Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-06-03

hce of tbeir high handed and anti, republican, doc,r;uao
f The effect which these papers were designed 10 prodnce
to wit, TO damp and discourage che friends of rec5rn ;S
most Obvious; and in endeavouring to accompIis, This
design, their author has tasked his utmost ingenu;ty 80
pervert the piaInest terms OF our language. Had he
f confined himself, however, TO this a ir.snnn ,,r;, :,
which the adroitness and subtIet, of a special rloaiar
are so conspicuous, or had done no more than racl, III.
imagination 10 coiUure up those 'gorgons, hydras and
chineras Dire which TEEN in his terrified visions
the whole OF ms reasonIDSS and prophecies mirI, have
been left TO the sober sense and Discrimination oc tho
public. But, when il is sought, by insinuations and in
uendoes against a distinguished advocate of the conven-
tlon, TO WELD the prejudices which may exist towards
that individual in he 49, Of some, so as 10 operate
against the cause which ~ 5.pouses, Justice demands
that some public notice Should he taken of such mis-.
guided zeal and intolerance. The most OK traordin,ry
thing IN the whole affair is. that although tl.rouphont
1he hrst and last publication, Colonel Mercer is mani
'esuy held up To public odiutn, yet the author profrsses
10 have been zone of those who thought well of him and
ieit kindly towards him.n-From such kindness and
friendship, L for one would devoutlv pray TO be deliv.
creu. open and avowcd cnmity would be infinitely pre-
teraoie TO that mockery OF kindness, which while il pro-
iesseS u KISS, is ready 10 betray its object. ANY other
spirit but that ofkindly sympathy, must have dictated the
CLOSING paragraph of the last address, wherein, after ex-
pressing a doubt of Mr.. MERGERS retractine the sen,i-
lneii's ascFloed to him, IT is affirmed that che is cut off
from the common beneft of penitence, and truIv he has
done deed of which the bitterest tears of repentance cond
never wash away the remembrance" When the dispas-
Siorate enquirer has learned the nature of this mirbtv AMI
atrocious offence, this "deed without a name ~ Ills ~
strous and objectionable sin, which no repentanco NO
tears no contrItIon can expiate-his horror and detesta-
non al the alleged enormity will be CHANGED into mirtb-
M ieEny' II not INTO contempt for the accusation. He
VIII understand that this imputed iniouitv is notbinr
ciH MOI iess 'oan Tue exercise of one of the plainest
privileges OF a citizen, deprived ofwlich the freemen of
',nBtma would be reduced TO the condition ofthc most
aoJect slaves. Col. Mercer has dared. without askinr
Per,hlsSio Oh The constituted authorities, without preyi-
onsly consulting the holy alliance, or any other tribe of
dlctators on tins or the other side of the Atlantic. To
unite in requesting the corporation of all the friends or
reform IN eyIsIng lawful and e~xpedient means in pro-
curing a convention TO amend the defects of orr state
cohstuution."- n more moderate, temperate and ration
al address, combining prudence with frmness. and
energy with wisdom, could not have been connoscI-
v hllsi II dIsdalns TO employ a servile tone, il carefuII,
aostanns from all aSpcrity of language and all angry in
VcctiTe. 1t is mild and persuasive without meanness,
manly and resolu,e without arrogance. No other man.
perhaps, IN this community, save only s.NIason of 70 -
could have dlscerned so many hideous faults i'm a rro-
dnction winch IS not surpassed for the dignity and mild
ness CT ITS sentiments! That Imagination must be more
IMAM ordinarily diseased which can discover in the deli
beFaitions of a body of freemen, invited to assemble and
consult upon Tie public, good, any traces of resemblance
to the military parliament of Cromwell, or to the iaco-
OH cum o. iarls. IL this comparison was not intended
to be made, why did 'AIasonn refer 10 those anomalous
cases IN the history ofhuman folly? Having assumed
the name of che Of the venerable founders of our indie
Pcndence' why did he not refer 10 that memorable nra,
Tor examples w'ilclh though not precisely in point have
4 far greater resemblance tn the PURPOSES and objects
OF the pr"T"-ed meeting at Stanton? If the Datriots
and friends of the revolution. who were i'm a state
OF colonial snbIectIon,-whn had no constitutional or
- " ~NpFG'N DIIl.SI lUtllDlOn--n tncE
were justified in assembling and associatinr toeelller.
without permitting r~oyalsts and tories to Join in iheir
consuitatIons,-much more isany portion of The people
M Tins tree commonwealth, where the right to alter or
[ abolish existing institutions is solemGly secured, justified
m dciIberatIng among Themselves, and consulting togo
thcr upon the best means of cfecting their object. And
yet the great crime imputed by E'NIason' to the Loudoun
committee and TO Col. Mercer as the prime mover and
instigator of the whole proceedings, is that of inviting
the friends ola convention, eccAusiCeiy, to assemble toee-
thor. ''Mason" is angry that he and his friends are not
permitted to ION in thcir cDuSuIt1tinre and If courso
J dictate the mode which shall be adopted by tie conven-
tlonists to effect their object. He forgets that at that
meeting the abstract ~Prof:iety of calling a convention
VIII scarcely be discussed. The question for them 10
decide viii bc,-t6 whom and in what mode shall the
great question OF a convention, or no convention, be
referred, to the Legislature again, or to the people,
1t VIII not be necessary 10 notice all the indiscrect
aud incorporate expressions which ''Dlasonn has used,
such as, That the Loudoun address is ~ open deelaI a
ton OF war against the existing government"-'.the
proposed Stanton meeting is the erection ola new DOW
or in tils commOnwCalth"-and ssthat from that body.
when 1t assemblies, we may expect no real discussion
but dictation enough Such remarks are only calcu-
lated to shew the blind and indiscrininate zeal with
which higots of every kind, whether political or religi
Gus, are ready to hunt down and Willy their opponents.
But how lIIIheral-how i~Trpoltic in "Mason"ifh he wish
es To obtain implicit confidence in his asscrtions-how
disingcnuous the attempt, to make it appear, that be-
= cause probably not more than 1000 citizens petitioned he
Legislature, therefore an inconsidcraGlc portion of the
peoPleo OF aJeU counties only, demand a revision of the
constitution. "AlasOn" himself well knows, that in near.
: y 40 or so counties at the Spring elections of 1924, apoll
was opened to ascertain the sentiments Of the people, and
that from the various results, it has remained to this
. day a question Of considerable doubt, whether a ma.
= lority of the state be, or be not, for a convention
! The popular branch Of the Legislature, giving effect to
the wishes ut its constituents, resolved that the ques-
} ton should be furry tried, and the question would
have been fairly tried, and perhaps put to rest for
a quarter of a century at least, but for the cxtraordina-
ry and anti republican course of a majority Of the last
Senate. "Mason' may assert what he pIeases, but
|, say, and am prepared 10 prove. that not only one dis
tmguished member of the last Legislature, but that
many members, did deny the right of the Legislature
, TO tnee Tie sense Of tie people on the S1dJe,t If n con
. rentton. | do not Tecoliect what number maintained
, this doctrine an debate, butt il IS most certain, that many
urged It in private as an excuse for voting against the
bill. Thus it is,-if the Cunventionists ask that the
. Legislature will take the sense Of the people according
II IN inc, we are told that the Legislature cannot lend IFS
u aid TO its own subversion,-th the people alone have
Z power 90 move in the mattcr.-If, on the other hand
the slightest intimation is made Of appealing directly
to the people, VIC are astounded with the cry of treason,
q anarchy and revolution!
The follou;nO poesaoco in the 7 oudoun oddroee rae,