Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-06-24
2secsssssossu 99at,6o.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE "a, 1925.
f,% nc Constitutional Ithig.
TO CHAPMAN JOHNSON. ESQ

lou hiid SIR, that your prediction last winter, that
'he REJECTION oil Tie Convention Bill by the Senate would
Sooe the popular dsconen1s or 10 use YOUR own Ian
guge DE, las oil poured upon the )" has been
reailcd. On The contrary The inurmurs which were
awakened by that ill Judged aud extraordinary measure
are becoming more and more audible, and if the signs
OF The times do not deceive, there widespread ex
ctcinent among the people upon this subject. is not
10 ne disguised that even the great weight which your
name gave to the decision Senate has not secured
II from frequent and severe nnadversion-an am
iree to confess, Notwithstanding the high respect en-
tcT'n Tor your talents, valuable services and yor
integrity, both and politician, yet consider
the vote which you gave that occasion as wholly in
ue'eso'e'--i iIn the last man. who could wis!, To
larnsh your well earned reputation. Elotrencc and
genius have already encircicd YOUR brow with unC,dnc
oh"s, aud the name Of Chapman johnson is interwo-
ven WIN the renown of his native State. But, sir like
all other servants of the people Won must consent Ia be
artagned at the bar of public You must give
an account OF administration of the high aud i'm
Porlaut Trust conlded To you--Upon what possible
ground did YOU vote against a Bill which ouy provided
Tor h"rHg the sense Of tie i'eopie2-Do say that yon
were not insuctcd by your constituents and that there
ioe, you obeyed the dictates cf vour own iudpmce-
W hat do YOU consider Observation-Disclosures moi thc
question oeen a%i'aed in the counties of Augusta Rock
bridge and Peneton (which compose vou district for
many NearS,--and iiaTe You ever entertained doubt
nut that 'he people Of that District were friendly TO the
can o. at"nYenton'lf their wishes had never been
expressed To yon form distinct and int ELIGIBLE
ur' "i "o owe sonie respect TO the unanimous opinion
al u'ei1 SIN Delegates in the low House?-Iut il is
probable that upon that OCCASION YOU considered YOUR
sen excused from any particular obligations TO your
l'suic ana as bound to consult what your view
siitutcd the wishes of the whole Comnonwealth-Ifi
Nonr vication is 10 rest here and if The vote of the
popular branch Of the Legislature to be considered, az
any criterion ot the popular WILL think will not
ne dlicut to prove, that you have only set at det
hce inc OPINIONS ct your immediate constituents
bul also ct large majority of the free Dotlufioa Of
frginin In order prove This fact shall no, asl vuu
10 follow me through all the details and calculations
which have made, but shall furnish on only with the
results piec1ing myself for Their general accnrv IT,
however they should be erroneous, yu possess all the
materials for investigation, and can detect with
more unerilng ceI tainy than YOURSELF any faiIacy IN
tact or argument
The Members oCtl,e House of Delegates who voted
IN the affirmative, represented counties Containing
,ohHc population of SOS COS
Those who voted in the negative represented
counties containing ,ehita populations of 2io8l7
Leaving fheiargc maiprityo Of I2l75&
{" the ee ''f'fc popuiofon OF the commonwealth in
those those, counties whose Representatives voted for tie
Thccouncs whose Representative voted in the afr
native contain total population, 'chite and bh,h
81 IN 5i6,G03
Those whose Representatives voted against
The Bill, contain populato,,of 5o9,7oo
leaving majority of the whole population ,s ga
IN the affirmative Of Ho,""t
Again sir--it may be said, that although the Re
Presentatlves of majority of the tchoie population
/ 81 Virginia and OF a much larger majority of Ike
free ichHe population voted in favor of the Bill vet that
III ORDER to fair adjustment of representation upon The
basis OF numbers and taxation combined il is ncccssa
r to exhibit some account of tie fiscal resources OF the
communicable Yon will find, therefore, il by con-
SuIG tic official returns made the Legislature for
the year l82i the gross of the land arr! property
tax assessed upon the counties whose Delegates voted
IN favor OF the Bill was 22O32I6 81
Whist the gross chargeahle to
those counties whose representatives, voted
against the Bill, was only SIG77G7 SO
Leaving the difference of S3j479 81
IT, therefore you consider the strength Of the Com
monweahh in any point Of view represented in the
House OF Delegates not only the greater part Of
even the tohote po~q,ion, aud very large majority of
the j'Fe ichite population, the sne of tie BiiI, but
also decided prcPoncerancc in the OF Reeve
nue. pad iuto the Treasury The population and taxa
ton of the country in favor of the Eili-the voice
OF the people called loudly for its passage-nowilb-
standing which, sectional ieaousies and unfounded
alarms were permitted to their disastrous ilu
ence upon the deliberations Of the Senate OF all the
subjects which could have been presented TO the con
Iteration of that Body, this one of the greatest de
hcacy and Importance. The Bill in question did not
propose The establishment of any rule in Legisla
ton or civil poity. Ii did introduce any novel
principle into code the operation Of which might
be OF doubtful utility neither did it contain solitary
enactment which its berest enemies could condemn
u0inst oppressive Ii only provided tI.e means of
submitting to the revision ofthe soUe,cjgn Pc0pi, the
institutions created for their benefit, and for their
benefit only and proposed that they should exercise
in icCp pcGccftie and oreiy manner that priyi-
lege which is essentially and unaeuably teIrs.--But
81 has been said dat the opinions of the people have
not been fully and clearly ascertand, authorize
TIC passage OF law to collect those opinions-W on
dcrul Paradox-Before you grant the means OF de-
ClaruG the public voice you require that the public
voice shall have been declared-Would YOU bavc tue
whole Country TO rise and demand Tie passage
Of be BiIl2-fsuch should be the case there would be
no necessity for the preliminary step taking the
OF the people. Convention would be called at once
and there would be thanks due the Legislature for
tie previous enquiry into the public niud-By what
ntauation is this sort of quibbing permitted embaT
rassthc decision Of great and important question?
put to you sir this proposition, and ask YOU Re
publican Statesman to solve it, Either there is
Jorty Of tie people in favor Of Convention there is
Dotf there is not where is the harm of asceraining
the fact2-You and those who think with you will then
+Note-Thc free white population represented on each
de NJ the Convention question is asceaIncd IN the follow
ing manncrFhe number Of taxable first obtain
cd from the Financial reports made the legislature To
mat number are added 18th for free negroes and slaves not
oxa6le making The total nearly to correspond with the
\ total b0ck population reported in the Census Of 1920 The
black beng dedmctcd from nla ascertains