just and reason
able expectations of the people, that we
have already considered, or that wo shall
hereafter fully discuss, all the depart
ments and agencies of government, as
we'll MS tho various interests and objects
upon which that government acts. Every
institution and interest of the people,
that is now or that is likely to become
the subject of law, is, us 7 suppose, by
tho very power that brought us here,
placed fully before us for our examination
and action. That the institution of slave
ry, us it exists in our b6NFis; Is tie micro
creature Of law; and that as law creates
it, law Incompetent to rCmpyc-it, and
that, therefore, it is fairly and properly
n subject for our consideration, is so
plain n proposition, that I think mono
will deny it Let it be observed that I
am not now discussing tho question.
what shall we do with this interest? but
the prior question, Is it u proper subject
for our inquiries? It strikes me there
can be~but ono answer.
And let it further be borne in mind,
TINT it is not proposed that We sit
in Judgment on. the affairs of our
neighbors. We arc not invited to
waste our time in idlc criticisms upon
the local concerns of either Georgia or
Maine. OF tho unproitable to say
the least, Ofall such misguided effort, no
one has more decided convictions, or has
expressed them moro cmphatically than
myself. But tho thing now proposed is,
that the people of West Virginia, in ref
ercnce to an Institution completely and
absolutely their own-existing on their
own soil-deriying its very breath from
their own laws, and only from thence
shall, through their representatives hero
met, look that institution squarely and
firmly in tho fncc; that they shall treat it
with tho same freedom, no more and no
less, with which they consider every other
interest of tho. e.peoplc-thlt they shall OK
anime it, regulateit, if it needs regulat-
ing; confirm it, if it needs confirming
or abatc it, ifit needs abating; accomplish.
ing in short, duty which they are not
only competent to perform, but which, in
some fits fundamental aspects, there is
RbsolutelynO othor assembly on earth that
has the power to touch need scarcely
add, in presence like this, that our or
ganic- and statute laws bear witness on
many nn ample page that this question,
not only of fcompetency, but of ofpropriety,
has long since been settled beyond dispute.
And why should it not be thus You
propose, aud most properly, after the
most thorough and unfinching scrutiny,
to freely pass upon the clnims Of capital
and credit, banks and highways, taxation
and representation, lotteries and duels,
marriage and divorce, corporations and
schools, upon every question; in short
involving the rights of either persons OF
things, within the limits of what we aIl
hope with the blessing of God, lis to be,
come a prosperous and renowned Com!
monwealth, Why should this question,
involving the interests and rights of Ia,
bor-its very status indeed-more fund.-
amental than any of them, be of them all
alone ignored? You propose in refer
ence 60 other questions, to have clearly
defined policy. Whysh this one upon
which allotherS depend, alone be doomed
toiuncertainty and peril2
l Wish to offer one other preliminary re,
mnrk.-It is quite certain that first and
| last, some very unWise and untimeIy words
have been uttered, aud acts performed. bj
outside parties In reference to our system
that had better on every account remain
| ed unsaid and undone. What then? BE.