Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-20
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RICHMOND, April 90, f8e4.
TO Me Editors Of The Enquirer.

convention has been engendered? and very
curious subject of speculation il is The hest
account have heard of the matter, is, that
tbs all owing tn the extreme mildnpss Of the
last winter, and to the dtluge Of rain we have
had this spring. Butt will tell you the
reasons addnced in support of this solution,
Tor fear should defeat my present purpose.
Whoever has had the curiosity and patience
10 listen to the vGrious objections that are ur-
ged against our excellent constitution, by the
rdr'ous persons belonging TO the new sect of
coh'enlionists lately sprung up in this good
town, cannot fail To have been struck with the
rar1ous and muiiJarious defects they have
discovered and the endless RARELY and con-
rdrety OF the principles, objects, projects and
degrees of alteration they propose and main
tam: The spirit of reform moves them all,
but each to several ends. Like the Shaking
Quakers, every one has peculiar gift 10 some
particular part of the holy work. Very few
OF them complain of more than some two or
three vices in the prescott form of government
aud hardly any two of them agree with res
pect either TO the faults that need correction,
or the proper correctives. Some are for "a
polishing the executive council some would
retain the council, and only abolish the
scratch: some would have the governor elect.
ed directly by the peOpl--just by way of
providing perpetual subject of conflict, "to
sharpen, milestone like, the nations wits -
and some would have all the councils of the
executive, IN war as well as in peace, public
as The proceedings Of a court of justice-be-
cause IT is cowardly, no doubt, to get any adj
vantage over an enemy by surprise or STRATA
gem. Some think that our judges are not
sufficiently responsible, and would change
their tenure of Office 10 term of years-and
thus tempt them Il suppose) To deserve popn-
10
isteFing justice some would only provide for
removing suPerannuaiedj judges thinking that
judges are subject 10 no other disease but
old age. and are not likely to die or resign
with sufficient promptitude and some would
only abolish the courts of chancery, and have
tie accounts of executors, administrators
guardians, trustees and partners, settled BY
Jury-to the upsprakable advancement of
Justice and despatch Of business. Some
holding the R'tle Of Three TO be the funda-
mental principle Of republican polity, would
only equaise the representation of the coun-
ties: SEINE only wish To reduce the house of
delegates to half the present number: some
are for a general suffrage; of which under
stand no more than that it is not freehold suf-
frage and some are for universal suffrage,
excluding only the women, children too
youEg To be enrolled in the militia, negroes
and ielons-tor they are ungallant enough TO
throw all these into the same class so that il
is absolutely wonderful to me, how they dare
TO maintain such doctrine on Shockoe hill
or indeed (adverting TO our domestic govern,
nent, IN the strict sense of the phrase) any o.
ther part OF this ackuowledgedly well rtgu
lated commonwealth. Some. as if the lax
we pay for self government were vastly over
prnportiouate to its blessings, desire a con-
vention for the otherwise unatiainable pur
pose OF reducing the expense of lrgislation.-
t'niy one or Two are th0fough-goug enough,
to be- smit with the love of convention in the
abstract, as being the recurrence To- funda-
men al principles" incuicuted by the fifteenth
article of the Bill of Right.
They do not perceive, that this great di-
Versity IN their OPTIONS and objects, c0nsti-
t1tes the str0n gest argument IT, dissuade US
from the measure they earnestly press up
on the public.
Lake all other src,s in the iucipicnt stages
of her formation, they are very tolerant 10
wards each other; and every person, no as
srn's 4" any one article of the creed, is fully
admitted a member of the church. They on
~ require, that CONVENTIONS shall be The Oh
Iect Of worship. They do not consider, that
In political as I'm chemical combinations, no
man can form a Judgment beforehand of the
probable nature of the compound, from
knowledge of the ingredients They do not
reflect that when they shall be embodied into
regular party las soon they will bel all must
Combine and cooperate 10 accomplish the oh
jecis of each and that viewing the several
objections AMI remedies that have been sug-
gested, as they ought in common prudence 10
he yiewed-iD The aggregate-ihe end 10
which they tend is not amendment but change.
not reform but total demolition And tyYbai
IS the strangest of ALL it never seems to have
occurred T. The friends IT limited convention.
hat the limitation which one may proposp.
may be rejected by another so that there is
no likelihood that any limitation at al will e.
yer be agreed on.
Al present, every individual conventIonist.
considering only his own particular views.
without advertng TO those OF his compatrlots,
deems of himself in very sincerity of heart.
that ne is exceedingly reasonable and mode
rate in his desire Of reformation and is fill
ed with unfeiSncd wonder at the vehcmence
and zeal of the cOnstitulOnasis, in defence
OF our institutions, long tried as they have been,
and found by experience To he most wisely
and happily adapted to our circumstances.
Those gentlemen began with reproaches a.
gaInsi their adversaries, which they thought
SD fair, so Just, and so gentle, that they are in
capable of cOnceiving how they could possibly
he offensive. They only insinuated that We
are not republicans charged US with being
melted to opposition, by . bigOted attach
menf to " antiquated abuses" and disrust
ofthe people" and publicly insisted that the
principles We maintain, are the same on which
the tories opposed the revolution nav, the
same with those Of the HOLY .fiionce. They
did indeed admit, that cur political criminaliiy
is by no means of so defp a dye, so atrocioUs
in degree, as that Of The tores, or or the con
tineuta despots: all they said was, that il was
Of the same nature. And now they think
that this extremely liberal and kind qualifca.
tion Of the censures they bestowed upon US.