Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-10-20

your memorlallStS have no reason TO be-
lieve that either majority, or even any
considerable portion of the free-holders
of Virginia are at all dissatisfied with
their present form of government. On
the contrary, after the most untiring
and protracted exertions on the part OF
the jealous advocates of a convention,
they have witnessed, in the course OF
the last elections, nothing more than a
very feeble expression Of sentiment,
favorable to their purpose, emanating
from very small minority of the coun-
ties of the state, and sanctioned, even
in the greater part of those counties,
by very small minorities of their actual
voters. Nor has the question been at
all affected, either by the meeting which
was held, in the course Of the summer,
at Staunton, or by the number of sig
natures obtained to the memorial pre-
pared and circulated under its imme-
diate auspices. The delegates to the
Stanton meeting, it is confidently as
serted, were elected by less than one
twentieth part ofthe voters of the state;
and on examination of the signatures,
exhibited to you in favor of a conven-
ton, will show very large proportion
of names, which, however respectable
in themselves, are entitled to no weight
in the decision of political questions,
because unsustained by that evidence
of permanent common interest with,
and attachment TO, the community"
required by the constitution. Your
memorialists feel themselves justified,
therefore. in asserting that ma ority
of the free-holders of the state have as
yet given no evidence OF a wish that
any question should be submitted to
them, having for its object change
in the fundamental principles of their
government.
This consideration alone however,
would no. have induced the interior
ence of your,memorialists, could they
have believed that the question to be
submitted, would be decided by the
fair and unbiased Judgments of those
only who have right to participate
in the decision But while the impor.
lance of the subject is, of itself, calcu-
lated to produce degree of excite
ment unfayorable to that calm and dis
passionate investigation, which should
ever accompany the revision Of the
fundamental principles Of a govern
ment, the premature efforts which have
already been made 10 arouse the pas
sions and to enlist the prejudices OF
the state, forbid the hope Of fair and
unbiased expression of sentiment on
the part Of those, whose decision must
be final. Nor will it be a very easy
matter, in the present state of things,
to ascertain the real wishes Of the free
holders of the state. The personal
experience of large proportion OF
YOUR members will remind you Of the
difficulty of excluding spurious votes
even at an ordinary election, when the
| vigilance of your officers is excited not
less by the interests Of offering candi-
dates, than by the solemn obligations
under which their duties are assumed.
The members from the West too, will
apprise you that in many OF their coun'
ties, the right Of suffrage has been ex-
tended, by common consent, lar De-
yond the limits assigned to it by the
constitution; and that the right thus
acquired by long continued usage, has
become as sacred in the eyes OF its pos
SCISSORS, as if it had derived its sane
ton from the constitution itself. Your
memorialists need hardly point out to
you the difficulties Of restraining by
legal provisions, the exercise OF a
right thus acquired and thus sanctlhed.
And your honorable body will not fail
to recoIlect, that unless it be restrained,
the vote given will be no fair express
sion of the sense of the free-holders OF
the state-on the contrary, that the
voice of an actual majority of the free
holders, may be thus stifled by mere
numerical superiority, made up, for the
most part, of voters unknown to the
constitution.