The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-05-07

7.
clouds or merge from t1r ocean. ,r
brought by pigeon on a fix Leaf from H..
| arh. But let us take briet re-, ~, of -
constitution, and examine the objrctio,
It's validity. What vas the siin.,,nn u.
the country when it was framed ,,
| was bordering on state uf rryoIDti,,
WAS about To shake of its alIrclanco
George the Sd. Under these clrSi,n,st,a.
an assembly met, s. their first enquiry ,,...
Have we any government, having rrrnna
ced that of the mother country W. 6aa
zone. II the regal government Vas M
exIsieuce, We we've to adopt, what
form OF government To give eiiciencv :
our laws. Was this Convention cbo.,,.l.
the people for that purpose ? Consjd.r,,.3
the peculiar circumstances by which tho,
were surrounded, |, say they were. becaa.,
they were authorized to devise tbr -.
means in their power to meet the inpena
ins danger. ask, then, said Nr. n ~
II been ratified : Is any torn necessary r,y
the people TO observe in adopting ib5,
constitution None If they agree n :.
by acqulescence or by oath, or by obao,,-
It's commands, it is equally the coo.;,a"
ton Of the laad. We have lived nads.
It 40 years and all our Officer have ,ni,.'.
sally sworn to suppoftit. therefor, IT,
| ii for granted that it is constitution M,
witIstandinS, said Mr.. L. that | am :.
advocate for this instrument which h.,
carried US through two Wars, yet dee,@
amendments necessary. will not LET nv
attachment to 1t, blind me to its deCpe,S4
It's 10 easy attempt to point out practir I
evils, but contrast may show that there
an evil some where. Virginia once led 3.
way in the contederacy now she's oulstrp,
ped in the march al wealth, population
and Improvement. What is this owing Ia
| The boasted government of Virginia has
remained unchanged. Her natural ady3D.
ta9es are what they ever were. Why
then, does she lag 50 far in the rear Be.
cause there is something inherent in her
form OF government which repel5 fore.,
ncrs. Look al Pennsylvania, at New York.
aud at the wllds of the west Look i.
Ohio, bat yesterday wilderness, WHERE
nothing WAS seen but savages, nuth4z
heard but the how llngs Of the beasts oflbe
desert, now yiplng with rs. Ii must be
something in their forms of government
which attracts population.
1t WAS With reluctance that Mr. |
touched the delicate subject of the right Of
suffrage. lie venerated the sage of Mu.
tIceIo, but he WAS not prepared 10 admit
or deny his opinion on this subject, in Toto
| Although he WAS attached to the free
hold principle, he yet acknowledged the
plausibIIty and cogency of his opponents
arguments. The man who is called on to
spill his blood for his country & in defence
of its Laws, should have a voice in making
those laws. Ii is at best difficult question,
on Wl.lch the Wisest heads and pufest
hearts have differed. But in a county
like ours, all who have direct or indirect
agency in the laws, should afford some =
violence Of their attachment. This, he con.
ceived to be the whole question. He WHO
goes to the polls to the vote, should posses,
some evidence of a common attachment
to the country, and Mr.. L. conceived the.
best evidence TO be freeho!d--au interest
lin the soil. / is the safest test Of pernan.
ency and attachment, if not always the
best rnle. The criterion of personal pr
perry in some of the other states, is wrong
because it is changeable and fluctuating.
But, asked Mr. u. are there not otht,
defects less equyocai: Is not our reprr
sentation too large ? Has not the mHlp
cation of counties malsit too nnwitdy
Are not our laws pasSr with difficulty and
almost xphcahldswTe passed ? This
not fancy bot sober fact. This is to be al
trbuted solely to the circumstance that liz
representative body is too large. At Tie
adoption Of the copgtitutIon there were Ga
ly 25 or 80 counties-beyond the Bte
Ridge all was one county. Now, Ioak il;
the map aud see how they have lavitPA
ed Loo, too, at the inequality, and ASK
yourselves does not THIS evil cal for
mendmeut Is it not wrong that a county
whether large or small, should SEED two de /
l"gates The increase vi our statutes laws
too is an evil. When, II few years siEe,
the laws were revised, it WIS said by The |
wise Of the land, that the sessions Of an'
legislature would be shortened and an m
nuM expense saved to the treasury, BI
look at the last session of your lex 5laiur'
the longest for number of years. Ahd
yet il Is said there Is no evil and that We
have waXed fat under tIie present system
Our SYM athles, too, are appealed, TO, be
cause il il the work sl' our fathers and
a tIo' / acknowledge there IS someihU,
venerable in the Consideration, yet not
ven this vrnpration, nor the fear Of ben.
called radice, iHaosutor or rciormer. saa
deter me from SAVING that there are drlte
in the constitution, which require aalt9d
ment.
The executive department nerds re .al
ganiZaton.-N hat Is the character oil LII
body , The Governor mas too little a9th
TItV I ?, | Ia be ulNIi II
spcctful TO the pubic functlonar'es' oaI
II not a subject o. newspaper remarN' u
the advisers q, the Governor of G5ae
WHO Is SUPPOSED to he a venrr"o,e ,i ~
selected Tor bis age, bis virtues ana I.a :,
Tents, are heardl,ss boys am 'T%
thni amnng the appIicants Tor thal Wv