The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-27
NO. III.


ing events of the American revolution; having
attempted to ihow that all the Guerulous and IL
liberal efforts which have beeh made to tarniih
the laurels of Virginia, have only terminated in
bringing them forth into brighter lufre let us
now approach the next celebrated epoch in our
political hiitory, which has furnifhed the diff
contented federalifts of the north with fruit
tul theme of defamation and complaint. They
have pleafed themfelves with thinking that the
adoption of the federal conftitution, and the
hrit amendments which were propofed, have
iurnithed them with the mott satisfactory evil
dence, that Virginia has either acquired, or that
Inc has been anxious TO aiiu,ne IN exorbtant
influence in the administration of the national
government. They have diicovered in this great
era of our political hitory, three fources of
complaint, two of which they have repreiented
faspeculiar to Virginia the third as common to
her with all the fouthern and weftern ftates
Why (they have demanded) did Virginia heii-
tate to adopt at once the federal contribution
and why did fhe almoR in the fame breath, pro-
pofe fuch amendments to it, as would invali-
date the political powers which it had confided
to federal head BY what principle of abfra6t
juftice and representative government, can the
people of the foutherrr and weftern ftates pre-
fume to juftfy that article of the federal coniti-
tuition which gives them political influence,
proportionate to three-fifths of their negro no.
pniation Happy is it for the Vir.,inians, that
they can again triumphantly recur to the hifto-
i1cal documents of their country, for the mott
compleat ratification of their conduit, on the
two firit of thefe charges! Happy is If for the
fouthern and weftern ftates, that the immutable
maxms of iuRice, will bear them out in the ex-
ercife ofthat representative right which the fe-
deral contribution has conferred upon them
ADOPTION OF THE CoNSTITUTIoN-The
following quotation from one of the northern
papers, will efficiently explain the grounds of
the prefent and the fubfequent complaint.
" MIR. Jefferfon nor any ofhis &c feet" have ever
made the energies and dignity OF the federal 60
vernment part of their plan. They take diff
ferent and more certain road to power and pa
tronage. In one of his AIeDages he fays, that the
particular itates are inveited with all the need
full powers for internal governp,ent, and feems
to affgn to the government of the Union, only
the fcraps and parings, fuch as concern not our
felves merely, but are blended with foreign DO
ltics. To aoeaken fbr federal head, and throw
back its proper authorities into the hands of the
ruling faaien-beoIId Jeef1s iofi unmarked this
has ever been the policy of Virginia, and ever
will be. 1t was for this reafon ihe came 70 late
and 70 loath into the Union. She abhorred the
contribution the moment it pretended to be 4
government, and fhe loft not one moment to
Unfit that fuch amendments, fhould be added to
it, as would reduce it as as polfible, to the
nfgnihcancy of the old confederation fhe
wants fcrvile tools, not lawful fupeyiors ''*-
How far does the hiftory of that period and the
policy attributedto our fate, go to fupport the
ftatemcnts and reafonings of this illiberal au-
thor?
Virginia was the frR fate in the Union, that
propofed the expedicnt which ultimately led TO
the formation ofthe prcfent admirable conftitu-
ton. She was the firtt to propofe any effe6tu-
al remedy, for the various calamities which
accompanied her peculiar fituation, arr
fling from want of credit, and from want of
iome general power to eftabliih proper fyhcm
of commercial regulations. CommRioners
were appointed in 1885, by the Houfe of Dele
gates in Virginia, who fhouldmeetfuch as might
be appointed in the other ftates, to form fyf-
tenn OF commercial regulations for the u. States,
and recommend it to the feveraI legislatures, for
their adoption. When the conminioners
from fcveral tates had met at Annapolis in the
fummer OF 1886, they difcovered that all the
ftateS were not represented; and they believed
! that their own powers were too limited to pro-
pofe 4 fyftem ofregulations adequate to the pur-
pofes of government. They agreed to recon-
mend general convention to be held at Phila-
delphia the next year, with powers to frame
general plan of government for the United
States. The convention met at Philadelphia in
May 1887, and after four months deberation
agreed 10 recommend the plan or federal go
vernment which was originally adopted.t
Virginia was not the oniy fate of the Union
which helitated to adopt this contribution. "In
Msf1achufetts the oppoftion was large and re-
fpeetable )" and it was finally adopted by its
convention in the ratio of 1877 to 1875 In
New York two thirds of the Delegates in con-
vention, were at their frft meeting determinedto
reject the contribution - & though many of the
anti-federal members were induced to relin-
quifh their oppoition, when they heard that
the 9th and 10th ftates had acceded to the pro-
pofed plan of government the contribution was
fill ratified in the fina ratio of so to 25.-The
expedition in Rhode-Illand was 70 powerful that
the contribution was adopted by amsiority oft7uo
only.-Indeed, in almolt every fate, the anti-fe-
deraliits were powerfulin numbers and refpeeta-
bic in talents. Bring then all thefe facts together
compare this violent oppoiition and thefe vari-
GUS majorities with the ratio of $50 to 10, ac-
cording to which the contribution was adopted
in the Virginia Convention, and then fay what
kind of juftice is that, which fcleGts Virginia
from all the fates Of the union, and accufes her
only of an ilIiberal oppolition to the national
compact Why did her oppofition exhibit a
greater delre to "reduce the contribution to the
inligrifcancy ofthe old confederation" than the
oppofition in MafIachufetts, New-York or
Rhode Hand?
Her oppoiition to this national compact did