Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-07-05
AMHERST MEETING.

At meeting of the citizens of Amherst county,
convened at their Courthouse Monday the Goth
day of June, 1925, (the being the first day of
The court OF quarterly session for said county, pur-
suant 10 previous public notification, for the pur-
pose of taking into consideration the subject of
call of a Convention for amending the constitution
of Virginia.
Edmund Penn, by an unanimous voice; was
chosen chairman and Lucas p. Thompson secreta-
ry of the meeting
The meeting was briefly addressed by the chair
man; Benjamin Brown, and the secretary l.. p
Thompson successfully, in explanation and sup
port of its object, and by way of enforcing and
justifying the results expected TO flow from it in
conjunction with similar meetings throughout the
state. Whereupon the following preamble and re-
solutions were submitted by l.. z. Thompson, Esq.
and unanimously adopted
This meeting individually and collectively glory
ing in the proud title Of eernen title sealed with
revolutionary blood, and transmitted by the hands
of dying patriots: yielding 10 none, in gratitude
to those who achieved our independence, in
reverence for that charter of rights, the cons-
tuition of Virginia, the work OF their hands; on the
one hand duly apprecisting the inestimable bless
ings of rational liberty and DESTROYS of Transmitting
II TO their latest pOsterty: the other, depI
ing anarchy and despotsm the biterest Of CURSES:
far, very far from intending in the slightest de-
gree, to call in question tie wisdom, patriotism or
thoroughly Convinced there exists imperfecions in
the constitution of Our neutrality-suspicious. pro-
duced in some instances, by the operation Of time
and circumstances, and the varying condition OF
man, which might well have cuded the forecast OF
men just entered upon the new and untried career
ct civil lberty-and imperiections revealed by ex-
perence and the new lights shed upon the science
Of government which they could not Ia &c foreseen
--imperfectons, too. at least some Of them, Of no
frivolous character, bat such strike at the root
of a free government, and mar the otherwise beau
tiful fabric, erected by the hands Of our worthy an
cestors They have bten alluded TO again and
again in the political essays of the day, and their
consequence portrayed in the liveliest colours
and in a strain the most eloquent and irresistible
and but too propheticaly, it is feared, unless the
/ lul6lment should be arrested by timely reform.
This meeting hadbelievcd that a majority of our
citizens were impressed with the necessity OF
amendment, and thus believing, had relied with a
confident hope, on the aid and nterposilion Of the
last legislature "a devisng means ofcollectng the
general sense on this important and highly inter-
esting subject. They had believed that a boon 50
just, 80 reasonable, so harmless and consonsnt
to the spirit OF free government that Of giving
facility TO the expression Of popular sentiment, in
relation to their fundamental laws, could not be
denied, even TO a respectable majority OF nalcon-
tents, by wise and liberal legislature Of q great
state--much less where these indictments, might
constitute majority OF The sate-but the tate oil
the Convention bill Of the last session, has demon
straed the fllacy Of that belief, and the confusion
ofthose hopes This meeting still believing in the
necessity Of amendment, unconvinced By the rea-
soning of their opponents, still dssenters from the
faith OF the substitute, that standard Of political or
thodoxy, and still unsUborned by the vote OF the
last Legislature, are constrained by every motive
Of prudence, aud patriotism, and by regrd for
their best and highest interests to persevere In their
endeayours at rational reform. q And as truth is
mighty and must prevail" they trust that perse-
verance in the end will meet its reward, the crown
Of sucesss--i IN efrer hey expect be coFfoood-