The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-03-18

.iose hinstricns,ineq, who, not only f.kiinp
themselves To he mortal, but heinz full,
..qna'h'ed with the ilnprrircinns inciti,n,
" III human inlngs, and the haseleSs vanity
" imputed honnrs, ~ b. derived from
'i1"se anl'qaated rsends Of exploded
'snofance, did ulerrfrrr .indn iduslly and
collectively support and recommend n.
iioht 10 alter or abolish any form ot ray-
e'h'hfh'' when any thug essential Ia the
nap 'inrSso t the people could br introduced
ASK u Tor mnnrut sou could snppose
mat these patriots ash;ngton. Bhrd. Ler.
fend!rton, Masnu and harrison. mn nnre
than u hundred others of their iHust,iops
ennpatriots, were not fully sensible of In.
ae'eteIi"us ELECTS "f admitting this r.stric
i've pfln'iple upon the tights af suffrage in
u 'h' constitution, were il lou, to remain
there To say that th.y we're not would
De In brand them with the unst untoward
'gnorance. therefore presume that they
were fully -apprised Of Il, and that they
justly and nationally contemplated \ f.,i
sion, on prosperous conclnsiun &c the war,
aud that they. adopted this instrument To
me existnclrs OF lNat period altne They
were illy sentlhle that they had no time
IN deliberate IN Legislative capacity. for the
benefit ot future gensrat,ons henc more
immediately IN the capacity of soldiers than
state 4men, and acting only for the present,
pressing occasion, which then cailrd then.
together, aud placed them, like Paul. =" in
perIis amongst false brethren" Amidst
the agitation and storms Of civil war, when
the waverlng aud dlsaiiectrd 10 the cause
"iireedom IA spies disguised and unknown,
we're mioglinS with the patlot bands
when THE hand Of tie brother was raised
against tue brother, and mans foes were
those of his own huuseholdn- " hen every
path WAS ambasheA every highway seonr
ed by the tory andttI--nhen danger was
AZ every door, & he who went out hnsitated
to believe he should ever reiurn--v hen our
harbors were all blockadtd and the British
74s were pouring their mercenary legions
upon every shore-undrr these appalling
and prrllOus circumstances were they pla
ced, and IN the midst of this general alarm
aud d,salircted state Of the country did
lhey devise tttis constitution; merely as IA
Temporary light to guide them through the
nla1rs of the revolution, unaccompan nd
with the mos, distant thought that it would
have remained lor hall century unaltered
but still more unCQuecinus that 1t would
have been subsequently received, hike that
oil the Spartan law6i,rr, as an imperisha
Bile monument of political periecton.--
The policy in excluding from having any
share IN the pohly OF the state all who
could not give the sirr'hgost proofs Of
permanent and common interest with and
at lrI Tn e. a
correct under Ire existing circumstances
al the same way awisr general is some
times compelled TO Introduce military law
in opposition 10 CT, in order to preserve
il from ruin. In this way was this anti
republican principle brought into the con
stltuton but as the circumstances have
been long since done away, 1t ought now
To hi expuBged, Inasmuch as the rights
of suffrage cannot be suppressed in any
republican government, because that act
done stamps it insuiltrable tyranny, inde-
pendent OF any title it may assume. can
heaItIly uoite with my friends who dticr
Nth ire upon this subject in dccialmlng
,galnst the manifest injustice of tde British
.annet in their impious and lmpotent al
.empts to enslave Us contrary 10 the plain
ttler and principles of their own con
fundamental principle of which
3 that evtry man shall at least have repre-
sentative share 10 the formation uf those
avs by which be is bound. am also aware
hat these gentlemen have even surpassed
the British cabinet in the progress of para
loxicaI science, by slrenupnsly supporting,
against Il majority Of the freemen of Virgi
1 . n a nm 4
scented taxation, in violation of the plain
letter and principle of DIR Bill of Rights
would also call their attention to the LIST,
I'd and 81 petltnns 10 the Klngin ia
aud -, where Congress uniformly com
plains of the same oppressive principle,
tai are are tartd WITHOUT our consent, and
badly declares that 4 free suffrage II pri
si'ege incstlmahle to the people and formi
d bIe Only Ia tyrants. Thus do they stand
branded With TINS anti republican appella
tioa by this august body, and IN your own
Bill Of Rights. Thus it does appear that
" hist they speak loudly against the policy
of England. the, strictly adhere tot both in
principle and practice. .ithentans," said
Dfmoatheues, " lhenr your professions aud
ST. ggu practice nm at q toss 10 recon
Gle ubGt So 10 1chdt ! hear" We arc
Informed thai while Rome WAS at peace
Aagdstus made himself despotic, and the
ascendant party in Virginia seems to be
progressing in his footsteps. Ifthcy are not
Why 50 much opposition In the extension
Of suffrage Why such manifest anxiety
at the prospect of Iosiog a power which
they cln have no wish to retain If they do
not intend to USE it2 These things, Ike
Mlton's Devils, grjn horribly !" and pro.
claim loudly That mischief is on foot. But
we cherish hope that thu good sense of
the people viii speedily remove the cause,
snd that they will never be satisfied with
thr nimsy, unsubstantial mockery OF
constitution that imposes an equality of
duties and pri,atlons. while IT refuses an
equality of rights and prj'ileges--a consll
l.. -.