The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-03-25

llnus. they void noi l." able, with the
accumulae3 experience Oi forty years IN
be- career Of po,lies, lrgishlIon and Tree
dun. to gi,eus a mare pprfectcoustltufion
Tor II vas IN great part the work At their
hands, al Ii ilnr when we were literally
The subjects of England ? II surely cannot.
But oar opponents have pointed Us. with
triumph aud exultaiiOu. 10 tie experiment
mtde b, NV York AID some of her sister
states. We cannot, for on lives, see the
jn.!ice ri the conclusion they have dawn
FROM tie premises. II Is most true that
seN York has twice amended her constl
tuition, and Massachusetts. Delaware, Ma
ryland. South Carolina and Georgia once ::
AID il is equally trup that every state in The
Union except Rhode Island, North Carroll
M, Pennsyls aula, New Jersey and Virginia
have in Their several constitutions clauses
providing for Their own mendmcnf] Bot
We would enquire what are the EVIL copse
auencrs that have resulted from their
amendments Are these States less free,
less happy, less furnishing and less respec
table than their sister Stat, 8, or Virginia, if
tlty plrasr? Have they been rent by III
testlae division and cilildiscord: Have
their population aud resources diminished
their great men dwindled iutoinslgnlticance;
Have these States sunk in the scale Of the
confederacy2 Take New York, for exam
ple-Oucp the 4hrd or fourth state in the
Union. And where is she now Giany a
bow shot before all the rest in talents, pc
puatlou, aud moral and physical resources.
Compare her with the Old Dominion aud
what nan ri her Sons but must Shrek from
the comparison? Who bat must feel a
glow of shame suffuse his checks, and a
pans of regret pierce his bosom in behold
ing the conf asst. And may not the same
thing, in degree. br affirmed OF all the rest
whose territorial extent admitted of suCh
developemrnt ? Yet Vlrgiaia--the an
cient and venerable guia--bcholds the
sceptre of power and lefuenCe transferred
from her hande-hrr population wasting
away-her ID tral aud physIeal strength
sinking, without last effort to regain
taem--She lanSuishes on her bed Of disease
in a confirmed atrophy: her great men
stand by her bedside; but TOO un kilfai To
understood or administer to her disease,
ass me an an Of tastillan gravity and hau
tenr and if they DO not hatter the patient
into belief lhat her very intirmily is r0seate
h a,th. in the true spirit of modern Sangra-
dos they administer cup of warm water,
aud pronounce her well L. do.
With these arguments, and many such,
DOW forgotten, the question had been dis
cassed with an intense interest throughout
our state. A majority Of the people, as
sert without fear Of contradiction, dec Jared
on the side OF the conveniionists, and may
- further, and with truth alirm, that the
List legislature assembled particularly char
ged with the sense of the people on the
question The lower house, always the
true index of popular sentiment, declared
h"'r belief, 10 the passage ot a bill Tor The
pnrpos" of taking the SENSE of the people.
that al least a respectable number OF our
population desired a Cpurentlna. This bin,
80 harmless IN its provisions, 4 bill which no
wise legislature would hesit,te 10 pass, even
for the qualification of few maIcontents :,
DAY, more, the passage of this bill, To VII II
MAJORITY ol. the good people of Virginia
had looked To with 30 much sohcit0dr,Was
lncontinently strangled in the senate y Is
honorable senators, WHO by their vote rs
sumed to themselves the censorship al
public oplnian and poitcs, and set mp th'Ir
wis and wishes in nposition To those o.
the whole stlte Thy even transcribed