Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-12-23
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.
No. ..
Fellow Citizens,

Fellow Citizens,
The subjects presented to you for
cons deration are Of vital importance and tIcscr. p
our iaithgr most serious attention
1 he Impoicy OF u, gec it,, the interests of Itera
lnr' VIII more fully appear from the following con-
nv r"uons:- Nsare happy in wing under the siea-
W an" UNI 1i,n goterhIeut oflaws instead OF be-
!nt VI the h"'dif ufchangeable and caprirous men,
Tue laws are made nv our representatives. 40.
coiuing To the appointment of the constitution a
'ou' TWO hundred persons annually invested
WIN the Important Office of lawgiver in Virginia
tI'eil year. TOO, considerable changes are made in
Tue .gisalure, at the pleasure of the ue0llc IL is
surely 'hen matter at no small importance to Sc
sure succession ol men, well qIal fed Ly ed ca
Us and habit tor tlsciArgns The duties OF this Of
ne nave YOU ever Coz sidered, fellow citizens,
WHAT al . The gu ilBcatnns of n lcyislatori
4 legislator ,ugit 10 have a pre- fund. and
accurate knnwtedse OF human nature ; Other wIsv
the laws euacted by han i'll be ONLY lid sn, cuI,
p"hS, and giaring absurtties, embodicd, and i'm
authority.
2 he ought to be well acquainted with the con-
Au'utioA unu which he arts, and with the genius
"" character OF the people for whom lac leg states;
'"'or"'Se tne laws adopted by him, may be un
constitutional and OF course void /; or uuconpenial
20 Tie 'einper and feelings O t.e peup e. so as 10
Fe''""" IL deAd lester the statute book and OF
ec"IS' useless SOIL adapted TO the circumstances
VI me poo ie Hs To- be yof sc tina useless-perhaps
~ IA, h'thesl degree pelniciOus
,. lie ought ~ be well AGO ,ainted with the in
'ef~s'S Oi hiS own site, aud various sect ons
W." nc =" hls and supcrEul'ics of his % ntry
WI" Is iAt"rd gcoslapny, Hndi suscc ptibtIes OF
Improvement t1gethe' with the rcnmstances,
Az" interests oil beIghbOring states; otherwlse lie
can never devise feasible measures of internal i'm
p'o'eHeI'' Or se'ze and urn TO the benefit oil his
coy, those advantages, which intercourse with
helshbOis frequently offers
=. lie ought to be familiar with the hlstory If
ic sauon Ia general, md wih ,he lDws uE IIs owr.
co"h'y ia particular. lie ought not ONLY 20 know
t""t such and such laws cAist, but TO study lL.,r
PIS'"e'i eiucavy, and cciii y discern their moral
i"uehse on Tue people otherwise, on every in,
po'''ht measure he must give has vote in the us.k,
'n"t - III u''er uncertainty whether the measure
u'oS".e" ny hlm VIII not be furious, anG that op-
pcs by iim beneLcrl TO the state
Hut why proeeed Erther III h enumeration -
ft'it o y lie considered that II. That on Germs the
seeuhy cf oar It Us and our property A; n the mo-
nae" end landed interests C The ST te all The con-
u"cs Dc'wceb mau and man Sin word our.
i'SH'S ana those OF cur children, are under h pro-
teetloh hnd MALI semeut OF our Legislators nnd uo
o''e via hesitate affirm, tia lawpiy.r hi 10
% ma" OF extensive learning, OF profound though
VI "'O-ts Oh patent and abor us inves il ton ol
bic integrity, w - 'NN'''s' anu Oh '"'o'' up'-
!. i "heations Of . legislator have been tru.
- 10 wretSi'ed is the poIicy If peyl..tiue
eue @en"ois Oh The st 10 aud sut rug en- TO a,-
s-H'' Nhout patronage, AID Without support T.
"'te' me%ersabr IS it to leg Ike rnea-
LII Us hSie pause Tor a moment 10 reflect uuo.
tne ""'m 'tspO"sbhty 1T C cd to tie Legislative
~ - "'u UP b" tIe solemn Obligations that the. ueo.
P'' arc u""er % themselves, and their children to
y ,o "''' "'u sood ne" for their representative.
"e'c 10 eIiJ something for them 40 do besides
Saying aye AID No." drinking wine and cir,
" 'iS no" people calhi themselves rcuubI
0'"s ehii 6ht o. bsrtel tieir votes to ,t.tI,ti,,
l''1 ""u reoohene their conduct with their
professions, Nh " not. How men. WHO love their
cou""J, Cal iudely lay their u sk,If. b,,ds ,,nr
"'e sIeieu afk oil urIigbls aud iheIti, g. is to me
IINNi'e"''e' IL becomes u.s. fellow citizens ,spe,,
",y y, .'iIeS IKE the present, 20 BE- c,reums, ct
r,a :" Our ebOlce aud s. we'll bee ONES success.
W. 'auiustes ior popular favor, wi.h ear An.
"I,hD'IB osit Ia the scat OF public council
Du'' 70 Fetuin the Inpoliey OF the Ia,e change
:" '"S "'' VA law, VIII further appear by consider
Is 'n". number OF uen will a, any sxpcnce l,a,,
-; H.; si'' S"u0a'eu' AZ the pubic schools Of vi
80 =" '""uiu be broken up, or, what IS nearly eau-
Nrhch' u able professors cannot be sutu,ortcd 81,
ue'"' Cu' youth w,ll be sent Cor education into
s ~" - pulsa.ngs wiser course VI policy. The con.
sequences will be,
l. Cur most accomplished scholars. and mos, s..
o'' 'c.clets will be banished from Their native s,ate
~ "eN lHa' sYbss enoe which they raust have and
ther eople. "'"O's """
r",smous sums Of money will annually be
FHP"rie' rom Nirgnna WITHOUT any return Pre-
EVUs to the modification al he law now ueder con.
oet"''on' ms was no triiling affair. From infor-
E'' ION that may be DEEPER ded on a, least five hun
" ut oNHg firsiuius were u school ", bout the
n''ea OF oer state 1t expcnce each OF FIVE hnf-
80 """"is, making az aggregate al money expnr-
rom ms cause Slone, at twn hu. dretl and ffty
H''uS"nd dollars per annum. The operation Of
we "eW law VIII swell this SUM TO q much bgber
amount. e"
y " no uncommon thing for young men n
I'uF from distant colleges, prciudcod against G.
,efy '""g NlrSintn. With Tho utmost dh gust have |
"e9uehuy heard, the politics, the laws customs
"'i's "nu manners ui ny native stae spoken of in
SI''s o' Wt'er sarcasm aud teproach, Us lads fresh
IRON some northern schOol-- W hat ". n ON Ia /
F{si"iOrs tii. the wisdom If their militia law |
Ni-cnin Tact d si,d be Tie cause Of Il hundred o..
t"p youHr men of talents and learning. a,,,u,ll,
o""h5 home 10 their o. tive state derpi, rmbu.J l
WIN " FedcTdhau gfHe true B0sfon Sf0r7b",
"hhc on ilns subject, pc nit ne to observe tllst
we not my send on sons TO N. nOrih 10 b. e0u-
""ied, bu We a e indebted 10 unrther briutcts for
lhr Nos Necessary means Of reading aud study
i"n the elnid's primer, 10 The vOiupinOus Kncy-
e "da, We either go without books o. impor,
Z, ~ Here again poor Virginia loses 1Ot .ess 7 |
sho dd judge thau one hundred and sixty thous I'D
dollars pc antum We e he policy ii 0ur rulers
~ an sure noi) 20 deplete ~ til The crcu-
mc'inn 81 the body pOiiIe should be com.
P'ttt1 exhausted, could measures more dhctuy |
'ei ans 10 tins end re DEVISED snd forced upou US
u ~ those wmei. we are ,oluu,s iiy pur.u ngl
prtesss fellow q iZtus, that IN, ,ieeply cor.l
CO. c., ud gfc. tly ashamed tor ~ native st,te
"hon see toe guildisss u the pablic wea, either