The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-01-22
CENTR AL GAZETTE.
FOE THE CENTRAL GAZETTE.
SATURDAY, JAN. %, 1926.

FOE THE CENTRAL GAZETTE.
We have lately seen several MIN
bers, in the Central Gazette, signed
Dem0critus, urging the call of con-
ventiOn TO alter our state constitution
The good temper and candOr displayed
in these numbers deserves our respect e
but the reasoning does not appcr to me
TO be sufficient TO convince US, that we
ought to unite with the writer, in his
endeavours ta effect the proposed alter
alton. The writer himself has made
statements and admissions which appear to me
to afford much stronger arguments agai, mt a
convention than any WHICH he has used i'm ia
vor Of it.
In his first number, and fifth paragraph, he
quotes from pamphlet. published last spring.
| against a convention, the following passage :
Men ought to feelsemc serious practical evil
to know that that evil proceeds from some
vice or defect in the constitution. &c befor
they endeavoUr TO excite in the minds OF 9TH
ers, or cherish in Their own, disconten s against
| a government so mid in it's character as ours.
and so benef ial in its actual operation" Up
| on this passage Denocritus observes, "No e.
fort is made (bv the friends of a convention) 10
foster spirit OF discomfort, to create faction
or IN any wise to aIenae the attachment of n
people from the tempr and forms Of our GOV
eminent - In the next paragraph he saws.
the de'ir TO call a conv ention .sis a measure
which originated in the sober judgements o.
men who love their country, and venerate its
laws. The spirit Of those laxsis vet too pu~,
to countenance the Suspicion. that a conven-
ton rs sought FOR by snv one-from hosr lit y
to our institutions S$c
Now II the friends of a convention are salts
fed, as is plainly imrked bv Democ,itus, with
the temper ard forms Of our government. and
II 'the spirit OF cur avs is so pure as to d,,
serve our 'veneration,' and remove all cause oj
hostility to our institutions I cannot ina
CINE upon what grounds they can reasonably
require convention,
Bat Democritus not only approves the 'em
per and forms of our government. and the pure
spirit OF our laws. but he Processes to 90 he
gond curdpd rance, in his admiration Of the
excellent manner in which our government
has been administered lu his second number
and fourth paragraph. he observes that, s.The
auihor OF the Substitute saws true when he
tells us the government o. virginia has beer
well administered It is instlv entitled to III,
eloquent rhapsody which has been pronounc cd
on it. But. | would 20 farther than even tina,
gentleman has gone, in the cxtravagance o.
his admiration - If the temper and forms n
our government. and the spirit Of our la
and the manner 'n which they have been adj.
minis'ered, he justly entitled 10 the eloouen,
eu'ogium, / viii not say 'rhapsodvO which
| may fairly he extracted from the quotations
we have made from Democritus, where shall
we find sufficient motives to desire a conven
ton TO change our constitution, and tbereb,
perhaps, put to hazard aIIthc blessings of eood
government, which it is acknowledged we a,
present enjoy?
This appreciation o. orr government. and
it's administration, would seem to he utterlv
inconsistent with desire to ter our copsritn
ton; and we should be 9uite a. a loss to Nm
dcrstand Democrtus. were it not fcr ,yha, for
lows IN the paragraph from which we last ono
ted. in which. it appears that the writer there
means to make distinction between our co,,.
stHafiom and our government; and he denies to
our constitute any participation i'm the MGR
Vt OF having produced and maintained the no.
htical happiness which ne admits we have en-.
loved and still enjoy. under our government
lie says that, "our government gnusf have
been well administered tho the constitution
mad been athousand times nor defect iv e thar
1t is. or indeed. tho there had been mona >
Democritus does not seem willing to apply 10
our constitution the old adagc which SAYS.
that .The truth of tie paddinr IS intke cot;no..',
and he denies to it any share in that nyo;,e
which is said to he due TO In the b,,;oigc ~,
which tre hare pas ed orer sGfely He ascribes
our political freedom apd happiness altogether
to the moral qualifications Of our people who.
he says, scare virtuo Is. thew are enlightened
they are proud of freedom and attached to its
blessings. Such people, who have learned
to love freedom by its contrast with oppres
sion almost without the extrinsic aid Of anv
government. would chalk out their own course
to happiness. The knowledge of rational
right has bees infused into The people of v;r.
GINA BY the experience Of wrongs which thew
have suffered, not by the excellence Of a form
OF government on paper"
What would have been the political and mo.
raj condition of our people, If, for the last half
century, they had been "al,nost'' without
the extrinsic aid Of any government. > It IS per.
haps difficult for Us to know, or even to INN.
gtne; but II the writer had said. aHooef6sr
without such aid, we might form pretty cor.
rect idea OF what might have been their cond;-
ton, by referring 10 the condition of the Jew
ish people, when their Tbeocracy bad ended
and at the time when, il is said. ..there was
no ki"g in isref; and every man did that
which was right in his own eyes" In the
wretcbed condition Of the Jews, at that time
as described by their historians. we can mel
Their find any ching TO envy, nor TO support
The opinIon which seems to be entertained bv
n \ nNN n H. l.