Men Of Virginia, Countrymen Of

The Proceedings Of This House In 1790, In Reference To Petitions On The Matter Of The Slave Trade, And Of Slavery In The States, Have Been Cited. It Has Been Said That Those Petitions Were Not Received.

And If This House Is To Be Scared, By Whatever Influences, From Its Duty, To Receive And Hear The Petitions Of The People, Then I Shall Send My Voice Beyond The Walls Of This Capitol For Redress.

I Maintain That The House Is Bound By The Constitution To Receive The Petitions; After Which, It Will Take Such Method Of Deciding Upon Them As Reason And Principle Shall Dictate.

Sir, I Am A Republican; And I Desire To See This House Observe The Principles Of That Democracy Which Is Ever On The Lips Of Its Members, And Which, I Hope, Is In Their Hearts, As I Know And Feel It Is In Mine, And Mean It Shall Be In My Conduct.

When We Fled From The Oppressions Of Kings And Parliaments In Europe, To Found This Great Republic In America, We Brought With Us The Laws And The Liberties, Which Formed A Part Of Our Heritage As Britons.