The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-03-23
STATE CONVENTION.

The Constitutional wing has dthNt
the attention Of thr people Of Nrsipn Ia
tht. NECESSITY of calling aifvcnion, with
a view ta revise aud amend tiir Constitution
Of he State Its inpelIreiluns, and thr
barcE,ced inequality IA The operation oil
.omc of its prp,islons, are univ ersatiy &c
knoNlcdged and The pfoprety al amend
mrnt generally admitted. Yet with tbfs
candur, there Is connected sori of rc'e-
renee for the work of our anceetlrs, pas
Iiealafly those of the revelation. hieh lbs
hitherto confined al the cxrrtions Of the
friends of the measure to the bare express
sion OF the sentiment, rpcoing from the
difficult task Of putting II lntn practice
We permit Our NeDcrailOn t'r the rust oil
antiquity III conquer our noiions OF right
aud Justice, md are rontept TO travel on
in the old road which bears ihc impress of
our prog tnii"rs' footsteps, without advert
ing 10 the change uhrh has taken place in
our circumstances, or regardng the add
ilonal lights which have hcen throw upon
the subject by the experience of more
than forty years. There is something IN
this attachmrni to our Institutions, and the
r, lnctancc manifested IN endangrr their
pcrmanruCy, by too frequent efforts NJ i'm
proycmeut, that, whilst II rxcitrs our rum-
Iniseri,tion Tor The weakness which indulgrs
in such ungruundrd fears, attracts equally
our admiration for the pltnntsm and de
yoliOn IL liberty whhh they cvincc. We
repeat, thai the people generally ncknow.
ledge The nppefirelIons uf The state CON
sihnton, and arc equally candid in the
admission that il IL susceptible of much
improvement while, ut the same time,
they make no ctiult Ia impress these i'm
PROJECTIONS IN all their glaring ahsurdity
aud paiPable inequality, un the minds OF
those who tlmidly doubt or boldly deny
both, because their information is as CON
tractcd ms their prrindiccs are un.imitud.--
II is u0t ~ accord ncc with our present
purpose Ia designate in " hat particulars
the constitution might he amended nor
indeed IL our patience OF ability equal Ia
the tack. Unwisc heads aud unskiIfh aud
upprnelisrd hands should touch with awe
aud trembling the charter which secures
the rights al the prople, and threatens
with the hamog sword of lheachcrubh
those Who dtre IN tramplc upon them.
Narrow and contracted Views, the incNita-
Bile cOncomitaRs of ignorance aud pre-
sumption, should be- hanished from Discus
sluns ia which the prinelples involved are
general and extensive II Their application,
and trultiul of good or bad consequences,
as tleS rest upon jus, or unjust bascs.--Ne
are glad, therefore, that the work has fallen
into the hands of one no is fully compe.
tent 10 hay hrslrr the public all lis strong
Bearings, and of enforcing upon The people
the necessity as we'll as the justice of a
mendiag the errors which experience has
made manifest in tie constitution itself
as well AS oi reforming such abuses AZ may
h1.c cr'pt Into the practice Of either Of
the departments Of go,ernneot. We
shall content Ourselves, therefore, nj least
for The present, With transpltnting the re-
marks al the Wing into our columns. In
the mean time, we shdl, in our usual hun
rird and ondgcsted manner, throw out
such crude IDEAS IN The subject, IA may
sug 81 themselves and # any of our cor
Respondents shall deem The subject of sui
0clent importance IL employ their pens,
We shsll he glad to heat from them,