Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-08-30
FOR THE CONSTITUTIONS, x,,,e

N'eSeeJtetu fteSofuttONS ana StGcntOn COpre,lio,
The Resolutions which lave been recently adoptod
inc ree' conented and happy" people of Chesterfield
certainty Deserve and viii doubt receive some nor
oh VI Tue puoic attention. Like the Modes and Per
'S, whose ia~s were iinmutabie, they TOO, il seems
are most devotediy attached to .ssettled order
things" which change of circumstances sbond ovo
be permitted to disturb." 1t is not TO be wondered
then that the distinct and audblen voice of the Staun
ton Convention, should have sounded so ashlv to tho;
ears, and have aroused into action all their sensibi,v-
ihey have accordingly depicted in most glowing co
Tours, the long catalogue OF evils which the expression
ne popular tcH is likely 10 cpgender this free courl
Try ana enlightened age. They have most literally and
gravely rendered opinions and communicate infJrma
uon' touching the late proceedings at Staunton 70,
Whch the Legislature and people of Virginia will nc
doubt consider themselves under very serious and last
ing oohgatious and in short, they have RESOLVED that
the experiment recently made at Stanton However
otherwise ntended) or ITSELF EvINcE that the
great oouy oil the people, far from being DESTROYS of any
i'uoh amendment, or reform, perfectly content
WIN The constitution, and opposed to all measures ha-
wing TIC least tendency TO such cnts.n
"ese resolutions, declaring in such positive terms
Inc sense OF the people of Virginia uysp the important
question which engages their attention. are I'm he
considered conclusive evidence that The people do not
uesife conventions with what grateful emotions should
tcc all unite in rendering our thanks TO our fellow
zerls oil Chestcrcld for tina knowledge which they have
so WtWt!cety and patriotcay DISPLAYED! IL would
seem, however, that though ''contcnted and bappyn
themselves they are 6y certain that the rest OF
their fellow citizens equally So or that ste rteat
body OF the people perfectly content with the con
stitution" For, surely if il be very obvious that
large majority OF the community are hostile reform
why all inns feVersh anxiety 90 suppress tie expression
OF The popular will in legal FORM Ii 1t be fairly and
teay asccrained that the friends If constitutional re-
form IN Virginia, compose smGU 0tino,ity The lsnowl-
euSe oil That fact. SO far from tending disturb "e
settled order of things" would have an immediate con-
trary effect So long, however, doubts are enter
tanned npoh tins interesting question: (Which the mere
'eSof"tshs OF either party likely to rerove
refusal on the part of the Legislature afford to the
nG
ITO use the language of the Resolutions o generate
heats, contentious and factions among us and 10 lessen
or perhaps destroy, the vcneraon of the people for
their insutons.n Can il be supposed that the peoUle
OF Chesterfield really apprchensive that the proca-
nation OF the fact, legally dScertaned that The friends
OF reform IN Virginia. constitute small minority of the
people, end TO disturb the settled order OF things
10 generate heats, contentious and fIcons? May we
not more reasonably attribute their extreme sepsibtv
upon Tn subject TO their well founded apprehension
That 'the great body of the people (not perfectly
content with the consttuton"and that c settled or
der of things" would be ''disturbed," by ,,oriiy
but BY respectable majority of the free and enlgcn-
cd citizens of the Commonwealth,
The good people of Cheste.lcld however it seems,
arc very aPprehensve that the next General Assembly
may require the benefit of their friendly advice How
ever clearly I'm their opinon) the pertinent recently
made at SauntoD, has demonstrated that the great body
oil the people, ''are far from being DESTROYS OF any c-
ration, amendment REFORM" they, nevertheless en-
tertan serious fears lest the friends of convention
may possibly RETRAy THE LEGISLATURE into a mis-
tdhe s 10 tc real sense OF the people tic subject
Ii the opinions and wishes of the people upon this
question, already so very clearly asCerained il
would be strange indeed, if the friends of reform could
possibly 6etray the Legislature into mistaken espe-
cla!y, u he true that they ''hardiy pretend to point
out or complain of any actual grievances now felt or
Appreciated in future" To suppose that The Legsla
ture could be so grossly imposed upon or could be SO
dehcent IN sagacity and information the Chester
held Resolutions seem 10 imply, would indeed amount
to an admission that that body does require the timely
advice and friendly interposon of the good people of
chesterfield i, however, inclined 10 entertain
more favorable opinion of the good sense of the Iens
aturc should SUPPOSE that copy OF The Journal of
the stanton Convention, which, by vote of that body
VIII be submitted to the next General Assembly, will
afford the most ample evidence, The Chesterfield Rcso
buttons To The contrary, Notwithstanding, that the friends
al reform ITO pretend point or complain of actu
al grievances nous te, (and) apprehenled futuren-
The General Assembly cannot fail to know that (al-
though deputies actually attended from Mriy-sr coun-
ties and coporatioD the friends of reform in very
many counties IN the State, elected deputies TO the
conventionthat many, however jealous in the cause
oil Iciorrn doubted the erpcdcncy of such peasure
and therefore took part in promoting it: and that
some of the counties from whence deputies were elect
ed, were unrepIesencd in the convention. The Ieris.
laure viii be well aware that the friends of refo m
neccr iii consider the relative strength of the friends
and opponents OF convention would could be tested
by The actual number Of counties which might elect de-
puties to Stanton. In countless the friends Of
re!orm though constituting the majority of the people
were entirely unrepresented; while in Others though
sent them. Ii cannot be believed, that the Staunton
Convention would not have been much more generally
attended, from every section of the state had the friends
OF reform considered the fate of their to DC de-
pendent upon the numbers which might be represented
in that body. The avowed design of that Convention,
was merely to devise lawful and expcdent means of as
certalnng the sense of e people, and certainly the
semolage was sufficiently numerous and respectable
not only 10 consult and act upon that subject but TO en-
able them to 'sound distinct and audible appeal to
the next Legislature" For, surely, if the distinct and
audible" tones Of that body, have already excited
much sensbity it is reasonable TO hope, that the repre-
sentayes Of the people will not deaf car 10 their
proceedings.
The General Assembly will also bear in mind, that
the wishes of the people upon this subject have been
formerly, well Cery recently expressed, by their
representatives in the House of Delegates-bat prior
TO the late Convention at Saunton, large majores of
the people in many counties of the commonwealth,
without any previous concert and by almost stimuli
tancous moyement declared themselves in favour of
conyentionthat there may also be large naores in
countless whose sentiments have yet been fairly
northumberland that, in many counties, majority of
whose citizens hostile to reform, there may,
1t. L. III