The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-27

of consolidated government. Their apprehcn-
lions were fill further increaied, when they
looked into the contribution itielf, & difcoyered
| that it wanted fome effeStual provifions for ie-
curing the mott important rights Of individuals.
The liberty of confidence was not protected.
The federal government might at any time by
| ihackling the operations of the prefs have "laid
Its hand upon the fpring that is in fociety, ard
put ftop to its motion."t The ineftmable
rights of criminals had not been sufficiently qua
| ranteed. The important queftion whether the
powers conferred on the federal government,
were general or fpecitic, hadnot been fetted and
agrand line of Northumberland not been drawn
between the rights conferred on the general go-
vernment, and thofe which were {" reierved to
the ftateS respectively, or to the people," Is it
furpriiing then that the members of the Virginia
Convention, with prophetic wiidom which re-
fleets the highet honour upon their names,
fhould paufe, ihould mediate, fhould canvafs
all the provfons of this complicated fyRem
and that many of them ihould finally vote againft
its adoption, until thofe important rights had
been fortified by previous amendments Is it
furprihng that Mr.. Jeferfon when he was in
France ihould have mentioned to his friend in
this country his great anxiety that the four la
teit (tates) which ever they be, may refufe TO
accede to it, till amendments are fecured"?
Could not the charity of the federaliits of the
for the oppoftion of Virginia, than ridiculous
policy of preferving the &c iniignifcance of the
old confederation "'
Had Virginia even in the cradle of her GO
vernment, INDUCED any unnatural delire of en-
larging her own powers at the expence of her
filter fates; had fhe nouriihed faction within
her bofom, who required the aid of &c fervile
tools, not lawful fuperiors," fhe would ne4,er
hare adhered TO The rules Of the old eontedera-
Sc
ted an equal power to all the fates, and which
reduced her to the fame level with the frnall
fovereignties of Delaware and Rhode- Iflant,
could never have been an eligible inftrument for
the accomplishment of her ambitious projects
The 4th claufe of the 5th article ofthe confede-
ration expressly aipulates, that " in determining
queitions in the United States in congreis at
fennbled, each .fate. rail haze one Uote." The
5th clauie ofthe 9th article provides for the ap-
pointment of &C a committee to fit in the recefs
of cpngrefs, to be denominated ga committee
of the ftates," & to confift of one delegate tram
each Rate." 1t would firely have been more
fagacious policy to have exchanged this
old confederacy for new form of GO
vernment, which ihould give her an in
fluence proportionate to her population :;
which, infead of allowing her one vote in the
ena6tirg of law, fhould entite her to nineteen.
Had Virginia looked forward to the pofeilion of
univerlal empire had fhe been ambitious of be-
coming hyperion TO the other ftatcs, nftead of
remaining contented with her own independent
fovereignty, her mott obvions policy would thus
have been to adopt the contribution. But had
fhe entertained fome Jealous fears for her own
political ialvation; inltead of wiihing to become
the tyrant of other ftates, had fbe INDUCED an
apprehension that the federal overnmentw would
tyrannifc over herfelf, fhc would have found her
wifef policy in an oppofition to this new go
vernment. 1t was this prophetic policy which
induced fome of her mott enlightened ftatefmen
: to regard the new contribution with the mott
fcrupulous attention ; it was this which excited
ftIch-a decided oppofition and not any ridicu-
lous attachment to the I" nfgnifcancy of the
old confederation"
Had Virginia been really ponened with the
infane ambition of rifing above the other ftates,
in political importance had this produced all
her oppoftion to the new government; a change
in the circumstances Of tie times would furely
have introduced a Iiferent policy. 1t would
nos have been true " that this has ez,er been the
policy of Virginia, and ever will be."* Surely
fhe would not have purified the very fame poll
cy under the administration of MIR. Jeferlon,
which fhe purified under the administration of
Gen. Warrington and Mr.. Adams. Their
maxims were not altogether congenial
with the democratic principles of Virginia
and hence it would have been her interef to
have exeTted every nerve " to weaken the fede-
raj head" But Mr.. Jeffedon's attachment to
democratic principles, and to the Virginia
intereft would have enfured complete
fupport to all her ambitious projects
She could not have added too much ftrength
to the arm of the federal government,
becaufe it would have been entirely con-
verted to her own felfifh purpofes. Are not the
fedcralifts of the north even now continually
complaining, that the interefs of the Virginians
are alone confuted in the administration ofthe
government That the repeal of the internal
taxes, the continuance of the impot, the acqui-
! fiton of Louiiana, and the amendment to the
contribution, are multiplied proofs of this mean-
choly truth
Can the federalihs of the north confider all
theie facts and reafonings; can they review the
dilcuiIions of that important period, when the
Federal contribution was propofed to the conf
Iteration of the ftates and any longer indulge
the frivolous idea, that the deliberate & divided
oppoftion of the Virginia Convention to the
new form of government could have arifen from
the abfurd idea of prefervingthe "in6gnifcancy
ofthe old confederation % Do not all the facts
which have been mentioned her froboEng
fome general fyfem of commercial regulations |;
the oppoftion which the new form of govern
ment received from fVerai ftates; the /llpieion5
which fhe mutt have entertained Of contribution
3 which might have terminated in q roufc1;Ja4eJ