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

the owners of the soil. But il IL enopir..l
of what have non frrrholdrrs 10 comul,in
Ii is asked, do not the laws .t,sr,nte,. ,a
them the right of arqairms and hnld,ng
property Are not their persons protected
from violence and their property from de
probation f? Yes, certainly from f,J,yid
ual violence and individual dcnredati,n
but where is their protection against lrri.
lative aud Judicial oppression? Here their
liberty is curtai'ed, and an equality Of ri,b,s
! denied and where is their redress? M,
a solitary mean IS left except the sword.
| that can possibly be opposed, with ,ny
! probability Of success, 10 such tofndabl.
array of power. II any enquire, What con
stlutes this formidable array? 7 answer.
/ that thu General Assembly Of Virginia ia
the creature Of the landed aristocfacy. and
the members fthe Judiciary are the crea
lures of the Assembly and thi, arstocracv
has the power 70 create, To put down. and
t" WELD at will every public Institution in
the stale, both civil and military. All the
| officers, civil and military, are the creatures
of their own appointment, and the most
/ dangerous Of tn, se hold their Offices upnn
the tenure Of their will. All the arsenais
and public funds are immediately under
thei control. Thus they hold. augment
and dispense at their own option. ALI the
civil, military ard political power of the
STATE, With all the Iuean3 which thew are
Grabbed 10 employ through their numerous
agents. Ihn,the whole poiity Of thr state
- held and controlled by a minority IF
pei haps one third Of the free population;
and bpiDtr an rnutrnI,.I 10
forced through corrupt unnatural sewer,
where 1t IL every year loslng more and
more Of its moItl force and republican
purity. Tlls loss IS inevitable whenever
the nights of suffrage are suppressed or
forced from their natural channel by any
means ~ opposition TO the will OF the ma
Jority BECAUSE il is identified with and
lnseparablr trom the object in which it
'nheres, and cannot hr delegated or trans
ierred to any other Bot "a their last hope,
'tthey take up arm, in defence oithtir rights
they are esteemed as traitors against the
peace and dignity of the state aud, by this
self created aiisiocracy condemned to the
gdows. And for what ? Because they
would rot submit to taxation in the al, ]
senee of suffrage. Yet, strange as il may
appear, it was for the Infringement OF this
same right that all America once rose ia
arms against England. TO establish this
fact, let me invite your attention to thu
following vouchers : Judge Draytoa, in his
charge to the grand jury of South Carolina,
in March, l775, tells them /" that most Of
the eminent meD who have written apon
govern"ent, have taken Infinite pains to
t'culcate upon the mindsu the people, and
to intr5a"9c into their systems, - = i"at.A =.
mental princiHl.. ;"s; 'hs 7eople must un
der any form OF government either directly
or indirectly possess the power Of granting
their own money, Or not shadow Of i'ber
y exists and inasnuch as his majesty of
England hath denied Us this right and tax
ed us without our consent, we owe him no
further allegiance" The ceisbrn.ed Burke
when speaking of the affdrs Of America,
before the House If Lords, tells them,
" you know that the great contest for free I
dom here in England, from the earliest
times, ha, chiefly been about tasatlon.--
The people Of Eng land never would submit
where they were not represented, nor viii |
the Americans sablplt 10 it," Facts, how
ever, are against him AS it respects Virginia.
The Provincial Congress ofNoith CAROL
in September, 1878, use this language -
" Our ancestors shed rivers af h'uod
and expended millions Of treasure IN hxinS
the liberties Of Britain upon permanent
Foundation, guHraf teeing the ri.hts of suf F
fr,s To Al, who were taxed ior the support
of government. and yet they are endeavor /
ing to eXtrrmiua,e Or teducr US tn abJect
slavery because We pursue the SINE yirtu !
u L.. rt.I
the last etItiun tn TIE King ia November,
1873, berg interrogaied by TIE Duke Of
Richmond aud Lord De rby and Sa adwiCh
~ II the sentiments of the Americans
respecting the Kings sovereignty, answered
/" that the people of Pennsylvania were
willing to aCIsnowlrd,e his sovereignty tx
ccpt in the right Of taxation, where they
were not represented In May, I776, tie
Virginia Convention of ia members fully
acquiesced in these principles. aud app"n
ted a cominlttrc In prepare declaration
of rights, and such plan Of government IS
would br most likely TO secure suh.tntial
and equal liberty 10 the people. Fhe pro
viucial drpnties Of Penasy lyani', III June,
l776, WHEN speaking Of nnrepresented tax
alton, say, that " obedic cr to the King
would he treason against the majesty al The
people" The representatives, oi N's'a
chusetts Bay, in their declaration Of rights,
say, that " surely people called to fghtio
defence of their natural rights against IN
just and oppressive taxation, will not hest
tate to engage H. thu conflict" These ex
tracts may not be il perfect accordance
with the letter, rs give them mostly from
memory. Thry are, however, correct IN
substance The deputies from all he co
opies. in convention nj Philadelphia, in
July, 1855 and IS, in setting forth the eau
scs that induced them IL take up arms
against England, declare, as one of their
most weighty =, iesances, that tive are tax
ed by a legislature where we are not repre-