Portland gazette., 1805-06-18
1iy. Flr.or h b,f CsnJtituenf'.
LETTER VT.

T.
is the mott luxurious monument OF hu-
man wiidoin that has exifted IN any age or
u ZION. Itco6lbineS energy with liberty !;
thesreat deT!deratum OF the mott celebra-
ted Hateimen of ancient and modern times.
The provihon of the conititution which
renders artainable iuch amendments as
time and experience may require, is one
of rs mott enimable chara6feiiitics. But
al inlfrumelt fo farred ihould be touched
with gentle hand. II is time every the
orif, and few have been more afdent the
oIilS than myfelf, TO facrfice the viions
Of ms Imagination upon tie altar OF ns-
tional union.
Many Of the greatea and Bei} men in
Virginia were oypofed to the adoption OF
the contribution. Could this circumftance
be conhderod as reproach, IT would not
be applicable 10 Virginia alone il was
tne cafe 10 large majority ot the ftates.-
Oppoitior &c. orally ipeaiSing, proceeded
from the bea OF motives, from an attach
mertto liberty, and from fear that, were
the contribution adopted, :" liberty wodId
be but name to adorn the ihort hittoiic
page of the halceon days Of America. -
But there were peculiar features in the
contribution which rendered it peculiarly
obnoxious to Virginia. The lfates were
TO be annually repreiented in the Senate, an
important branch Of the government, a
two edged fHord, placed IN the avenue to
the fovereignties of the individual ltates,
and checking equally the PreGaept and
the Representatives ef the people, fhould
they attempt to exceed their contribution
al limits. Many of the greatelt men OF
Virginia thought il radically wrong
that the fm4lI fate Of Rhode lAand fhonld
have an equal voice in the Senate with
the largett fate and that idea fill pre-
walls in Virginia, and that fate pofeseS
great and iucreafing influence over the
ilnall itates, il is reaionable 10 conclude
that thoie who think the contribution
wrong will endeavor TO make it right, as
faon as iney obtain the power. Nothing
elie can b. expected 70 long as g man is
man" Although jealouiy has been con-
iidered by many as a republican virtue
of the frf order, we ought not, however,
TO indulge groundlels jealoufy +; nor
ought we TO acclfc any portion of the un-
ion of a deGgn to change the contribution
without unqueftionabls evidence, Upon
this fnbjed my mind has been perfectly
convinced, and always exprelS with true
republican freedom, opinions, Of the cor
rcdncfs Of which | feel Perfea ccnvia.
ion
The fentiments Of the celebrated Pat
rick Henry, Of Edmund Randolph. of
Mafon, and many other ditinguifhcd Vir-
ginians refpaing the contribution, are on
record, and the record and the records
cannot be obliterated. the equality of
fufrasc in the fenate was prominent ob-
jc6ion. The mind even OF the great
Warrington harboured frong prepof-
feflion in favor Of the large ltates. |
have been told by a venerable member
of the convention which formed the con-
ftitution, that Warrington was decidedly
of opinion that the fnall itates took too
high ground, ana that nothing but the in-
dilpenGblc neceihty of forming coniifu-
fscn previeuly TO the didolati6a of the
convention, induced him TO fupport what
he coniidered us too great a concefIion on
ths part ct the large Rates. Various pus-
lisations, OF recent date, under the fig
nature of the venerable patriot, Edmund
Pendleton, inculcated the proprety of lev
erai i'm ortant alterations of the conltitu-
ton anu there is every reafon 70 believe
that thofe publications were correct indi-
cations of The general ftntirent in Vsroin.