The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1824-12-25
GENERAL G.ANNyEg.
SATURDAY, DEC. %, 1894.
FOR var CENTRAL eszLrIe {.
C0NVENTION-No. Ii.

tOS v EiN lON-NO. II.
The uncertainty of results has been
urged rs reason why no political ex-
per,men, should be made. 8 How can
Any man know. thar that which ne deems
a fault viii be corrected. or that The n
mepdmem,s his Judgment approves will
be adopted 20 How can Any man know.
bow can he feel any confideut assurance.
nrat if the very amendments Re- himself
thinks advisable should be made (cxaci-
" and no more) such reform in pracii
cal operation will work good or erit?
One might conclude from the tenor 81
these intc,rogatories, that the people OF 'Fir
ginia impelled by curious spirit OF research,
were a5nut to play some wild prank with Ger,
tain chemical tests. and that tatahst would
dissuade them from the rash experiment, nv
an assurance that here was an inevitable desti
nv in things linen are to be deferred from
experiment nv being told that the consequences
cannot be forsees, the babe would always
crawl the husbanlman would neither I'LL nor
sew, the fathers ofour country would not.have
dawn the sword Of independence; hecaiise
they who walk may stumble, the seed may
never spring up OF the harvest may wi'her,
and OF all rash experiments that Is most rash
which places men between the two alternatives
u
Their do we " feel any confident assurance" in
the success of the most ordinary experiments.
farther than lr assurance is drawn from the
testimony OF experience. Human life IS an
experimC Mt government is an experiment.
every thingis an Experiment either tired or
untr:ed Certaint, is not one OF the attributes
either of human Knowledge or of human &C
ton. Providence.i lin the wisdom OF its dispem
satons, has hidden the future from our ewes,
L.
srmblance in what we knew of the past Proha
blitv is our utmost certainty, conjecture, the
strongest assurance we can obtain But to
minds which reason on ord nary principles
and which are content with Ordinary results,
here is certainly enough. There is. in the
most apparent incopgruiGes OF sentiment, OF
habit and of disposition among men, sur
prism o degree OF consistency There is no sub.
icct on which there is more apparent and per-
haps cal differences Of opinion than poli,icks,
."d v-, 'hefe is a constant tendency among
u'en 10 harmonic and ming'c together, their
varous sentiments, till by contrast and com
pauion they settle down TO one steady and uni
10, q, course of principles. Freedom OF dis
cussinn constitutes the chief security OF de
moe acics The ease with which the opinions
Of all men on all subjects are brought together.
ser, es to concent ate the force Of public sent
ment To detect erronr and render truth bright
e. bv collision Individuals may err, but all
experience reslifies that public opinion is gen
orally correct To say. then, that no one can
tell precisely what Will he the reoult or any
public deiheration. furnishes no argument a.
gainst convention because, If this reason
operates at all it operates equally in all cases
where any great question is to hc settled by the
people The first policy OF a free government
is 10 render the people familiar with the spirit
Of its regulations, nv close and constant III
vestigation Of its structure and It's adpinistra
ton to invite the scrutiny OF the public eve
daily effects Their let it not be attempted TO
avert the minds of the peoplcfrom this subject,
TO decov them from matters winch 1t IS their
duty and their delight TO contemplate, by any
trick u logic IL is enough Gor reasonable men
to know that there are g faults and "vices"
in their form OF government; that there is one
duty which their country requires at their
hands, not yet discharged, and the Uniform
aud almost undertaking correctness of public
opinion on all great questions of national in
terest, IS a sufficient guarantee for the reform
Of whatever abuses, and the perpetuation Of
whatever advantages NAV exist
There are bnt two methods, by which, de-
tects in the original plan Of government can
he reformed, revolution and convention.
When by the abuse Of powers coded, or The
usurpation OF powers not coded, the admins
traton of government becomes destructive to
any of the cardinal rights or liberties OF men,
they seek redress. where alone 1t is TO be found,
in an appeal TO arms Most modern govern.
ments, whatever e1ay be their denomination
or their practical forms, profess TO have some
great landmarks by which men may diScrim
nate between the bounds OF legitimate and as
sumed authority. Perhaps all governments,
in their origin, were pure being st ongy
mark cd in their outlines, By the character Of
the people who formed them. and adapted by
expejiency to The necessities o. the times IN
which they were formed But as mankind
grow older they also grow wiser in the knowl
edge both Of good and evil till it becomes ne.
cessary to strengthen the reins by which their
RIGHTEOUSNESS is curbed and to multiply res
traints upon all their conduct. Thus. as the
structure OF government becomes daily more
complex, and Us administration more corrupt,
the necessity increases of guarding with rigour
against the danger Of eucroachment and abuse
Lines, which at first appeared plain and ohyi
Gus on the chart Of government may be effac-
cd by time or obliteratsa by the rude hand Of
ambition virtue which were once under
stood and appreciated may come to be over