Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-03-19
FOR THE WIG.

To ne people ef Pirginia--I rejoice m,-scIs. and
congratulate you, NY lellow-ctiaens that the day
has at length arrived, when public feeling and SEN
tncnt Jnstihes, indeed requires, that we should all
cooperate III our cndcavors, and exert our utmost
faculties, to persuade by reason, and Convince by
lacts that Convention is necessary to be called
That there are those who have long standing and
deep rooted preJudces this subject, cannot be de-
hed let me entreat all such persons to Law them,
aside, to examine with calm and d;spassonate eve
tie state OF our laws the pecunary situation of our
country, the enormous expenses OF the Legislature
and the destructive mode of representation arising
from the defects of our Constitution let me entreat
them 10 examine the organization of the Judiciary
their unlimited power in certain cases, contempis
&c, the nutlity of one branch of the Executive de-
Partment oil our government, and say should we not
all, with one united voice, "cry aloud" a Conyen-
ton!
And here, permit To relna TX that myself have
been OF that number, who have looked with horror
AT the Hcletcsicus consequences that mirht rc.u,.
from an unlimited Convention but what ha We we
10 lear from sucn men as Jeierson Madison, Mar
shall, and, may say, Monroe, for he will by that
time have retired to the walks of private life no,
would fundertake to recommend an unlimited Com
Vention, even with these men to preside But
| strong nducement why it should be inuedia ,elv
acted on, Isl that some OF these revolutionary pa r-
ots are very aged men; ere long, their evening sun
may have set, never to rise again,and when where
and how could their places be supplied; # is such
men as these, ana these only, that should desire
to see in Conventional undertake 10 saw that a :
| men, they would not, citizens, they could not
and as patriots, they dare not, decline the under
taking.
Let us now look to laws, and see whether
there have been any Legislative usurpa tons in en-
acung laws Ill direct opposition to our State Bill of
Rights thereby rendered totally unconstitutional
and that require the int! ference of the people
To say nothing of the Dueilins act Nrst bv some
m, 1Ir hp lnlIrh 4
pect to be III this way, and this alone e-instated to
my natural and Inherent rishts-which here C!Isa-
Vow,) which consider, and may at proper sc son
endcavor to prove, in direct violation OF more than
one clause IN that great and inestmablc State Pa
per- ic: pass to of more reccnt.tla,es the
sanitary ctecis OF which have as vet been tested
and have not, therefore, been looked TO- rather than
their ConStifdi0nGiity.
Let me first refer you to the ninth section of tbc
Bill of Rights, which says, That excessive bo;l
ought not to be required, excessive fines npos-
ed. nor cruel and unusual puniShmcuts i,,Rirted"
Next, let me refer you the act passed at tho
sion l322-2j, which declares that all offences here
totore punishable in the Pcntcntiaryfor Il term not
exceeding twoyearS, shall be punished with continc
iucn i'll Jail, ard ios;cs be inflicted on the bar,
baci at the discretion of the Court.-Now, mark
you, 1t is for inConsderablc Offences alone that :,
free born Pirginiun is to be publicly stripred ard
have his bare back dashed at the public whipping
post at the mercy and discretion of Il judge a "
rant, dcspot he may bet is in his po,rer 10 saw
if ne has the riW, that YOU shall receive nine-and
thirty jasiics every hour in the day for six months
This II must be perceived is for the smaller and more
trivial offences fo it is for those offences only hero
tofore punishable by the shortest confinement in inc
| Pcniteniiary. And can 4 EifgiDian be found who
will not say that far from the chance of r,nisl,
ment being nitigated. that it is increased ten ave
hity iold-Much, indeed, has the ancient feeling OF
Virginia changed; if Virginians will say we prefer
,ftt i
scorned 1t, they would have preferred death 10 TIC
scotrge, and such must believe is the present feel
ing in Virginia what must be the temperature OF
that mans blood, who could tamciy take off his shir
and receive from q hired mental, nre-and thirty
lashes FORBID it Heaven! Never car bcliov.
this is the brginto feeling-thcy cannot, they vii
not submit to it.-Ii bt moves YOU therefore fellow
Citizens to assemble III all your majesty to declai;
such laws not only cTue! and oppressive in the ex
temc, but unusual and unhcafd OF in any christian
| land that they are Il violation of your BIZ o
| Righfs-ihe dearest Gift that frecrnen ever hold
and put al end TO such Ubiquitous outragcs and de-
grading proceedings ;-teaci, your representative
that they are but your servants, that they are to o.
beg your injsuciions, and support your CONSTITUTE
i on.
do not deem ii necessary TO advert 10 any other
Law but that of selling fec negroes in certain ca
(Which shall be the subject of future conimunica-
tion) to prove the necessity for Convention: az
there are so many othcr subjects to be submitted 10
your consideration, which mu5t satisfy one and all
OF its absolute necessity. will then cal! your at
tenions to the mode of representation, and tie
enormous and unnecessary ex3rDse Attending such
representation, which can be rcInedied only by an
| alteration Of the CoH5tution.
MCTIUs.
The Rev. MIR. REFS, and Rev Mr.. HAgaAfr. Del
gates fio,n the British 'Mcihodist Conference, hav,
arrived at Tryy- York in t!s ship Columbia We IN