Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-05-05


turned from the poles contemptuously,
as disfranchised, as a political outlaw!
Again: your house Of delegates, in
place Of consisting of 100 members,
contains, stating from memory, 2l6,
and costs annually 100000. They
spend from three to four month sin the
wear in deliberation:-the fruits of their
iabors it does not become me to speak
of at large.
You have thing called the executive
council, consisting Of eight or ten
young gentlemen, who annually spend,
for your special accommodation, some
8 or 10000 dollars. Are they Of more
use than if they were in China! Ispeak
not of the men, personally, not doubt
ing that they are altogether worthy of
the esteem of the country,cbut OF the
system. Abolish this council, reduce
the numbers of the house Of delegates,
and you will command better talents,
while you will save in these two items
alone $50, 900, the interest of a million
annually. Apply this money to the
education of the poor, to the enlighten-
ing of those who work and fight for
you, and who will thus cease to dislike
and to forsake their native soil.
The columns Of a newspaper are too
limited to allow me to depict to you the
many evils which exist. These evils
ought to be corrected; and if public
sentiment had fair play, they would
vanish before it.
Who that is annoyed by the abomi-
nable delays of our courts-who that
sees, and seeing pities, the orphan seek
ing his little heritage with the "sickli-
ness of hope deferred, that beholds
the. hardy and disfranchised yeomanry
of the country absolutely driven to dis
sipation by being dragged from court
to court in pursuit of shadow that
mocks their grasp,-but must mingle
with the tear which he sheds over the
wrongs and suffering Of his country,
some manly wish to redeem her from
her fall, to unfold her resources, to di-
rect her energies, to give scope to her
enterprise, to promote her glory? Do
you ask how is this to be done? / an
swer, let as many Of the people as can,
consistently ,oith the safety Of the repub-
lie, share in the government upon equal
terms, and all the rest will arise of
course. This is the law and the pro-
phets."
tits said, why not ask the legislature
to call convention? Have we not done
so! Have not a majority Of t,oo in the
senate told the good people of thisgre
state that they shall not convene and in
quire in "peaceable and orderly man.
.ier" whether they will or will not alter
their own frame Of government! How
long, I ask, are We to PROSTATE our
selves at the footstool Of our public SER
wants, and sever pray" that they will
accord to us what we should never have
to ask bRt as tribute to
that social order so dear to our hearts,
Fellow citizens, let us, firmly aud
without delay, convene ourselves; and
calmly discuss, and wisely remove the
evils under which we groan. Let us
no longer occupy ourselves in upmanly
over our decaying state, while
We point to the steady prosperity Of
and the growing opu-
ence and power of New-York. Let us
'ather look inward on ourselves, and
Onward to our children, and by unin-
exertion and enlightened i'm
endeavor to acquire the So
id advantages which We now see afar
IF.
In weighing this great subject, 90
lot suffer yourselves, as l am sure you
will not, to be misled by wild enthusi-
.sts. On the other hand, do not 60 to
to take advice of ingenious
awyers there, in order that the people
# one section may make the discovery
hat they can, ifthey choose, in place of
keeping an unwinking eye upon the
merits of their undertaking, play off
heir prejudiees upon those Of another.
such suggestions comport better with
he views Of those to whom the people |
re tributary, than with the true inte-
ests of the people themselves. 1fyou
lear man who is apparently governed
~ selfish rules, preaching on this
heme, on the one side or the other,
reed him not. Depend upon it, such
S the constitution of our frail nature,
hat few men can reason justly when
heir interests are in the argument.
eff self the wavering balance shake,
"It's rarely right adjusted"
Let us discard all sectional prepos-
essions-every unkindly feeling-and
n spirit of free inquiry, and recipro-
al good will and forbearance, COM
nence this work, too long deferred. Our
rame of government was established
~ the ordinary legislature at a period
when "the note of preparation" sound
ID for the bloody conflict through
which we derived our liberties; its au-
hors slept upon their arms in devising
t; the circumstances of the country are