The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-12-10

Whereuponihe said meeting adjourned
accordingly, Ia meet again on lie 4tli
Tuesday 10 November
AMELIA torETnnrsE, Nov. 25ih 1871.
/ Inpursusuee Of the adjournment Of tllr
meeting, wh3rh assembled NJ this place, on
the fisi instant, a large number nf Free
holders again met, 1T being County Court
day. and Edmond Harrison, Esq. the
former Chairman being abscni, Edmond
Eggleston, Esq was called To- the Chair
WHEN JOHN w. Nash, Esqon behalf of the
committee nppointeii'for that purpose, on
the Ist inst, submitted the .fnllawing pre-
amble and resolutions, which upon taking
The question ihereupnn were adopted by
aearly an unanimous vote.
Whereas, We the people Of Amelia, feel
ing ourselves called on by ihr wear mp
preach Of the mveting of The Legislature,
and the zeal, with which proposition for
u call ofa' invention, Ia alter the Consiitu
ton of Virginia, has been advocated IN
msby parts ofthe state, do hereby, make
known our opinions, upon that delicate, Il
! important question. We are led 10 the
dnption of this proceeding, both with u
view of conveying instructions 10 our de
! lcgatcs, rs also To contribute as far "a a dis
! passionate expression af Our own Opinions
will go, to arrest a spirit Of resiIess0ess,
aud reform, which NC believe to he un
happily existing, in the bosomsoi many Of
| the citizens Of this commonwealth. Aud
while We admit, that wc have been stead
FIST 10 Our opposition To - call of Con
hyenton, tom the fist ~ I tion of the
question, yet we have mot been 50 bigoied,
as To- have been inatteniye 10 all the rea
suning and arguments which the advocates
of reform have so profusc,y given To- the
public But we believe il may safely be
affirmed, that although they have had the
SUPPORT Of the two leading Gazetets pub
Iished ut the seat Ell government, yet the
proposition has al this lime fewer adyo
Gates than when it FIST became the subject
Of public discussion; and that twill he
found in short period Ia have still fewer,
1.-THE Legislature wall only abstain from |
any interference AT this time. The histo.
~ of all popular governments, admonish.s |
us In bcwcre of acting, whilst under the
exciting influence Of any.new and popular
topic That it's the part of wisdom to act
With caution in "A matter in which such
important interests are involved, and !
whose consequences nope can exactly !
loletcll That, although duly sensible OF
our own insucicncy, we feel ourselves
fully prepared to enter into II minute ex
animation, if II were necessary, of all the
merits aud defects of the present Consti
tuition; and to compare il with any of The
new schemes which have come to orr
view, without the least fear of sufl. ring by
the comparison. But il is not our pursosc
to 30 AT present in detail upon this subject,
believing that the public are already in
possession of avery able commentary upon
the present Constitution ofN irGinia, in the
Substitute of Benjamin w. Leigh, Esq,
which has been generally circulated through
oui thcCommopwealth,
We cannot forbcar, however, expressing
an opinion upoa that feature of the Con
slllution, "Iht .trcehoh limitation Of The
right Of Suffrage" which we believe 20 be
tho real ground of discontcnt, ON the part
of most of the advocates of reform. The
other objections which we have heard
urged, we consider TO he uniy.auxiary,' X
merely urged Ia swell the supposed list OF
grievances. This feature of cur CUnstltu
ton, we have been led to contemplate, as
one of its most precious provisions fOr i!
while II preserves the purity of our cleo
tons, 1t enables as thereby, To concentrate
IN the Leglslatiy" department of our go
ycrnmeut with SAFETY, a-Sreater share of
power, with reference To- The other branches,
than is 10 NJ found in any other OF the
numerous Constitutions of America rem
dcIIn2 our form of government, in this lis
great and essential part, the most demo
craticai of anyin the Union, and placing
patronage and power, where 1t can seldom
he misused
II is in vain, that we have heard II oh
! lrctcd To this feature of the constitution
| that the fact, either now exists, or may
hereafter exist, that maturity ofthc free
white males Of the country, may not be
| trcehoders aud that the government Of
! the country, IN that event would be in the
! h'nds of Il minority, Ifby minority we
/ are 10 understand any DtiBOr interest of So
ciety, then the Objection would he good
! and When such an event arrived, the ar
! gumcnt would be unanswprahle. But. con
Ncrde for Il moment the fact, which this ar
| sumpnt must necessarily assume, and Yet
every man who knows any thing of civil
! poIIty, must.admIt, that the operation of
every system Of iaies, mast be of two
fold character ;that is, an operation as
well upon the property, as upon the per
son ot,iis subjects. And il is II fact which
never eau be questioned in our State, that
/ the leading interest Of sOcicty'Nith us, is its
landed interest carry ing withit, and bear
/ '''D hi'bi 10 Sbllu HhSlH dlilluSi tN CRY tlnpE
interest in the suca! body. 1t is difficult,
i'fnotimposshle too To imagine any system
of general laws, which could have SO ex
elusive operation in favour of the land
holders, without such an Obvious, and pal
pab!e violation of cumnion Justice, as to
make the frames of them, uduus to all
mankind White on the other hand, 1t
would be among the easiest operations m
Lcgislatiunto throw almost oil the bur
Nthcns OF society, upon the landed and IFS
kindred interests and that too, wthoutits
being either easily seen or corrected. If
this view Of the subject be correct, can
there then remain doubt hu, the present
! qualification OF the VOTERS Of This Common