Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-25

restraints tie free exercise OF rights by pos
terity. a Constitution without such ;
provision leaves posterity perfectly FREE
TO alter, modify, or annul il at pleasure
II imposes no obligation whatever, neither
10 do nor 10 avoid the act Posterity
therefore, is left in complete state %
choice, unincumbered by previous obliga
tory regulations. The principle of revisi
OF imposes on posterity compulsory
obligation to have a Convention whether
with oragainst its will, and of course re-
strains its freedom of action. In the one
case, postciity is left free to exercise IFS
own pleasure; in the othercase, the present
generation substitutes its pleasure for
that of posterity. 1t would exceed the
bounds of these General Reflections, to
enquire, since man has placed himself in
a state of government, how far posterity
may have aJust claim upon the existing
generation tor continuation and trans
mission Ofthat government TO itself, and
what would be the degree of injury and
injustice TO posterity, to deprive 1t of gov
ernHentaltogethera and periodically throw
it back iuto state of nature but, to say
the least, IT would seem TO be both unna-
tura, and captious in the present generate
on, to disinhvrit posterity ofall the bles-
sings of governmentwh itself enjoyed,
and leave 1t 10 scutfie for government
without the aid OF 4 pre-existing govern
ment. One chief error, inducing this
doctrine, 1T weuid appear, has arisen
from an inaitrnton to the oreanza-
ton aud continuation of society III
governmental state. To carry this doe
trine INTO effect upOn It's own princi-
pie, il would become necessary that
there should be complete boundary lines
between one generation and another, cor
responding with the periods fixed on for
each revision ofthe Constitution. With
out this separation. II would be impossible
to tell whether all,heriah,s which belong
ed to the generation iormingthe Constitu-
tion were al amend; and ifnot, great inius-
tice would be done 10 il, bv depriying il
of It's rights against its will for some sup
posed rights of posteritv, which had not
then commenced. IF it should he said.
by way ofreply, that the period for revi-
sion should he postponed for so long a
time as to avoid the possibility of injury
to the original trainers OF the Constitution
and all those i'll being, (to use the legal
phrase0iogv. )wh0 had vestedriglfs there
Init would lead to the enquiry. when
would that happen what shall be the pc
RODS for revision Some individuals,
whose rights in the Constitution would
have become vested from tiIe time of its
formation. might live above a century,
The Scriptural period for the life of man
Is three score years and ten. Taking,
then, either of these standards for ascer-
certaIning the times of these periodical re-
visions, and lit is believed, IT would rob the
notion gilmore than halt IFS charms. of
more than half its virtues, even i'm the es-
timation of its original inventors. But
this separation at one generation from
another Is utterly incompatible with the
principle upon which society is formed
and continued. After society is once
formed, whatever be the mode, it is con-
tInued by perpetual succession of be-
lHgs; so that there never is a moment.
when one generation ends and another
begins and although every being. who
originally composedit, may have ceased 10
exist, and the society consist wholly of a
different set of beings, it is the same soci-
ETY. stlll-subject TO the same government
the same laws and the same regulations
until altered by the expression OF new
will in the mode which society NAV think
proper TO adopt This notion of periodi-
cal rcviSions, therefore, seems TO be at
war with this universally admitted princi-
pie of succession, by which society is
continued. The natural world presents
many resemblances of this principle of
succession-A river is continued mon
the principle. of a perpetual succession of
PARTICLES of water flowing fromits orioinaI
sources, until they become lost In tile inn
menslty ofthc ocean; and altbouoh NOT
one particle 81 wafer may now remain as a
constituent part OF the river of which II
was not long since composed, it is deem
ed the same river still--subiect TO all fire
laws, which heretofore pointed ont and
impelled It's course-And it would be a.
bout MS natural and as wise. for all tho
PARTICLES OF watercomposingy James River
gravely to determine periodically TO sion
their progress and form convention for
thepurpose of consulting and deliberatipp
whether they would not overleaD tbeirpre,
sent ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and look out for some
new channel, i'll which they would Glide
with more ease q dignity into tbeirdesiined
element than their predecessors had here
toiore done-aS for the beings comDosing
society periodically to pause. for the MIR.
pose of determining whether thev would
longer enjoy the principles and blessings
OF the government which their predeces-
sorss had enjoyed before them or, wherIl-
CT 'hey should not form convention, for
the purpose of adopting something of
tbeir own invention, although perfectly
happy III Their present condition, and not
linpelled to the whimsit al change by any
necessity whatever. If, to avoid these
conclusions, II be said, Chat this notion of
periodical revisionS isBOt intended forthe
benefit OF posterlty, but 10 give the nres-
eht generation frequent opportunities OF