The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-03-26
.Ey1om The Constitutional Uhig.
CONVENTION.

.s,;r.s of The Burroughs and counties ,
,';-a;ni, !. held AT the Capitol, in the city a
Williamsburg, in May ur hat year.
a.aaed. nv Two months, the DccIaratio
r. N.tianal Inde prnd.nce, by the Cont
aan,,l Congress nj Philadrlphia. 1t va
.'.,nseanenlly for none of the other colo
los had then organized Il government IN
,;relv .eY1 the first constitution of govern
,oni fprn,ed in the United Statcs Of A me-
,,c,. II is dear To Nirsiuians for the giea
~ honurrd names which were associaic,
!, its fnrmation--it is still more cndetrrd
he tbe pcrilaus and memorable cpocl,
,.;h,eb gave il existence, by the profound
1nowledee of, and the sacred regard for
,h. rights Of man, which dictated its every
,r.,i.iDp The names at k,dnHInd Pen
Jl.ion. Patrick Henry Robert Cater Nj
,b,l,s. James Madison, Richard Henry
Tee and Thomas Nelson. with many 9th
,.rs who were members of that cclehna I'd
body. are rs distinguished as any eli
egnre in the Revolution, and will id sture
times he yenera,cd with those Of Cadlras,
T.vcurqns, Scion, Mama and CaIdlhs, as
thc founders, laneiners aud rcGtoWrs of
Empires. II Is upon the circumstance that
,bose ilustrious men contributed to erect
fine constitution of virginia, and from the
sacred. grateful aud t.hd"r rccollections
which are associated with their names, that
many derive an arghmeht uniavoTahle To
thp revision and amendment of their work.
Those who reason in this way think II
presumptauus II the present age 10 sup
pose itself COMPETENT to the task of amend
n,ent and reform. They acknowledge that
ihere are obvious and serious defects IN the
present system, but, like the laws of the
Modes, they consider them as cuns"crafed
Nv the pen of the hangover. They who
thus reason do not reflect that ihe same
curse of ratiocination would perprtuate
,rery thing that VAS pure IN MS origin or
,ep+rablr for antiquity, no matter how an
,inaated, announcement or oppressive u hau
h.,on,. f,om the changes which are cons
t;n,,ally occurring in the moral and ply 81
cal world. They do not remember thai
,he civilized world. and the science of go
yernmrnt particularly, is in state of pro
yrrssiye and rapid improvement. and that
,ha .xoe,icnce of the American Republics
has shed foods of light upon subject
which. previous 10 their establishment, WAS
stndiousIy and iealousy concealed from
tbr familiar acquaintance of mankind
ttnye all they forget that the mrn whose
lbors in our constitution they affect To
last ho would have wish, d their works to
he held MS sacred, not for Their intrinsic
WORTH, but for their age aud the circnm
stances under which they were ushered
intn the world. They were men who va
med not things EEL their origin or their
names. but for their moral worth and nlIi-
~ AZ patriots, they would have ad'oca-
led any change " hich wCuld lave resulted
il benefit to the country. AS republicans,
they would he always willing t" rccnr To
fundamental principles, and t" refer back
! n the people for new modification oil
tat authorit, hv which they were govern
I'd when it was found inadequate to rs
/ nurpn.rs or oppressive in its execution.
By revising, then, the constitution at
Virginia. W., are offering no Insult or dlsr'-
Y ,peet to the memory of the saSts ana pat
riots Who formed IT, We are not Infringing
sny of lhr pint piles which they deemed
scrr, and dedicated Ia after ages. We
do not mean tn question the great axioms
that thp people are the fountain of all
power" that "man is NY nature free
HAT " his religion is between him and his
Creator that " tire Legislative, exe"un'f
ard Idlci.A departments "Hsht To hr diS
tact aud independent Of each uthrr' ahu
tltt "taxalion ought not To- q imposed
without representation" 1t IS Only h'aht
10 RETURN the application ut 80 OF thts'
Prmcil, LIS IN practice, as I" aPp"r''"n tue
representation to population and wealth
and To make the Executive what IN It's ma
ture il ought To hr, Sihgr{ar and rrer"nsi.
hlr, Instead of what il ~ now, PtHrW ana
nrespnnsnle. Tine deslgn "t convention
is, DOT To a.ertnn the building which III"
palrlnts Of IT76 r@ectrd for the benefit oi
their cuanfry, hui Ia enlarge It's original
plan; To accommodate II iu The increased
Numbers aud altered circumstances oi ls
Ioprirtors, and II supply detects "n'ch
experience has suggested ~ the "f'R'hal
conception Alterations III an hu'r"h IN
stations are continually h"ctssafy, ana
these alterations imply no 'esprct 10 tht
| founders of those institutions. Mahkiad
IL particular countries are always changing
,Iher for thc better ortiz" wnsr, ana t'lhtf
change carries alo > With II correspond
| ag necessity for new mnulhcauoh I'll go
,rrnmrnt. The laws of Solnn and l.tcur-
rls gradaaiIy hecamr disus"d and ohapIrtr
tecal,c IN. Athruians and SpartAns Gradu
aIy relaxed III the republican simplicity
and hardy virtues Of their ancestors. tnf
The opposite reasons the ia"Ns "l me 1 en-
Tables, mtrndurea from the codes oil Il
people who had already passed the grand
etimac,cric of their national virtue, ahu
were fast declining into cnirurtt"n' SOU
and etfemiuacy, were hut for short TIN,
Tolerated in Rome, youthful, ,'rlu"''8 and
unsophsicatd republic. Man, a. sp'
rlrs, will not accommodate h.nse'l To
form of government, bat the government
must h. accommodated To his wants, M
habits and opinions Whether We ha''
therefore rcccdrd from our ryuluti"narI
character, or advanced in It's Terlrrt'""
We are rqnnlly IN need, from ihe str'kin,
changes i'll our situation, of new dI'pen
sation.
But il is no icrogaiioh 10 the trainers