Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-06-12

whom we nave already quoted and cOrvictio
of the prac:icability of the desired reform Wi
: force its way into our minds. He emphaticall
says: al put this question TO your serious con
: man bel eve, that the present iisproportion o
the renresen' alton in Virgins, is to continu,
dlseays I? You will admit, that at some time OF
:. other. change MIST take place, Well /; why moi
mrke the alteration at once, and put an end to
the complaints Of so large portion Of your fel.
: low.citzens Can anv time be more favorable
, than the present. We are at peace with all the
world, and would be in a state of profound tran.
lquiity at home, If bare justice was rendered TO
the people of this country We are respected
abroad, and there is scarcely speck of war to be
seen in the political horizon BY delaying this
reformation, which must take place at some pv..
Rod. you are heapug up injustice upon one part
OF the country, without doing any benefit to the
other You are fomenting jealousy. discord and
il-wiIl, when you have it in your power to extin-
guish them forever. These feelings, instead Of
beng diminished, will increase every year until
the alteration takes place. It will at length ter
inmate in spirit of resentment, vindictive and
limplacable, which will be brought to bear against
every subject which may have for its object the
interest of the Lower country. Is not such a
state of things to be deplored by every liberal
and candid man Does il not strongly appeal To
the serious reflection of every generous Virgi.
niani tss
The present proportion of representation has
not been altered since 1875 There were then
but sixty-one counties in the State; now there
are ninety-eght Thirty-seven have then been
made since the adoption of the cons tuition, and
they all lay in that portion of the State which has
so rapidly increased in population, and which
complains so justly of the inequality of the re-
presentation. great portion of this extensive
Commonwealth was, at the adoption Of the Con-
= - \
tiyated region. the home of hard, healthy and
industrious freemen, and the abode of science,
civilization, and rehnement."-It is peopled by a
race of men, whose fathers, during the revolution
acquired renown for the arms of Virginia at the
Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Point Pleasant
Men, who surrounded the Capitol of their coun-
try when it was menaced by the late enemy, and
number of whose relatives met sickness and
death in noxious cline, without a murmur,
whilst they were defending the lives and property
OF their brethren in the lower country
| Ii great defects have been discovered in our
representative system, 1t can be easily accounted
for, IL We take into consideration the time and
circumstances under which it was adopted II
was formed in the commencement of the revolu-
ton, when the storm of war was thickeninp-
around us-when the foundations of society were
broken up by the tempestuous wave of revou-
tion-when an infant country, without the means
| OF war, was engaging in contest with nation
that claimed the empire of the seas, and whose
Iprowess in arms many ages had attested If at
time so perilous and embarrassing, and so full of
difficulty, every thing was not done as it ought to
have been, it is with me neither matter of oea-
| sure nor establishment. Our ancestors obtained
the great object for which they took UP arms,
viz. the independence of he country and s;ipDn.
sed land with great proPriety) the MINOR sub
ljects which were connected with our internal
affairs. could be easily settled at prosperous Pc
lrlod ofpeace and security. But, for forty years,
the present defective system has continued with
out any alteration. During this time, the tide of
population has been flowing continually to the
West; little empires have risen into existence !;
Towns and Cities are seen hourrshng in places,
which few years ago were covered with forests,
and were the hannts of wild beasts
1t is well known to you, that the upper coun-
lies OF Virginia have very little commercial con-
nexIon with the lower couniry. The whole rich
and extensive valley from Martinsburg 70 Aaine-
don, trades to Baltimore and Philadelphia The
hourishing Towns of Winchester, Woodstock,
| NEWMARKET, Harrisonburg Staunton, Lexington,
I Fmcastle, Salem, Christlansburg, Ey. SHAM and
abingdon, are ali supplied with goods from the
Cities above named, and the connexion between
them is much more familiar Than it is with their
own metropolis.
The interest of the two countries leads in diff.
ierent directions. What powerful argument
then, does this circumstance furnish i'm favor of
an equal representation! If Virginia extended
Ino further than the Blue Il dye, and her com
Imerce all flowed down the same channels, and
the interest ofevery part of the country was pre-
ctsety the same, then indeed there might be some
little plauslbIlity in the argument that no practi-
cal evils were likely to result from the present
inequality of representation in the Senate of the
tState. But the trade and interest of Upper and
Lower Virginia is so different, that they cannot
De properly understood, except by persons who
reside IN each; and jealousy will exist as ionr as
one part of the State legislates for the other"
\ We trust that such considerations as the above
will have due influence. We rely, with san.
lgune confidence on the general good sense of the
people IN the Eastern section of the State, on
their uniform acquiescence Ia fundamental prin.
Fl clPles, and on their progressive hberality of
mind, for prompt and satisfactory adjustment
of local differences ofopinIon and interest. Let
this great point of equal representation be first
settled other subjects, such as the extension of
the right OF suffrage, the greater independence
ofthe Judiciary &c may afterwards be taken up.
we are inclined to think that had the friends of
the desired reformation professed no other OBJ.
lJects than those of unquestionable expediency AZ
well as ndispuable right, their effort, a, he last
Fl session, for the call of convention would have
i proved more successful. We then promised to
collect and publish whatever might, without ex.
ceedmg the limits of our columns, tend To har
mOnlze tile popular mon. on TOPICS of such
pre-emInent interest. With view To reiean,
this pledge, we have thus presented the primo pal
features OF the grand question, at his moment
before the People. And as every thing connect.
ed with the subject, and calculated 10 illustrate
the views of the trainers of the Constitution. pos.
sesses inherent Importance, we subjon two ex-
81 tracts from documents an our hands, and obtain.
ed Tor work now in the Press. The one is part
oil theplan OF new government transTnitted
from Philadelphia to George Wythe by Thomas
Jstterson IN 1776 when the Constitution of Vir,
gina was in agitation. That plan reached tbs