Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-09-14

It is attempted TO be confronted by re-
| com mend ton on the part OF their agents {
! Whtt TIER ought YOU to do This brings
me u the 2Hd PRopos1rIon. viz. " 1hat
the onEy step you can property pursue, IS
20 recommend to the people to say whether
they are disposed 20 have Conven-
ticn.''
This course is exemp, from all the 90
jecfions to which the others are exposed. IL
is most conformable 20 the constitutions II
our sister stateS-as well as 20 the coure
most approved of among ourselves. You
consult the wishes os the people. without
attempting to ontroi them. You merely
recommend IL TO them To express their
wishes. without pretending TO say what
those wishes ought to be.-In fact, the two
great benefits of this course are, lst, that
you put ii in the power of the Eeofle to
express their wishes IN the most ilcient
way and 2ndly, that you exercise the
least possible power, which such an APP
peal TO the people requires.
1st. In what other way can the sense OF
the majority be 50 completely collected p
Will you trust to your o7un information OF
those sentiments And act upon such
presumption ?---Then, / ask you, gentle
men, are you aware of those sediments
Have you had time or curiosity enough,
since the subject was agitated in the West,
TO gather the s,nse Of your o7on coustitu-
ents? Hive you mixed with them for this
purpose Have you visited their houses,
or consulted them in your Court Yards p
Have your constituents thens Ives mad
public meetings. and entered INTO del r.,
ate resolutions But. If you are not at this
moment aware Of their sentiments, do you
expect to have time enough to collect than
n. l. \ -
meeting of tie Legislature IF tn pro-
ceedings of the SSaurtou Convention should
now rouse n neral spirit of discussion,
think you tina, you will be able to catch
the sense If the majority of your consti;u-
ents, III tie short period which will prectde
your meeting
Besides, sirs. there is this insurmounta
bic objection to your being the judges. IF
YOU zvcre respectively masters Of the wishes
OF the majority, are you acquainted with
| the nun CT of the minority If the Del
egate of this city, of instance, could say,
the majority of the citizens are against a
Convention, can he say how great that ma
| jority is? how mGny are in the minority |,
| And If he has not caught the sens Of this
city, how can the Dsl-g.tcs collect the
| sense of the large counties p But, you
| ought to know, not only, hosu the majority
is affected, but ko7u many are in the mia
| ority for this obvions reason, that it is
the will of the majority which should de-
I termine the metsure--Sie majority of
zchat Not of the citi-s and counties, but
| OF the whole feohie, without any regard
t, local distinctions But the ms lority of the
whole people cannot be ascertained, with
out counting the minorites in the different
counties. For, though the m joriry in the
| greater number of counties may lean one
| way, yet the nirorifies in those counties
| may be so large AS, added to the overwhel-
ming majorities in the other counties, to
| give decided m jority of the oitz,ns at
large to the other side # the question.-ls
this mera metaphysical Is it not, on the
contrary, pr babe matter of fact,
Then, Sirs, If you will not be able to
judge, what are the wishes of the people
there must be some other mode of cnIiec-
ting them. We must, then, go directly
to the people---and there are but two WAYS
OF doipg it-for, let us always keep in mind
that the Constitution Itself has chlked out
no method of doing it. If you do not pre-
scribe some way of doing it. private cit-
zens who wish for reform, must take
| upon themselves to do it. They must then
| appoint private committees in the d.ffereut
counties to feel the pulse of the people lc,
us say, to take their votes. .No.c, which
is the best mode Foryoat to authorize the
officers the law, (the shcriffs already 30
pointed TO take the sense of their coun
tymen {; or. for these private Com -ittee,
to do it?-Can any man hesitate in hi,
| choice ?
Nh these Committees act9-This ia she
first objection--I mean, will they act in
such way as is calculated fully 10 collect
the peoples votes! VIII they take tn
trouble of gong round to register them
| VIII they ask eUery citizen For his vote
When they themselves are placed on these
Committees, because Of their zeal in thu
cause of political reform, will they be 81
free from partially as to ask the vote OF
every one which is known to be differen,
from their own But disc riding this OBJ
lection, here is annther-VW the citizens
give in their votes Will they respect the
appointment with which the Committees
are clothed Is there no fear that they
will regard the whole business az one oil
those abortive experiments, about VIII eli
tn y need give themselves no sort of con
Germ las m-re idle or interested scheme
| OF few individuals, which is to fash for a
moment, and then vanish for everl Those
who are most jealous in the cause, will
undoubtedly do all in their power 10 aid il
mot only registering their own votes, bu;
| prevailing upon their friends to do it-yet.
/ there are 50 many who do not tak@a live
| iy interest III the question, and so many who
! think it mere waste of time to give in
their suffrages 10 this private way, that !,
IS extremely doubtful whether a m a;n.;.,,