Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-07-09

thority and duty are pointed out by the
constitution!
The Stanton meeting is, second
time. assimilated to the Hartford Con-
yention, and some compliments, in
| which,. the writer Of this essay, never
did, and never can concur. are paid to
the motives Of the latter, in order to sus-
tain this similitude. GA Freeman's"
objection to that Convention, without
looking back to antecedent discontents,
and to the actual disobedience OF the
federal authority, prompted and sus-
tanned by some of its members, was,
thata sought, or affected to seek, unattain-
able amendments of the constitution, in q
mode di6erent from that, ,chich the consti-
tuition had itself expressly provided; and,
in so doing, in the midst Of foreign ,car
and actual inrasion, to say nothing OF
alarming discontents, at home, it seemed
10 threaten, fit did not actually endanger
the existence of the union, and with it the
security, freedom and happiness Of all
its members.
There are, now, no threatening dan
gers from abroad; no serious dissen-
tons at home; and moreover, though
most unhappily it must be acknowledge
ed, the Constitution of Virginia, unlike
that of the United States, contains no
provision for ats amendment. Away then
with the resemblance between the
Staunton Meeting and the Hartford
Convention, which exists, only in the
iaundiced imagination of prophet
of discord
Judge Brockenbrough, who is known
to be an amiable man; and who, more
over, approves of convention, does
not approve OF the Staunton meeting.
He also disapproves of any address
from the people of any one county or
corporation, to the people of any other,
| in favor of convention. He would,
if correctly understood, obey the in
structions of majority of the whole
| people, in voting for the call of a con-
vention, but not those of single dis
trict or county, though he were the i'm
mediate representative Of that county
or district. He would, on the subject
of convention, leave the counties to
themselves; that is, to act separately,
and apart from one another. He also
doubts, and Mr.. Leigh, for that reason
quotes his authority, with commenda-
ton, whether there is at present ma
jority Of the people in favor OF con-
vention.
Now, without some cotemporaneous
expression of opinion by the people,
how are such doubts to be removed?
And if the legislature cannot, or will
not, provide for an unequivocal express
sion of the public sentiment; and the
people cannot, or ought not to do SO,
by deputies, elected for that purpose by
themselves, what remedy remains, but
patient and silent submission, which,
according to this reasoning, would be
as much duty, under the most intole-
rable, as under the slightest grievan-
ces.
Will separate and disjointed petitions
answer? What security, have you, or
can you provide, but by law, that their
subscribers will be freeholders, or even
free white male citizens; or that they
shall have any existence whatever, but
in name?
Had the constitution, indeed, fur
nished provision for its amendment,
there would be some force in several of
the objections to the Stanton meeting,
which are urged at present, without a
plausible pretext to sustain them
Some friends of political reform await
its approach, as the untutored Indian
the return Of the sun, in quiet and silent
reverence some expect it to come
upon them like their dreams, while
asleep: others desire the end, loud e.
nough, to make their voices audible,
but reject, or repel the preferred means
of its attainment.
Judge peterborough is certainly
correct, in considering the representa-
tive of every county, of the smallest, as
well as the largest, bound, in relation to
this question, by the voice of a MAORI
ty of the ,chole people, and not Of all the
counties. Who would rely on the will
of majority of the representatives Of
all the counties, without computing
their relative population; when such a
majority might, in fact, represent but a
small minority Of all the people? The
concurrent votes of the delegates OF a
county, or the single vote ofthe senator
of particular district, may afford pre-
sumptive evidence that the people OF
such county, or senatorial district think
as their representatives. But MIR.
Leigh infers the will of so, 900 people,
from the votes Of their two senator's,
not only in despite of the opposite tes-
timony of their delegates, but OF the
wishes Of the very same people, solemn
ly expressed at their spring elections.
This topic both merits, and requires
| r. ~