Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-09-05

Rail. VIM. Chiffon, Jas. Rust, VIM. Holmes
Isaiah White, Mahlon Roach, James CoPelahd'
jonathan M'Cafty, Leven Luckett, Joan Gun
nard.
Rescued, That Charles F. Mercer, VIM.
holland, and W. Bradley Tyler, be a commlt-
tee toprepare and publish an address to the
Freehulders of this state explanatory OF the
views of this meeting, and to correspond with
such ether committees as may be iornea Dy
the other counties Oft this commonwealth
Burr PowELL, Chairman.
w. BRADLEY TYLER, Secretary.
TIE yRERHoLDERs OF LoUDoN TO THE
FREEHyLpERs OF VIRGINIA.
| FrAosu Cltizens,
Onthe first Monday of November, the So
! Tenn duty will deyolye on you, In common
/ with ourselves, Of chusing electors OF Presi-
dent and Vice President Of the y. States
/ There was time, when we exercised TINS
branch ofour elective franchise with analacrl-
/. ~ ouickened by an intimate knowledge OF
/! the only person for whom 1t required us to
! vote He was always an mhabltant OF our e.
lectoral district, often our acquaintance, some
! times our neighbour, and not untrequently our
friend In private lite, we had found him pfu-
/ dent, discreet, wise, Just, and honorable; and
|; his political principles, we both knew and APP
proved Hence arose our convection OF MS
ability to serve US, and cur willingness to con-
| fide in him We had, moreover, tried by IN
ferior trusts, both his capacity * his fidelity, &
( our confidence had grown with cur experience
TO tie electoral college. to which we deputed
him. as our representative, the constitution
op,ol, he w
. mutation of the y. States, the most vlrtuous
and capable citizen TO fill the highest station
! in America, we would tain believe, n the
world the chief Magistracy OF free feohle.
Those times, fellow citizens, are past. 4 e
| legislature OF our state has so altered oar ior-
mer law and sage, as with the appearance OF
! increasing our influence over the Presidential
election, to take to ITSELF III fact, all contfoul
over the choice of that high officer Each OF
us has now, a right to vote for twenty i've e.
lectors, four and twenty OF whom reside out OF
our district, and are, consequently, unknown
| IN ms f: while in the election of the only one,
whom we can know, we exercise controul
M Greater than that Of any other electoral
district within the commonwealth. We can
nor he said to chuse even him, because we have
not participated in the formation OF the eiecto
raj ticket which contains his name; and he
NAV he elected, not only without, bat in direct
opposition to the votes OF ali the tieehoidefs
Of his district. A caucus Of the members ct
a particular party in the General Assembly
undertakes to determine Tor whom we shall
vote, and he who departs from It's choice
throws away his vote altogether Instead OF
electinc the twenty FIVE, ae elect none. "A
bare majority of the legislature, which may
represent a small minority, only, OF the Free
holders If Virginia, nay, even less than that, a
nrcjority Of harry Itself the minority Of that
legislature, may designate who shall be ,Presl-
dent and Vice President OF the y. States.
On their conduct we have but one eHectual
check, to it we beg leave TO invite our So
Tenn attention, and in its application, to soil
cit your jealous cooperation. 1he check
which we propose, is convention of Deputies
to be elected from It'll Counties OF the Com
monw ealth, to meet the 2lst OF September
at Stanton in the County oil Augusta, Tor the
sole purpose of selecting IN conformity 10 law,
and recommending to our support, twenty hse
suitable characters to serve as electors LOT
Virginia in the approaching election OF eresl-
dent and Vice President OF the Y. States / he
present seasono the year, being that In which
many of our fellow citizens OF the low country
repair 10 the mountains for health, we have
undertaken to point out Stanton, as the place
of meeting, which will be found well calculat-
ed to afford accommodation 20 the assembly Of
deputies, and sufficiently central to insure to
them convenience and dispatcbin forwarding
the general ticket, which they may form, to
the remotest counties of the Commonwealth,
in time for the depending election. With
yi.w to the latter object, we have deemed it
imprudent to defer the meeting of the con-
yention, to later day than the 2lst of Septem-
| Der.
No common maxim in politics, fellow-citi-
zens, is more frequently verified, by expert
ence, than that g one innovation is sure to give