Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-07-15

theF uere Is majority OF the people in favor of
convention, than oud be for hin to refer to nu
opinion, who am zeaiously opposed to all change,
in confederation of his own. As to this, lave
only to say, that the Friend of Reform and have
been taught to estimate the value Of human evil
dence by very different measures. l wish to aar-
row the question between us, to this: Whether,
considering only the evidence furnished by the
votes oil the two houses of Assembly at the last
session, has conclusion, that there is majority of
the people in favor of convention, or mine that
there is majority against it, be the more lust?
1t is necessary to the integrity of his argu-
ment, that his answer to Should be taken in con-
nexion with his letter to MIR. Johnson In the
latter, he first compares the aggregate of the FREE
Uhite population of the counties, whose represen
tatives in the House of Delegates voted for the BILL
which passed that House at the last session, pro-
tiding that the sense OF the people should be taken
on the question OF convention or no convention
with the aggregate OF the free tchte population of
the counties, whose delegates voted against the
BILL and thus he arrives at the conclusion that there
Is majority of l21 ,758 free tchite citizens in favor
OF convention Then, by like process he
deduces that there IS majority of 36,S3l Of the
Uhofe population in favor of convention And.
last by comparing the gross amount of the land
anu property tax assessed TO these counties whose
delegates voted for the bill with the amount of tax
charged on the counties, whose delegates voted
against 1t, he fnds, that the friends of con ention
pay Soo,4I9 81 more Of the public revenue than
their opponents. In his answer 10 me- he refers 10
these calculations and, considering the votes of the
delegates OF the counties composing the respective
senatorial districts, conclusive evidence of the
sense OF majority of the people of their districts,
lie thence iniers, or rather he states the inference
as matter OF absolute and certain knowledge that
the votes OF four of the Senators against the bill
were contrary 10 the of their constituents
have not examined his CO EQUATIONS. The obyS-
Gus, the incurable, fatal vice of the whole arg,,
haf ,l,.t
vote given IN favor OF a bill, tciich oniv made
PToD'ston TO take the sense of the people ON the
question OF convention or no convention, was an
expression OF the opinion that a convention ought
10 DC called! Surely, tins writer forgot, that the
bill which passed the House of Delegates. was Inn,
the substitute for another bill providing directly for
the call ot convention Ohio with very strait and
jealous iimitations,) which abandoned by its
friends IN that house in utter despair If all The
delegates, who voted for the bill, meant by thei,
votes to express an opinion in favor of convrn.
'ion, and 10 express that opinion as the sense of
their constituents, nothing that can accom-,
or or excuse, the abandonment of the I'LL for cali
ing convention, and the adoption of the substi
tute, which was only designed to ascertain (,yba,.
upon this hypothesis, was already asccrtaned) the
sense oil the people on the subject. The truth is
nave no doubt, that the substitute was intended to
Keep the ball rolling, and conciate the votes of
all those who were willing shift from themselves
so delicate responsibility. The vote ofthe House
Oh Deieg'tes can prove no more, at most, than that
'he majority OF that house doubted what was the
true state of public sentiment and was WILLING m
solve the doubt by direct appeal TO the peopIe-
- Periecuy notorious, that many, very many, Of
the delegates who voted for the BILL were earnestlv
opposed TO convention, and acted on the same nrin
ciple that governed Mr.. Armisead,s course in III,
Senate On the other hand every man who voted
against that bill. in either house. NAV be safelv 40,
down as altogether opposed to convention and ts
every measure that has the least tendency N III.
turb our existing institutions.
The argument of the Friend of Reform, il at
tended with misfortune, TO which reasoning of
that KIND Is peculiarly liable: it proves too much
II proves, that MIR. .9ymistead (whose sentiments
| ne iauds' as a true epiton,e of republican doc
rme' 'Dorfhy to be acritten in gold } voted in d.
rect opposition to the known sense of his co,s,;,,,.
ents. For, Mr.. Armistead's district is comnos.d
OF hve Countless and of their ten representatives in
.ne Rouse OF Delegates, only tapo voted for the
bill and Seuen voted against it: tie other land tina,
other was Mr.. Garnett of Essex,l was absent
Let 1t be understood, that / am only pursuing the
argument of the Friend of Reform to it's conse-
quences; and am far from intending 10 throw, The
slightest blame ON Mr. Armistead All that
know, all that have heard, of that gentle
man, nnITesses me with sentiments of high respect
Tor INN. My Judgment, indeed, disapproves the
vote he gave on this occasion, but not because r
| think he forgot his duty 10 his constituents His
virtuous; and honor them as ought
The Friend of Reform ought to distrust the.
BUSINESS OF his own reasoning, when it leads him TO
the strange conclusion, that the Senators from the
.1mherSt, the .Hiddteser, the augusta and the
cues districts, voted In direct opposition 10 the
known sense OF their constituents. | am at Ioss
| 10 CONJECTURE, what he knows, suspects, in the
character OF either OF those gentlemen. that can
justify him to his own heart (Which sincerely be-
ieve IS blessed with its full share of cbari,v in
making such an imputation upon them; an imn,ta-.
on' injurious to their political virtue or deroeato
ry 10 Their common sense. must be pardoned is
1 'aKe the vote OF those Senators, and of every
| senator, as lar better criterion of the sense ri
theif respective constituents, than the most ineeni-
Gus arguments, or the most plausible aritbmefic,t
Sacuiations' that the VIII oil man ever produced Il
happens, that new Senatorial election occurred i.
the amherst and .lfiddieser districts last SHIN,
In the former, Mr.. Cabel was re-elccted and %
decided was the sense of the people Of every coun.
" oil the district, that the friends of conven,;on
thoueht II vain TO get up opposition 10 him. The
election In the Hiddieser district turned entirels
Oh ihe convention question; and Col Jones' the
antl-convention candidate, was elected II fo,gs,
by what Inajority.) AS 10 the Senator from ~
gustd, his opinions on this subject have bee.
known to this whole commonwealth for at lea.,
nine years, in which time he has been twice re-
ec'eo, with every mark OF the still increasing CON-
ndence and entire appreciation of his constituents,
L nave no positive knowledge of any thing partcu.
M IN regard 10 the Giles district; and, therefore,
shall say nothing.
The doctrine, that the votes of the delegates from
he counties COMPOSING the Senatorial districts are
to be taken by the Senators respectively ~ an
evidence of the sense of their Constituents ard :,
| instruction to govern their co,d,,., :. II =,