Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-06-16


reform were charged with attempting ''to
weaken the authority of the laws" and with
using the cry of "reform," merely "to collect
and condense all the discontents that were
floating in the community, and, by condensing
to increase their intensity and exasperate
their ferceness"-then it was that the venai
writer's of the government, who terrified the
imaginations of the people with all these
sschmeras Dire" were justly stigmatized as
"alarmists."
How far the critic may be considered as one
of that class of politicians, may in part be ga.
thered from the quotations have just made
from the publications on which am comment
ing.
But in the same breath that the critic CON-
plains of the reproachful denomination invent
ed by the committee, he initiates the evil ex-
ample, by styling them the "decemriri OF Lou
doun;"a denomination more reproachful than
that of "alarmists," since the decemviri OF
of Rome were tyrants and usurpers.
Another exception taken to the brief adj
dress or notification of the Loudoun commit
tee, is, that ''it deigns not to offer one word
of argument" The answer is, that in pa
per of that sort, an argument would have
been misplaced He might as we'll complain
that subpoena in chancery does not contain
the whole history of the plaintiffs wrongs.
An examination of the present state of our
representation in the general assembly will
present to the mind of every man ola free and
republican spirit an unanswerable argument in
favor of an amendment of the constitution.
The constitution of Virginia was framed in
haste; amid the din of arms. Its trainers had
not time and opportunity, if they had been so
disposed, to take down and build up anew the
whole fabric of government and internal poll
sy. Moreover they might justly apprehend
that, by altering too many things in their new
plan of government, they might disgust peo-
pie fond of the institutions of their fathers
The people of Virginia, be it remembered,
were then but young republicans, and the fra
mers of the constitution might justly appre-
bend that the public mind was not prepared
for concurring at once in many innovations.
They found the state divided into counties of
unequal size, each of which, under the old
regime, sent two representatives to the gene
raj assembly. An attempt to deprive the
smaller counties of a part of the power or
weight in the government which they had
been accustomed to enjoy, would have been,
at that period, highly impolitc and dangerous.
Disguised with scheme of liberty which
commenced with curtailing their privileges,
they might have fallen back into the bosom Of
monarchy as the preferable system. Wisely,
then, under the circumstances in which they
were placed, did the trainers Of the constitu-
ton declare, that the house ofdelegates should
be composed of two representativesfrom each
of the counties, however differing in size and
population.
They were well aware that the theoretical
perfection of the system they were laying the
foundation of was an equal representation Of
the people in the Legislative bodies; and that
by comforting on small body or portion ofthe
people as great share Of political power as
was conferred on bodies or portions much lar
ger, they violated the natural inherent rights
ofthe.individuals composing the larger bodies.
The injustice and hardship of unequal repre-
sentation was no new idea. 1t had long been
theme of popular discussion in England, and
the intelligent and well educated men who
formed our constitution were doubtless fami-
liar with all the details ofthe argument. But
they were compelled by circumstances to vio-
late their own notions of right, hoping and
expecting that more tranquil period would
come, when the people, more familiar with
the principles of free government, would
heartily and unanimously concur in ''recur-
renee to fundamental principles"
They did not foresee, moreover, the enor.
nous increase of the inequalities which then
existed among the counties. They did not
foresee that time would arrive
When twenty counties in the upper coun-
try, containing 223, 26l free white inhabi,
tants, would have no more weight in the
government than twenty counties on tide
water, containing only 5o,971;
When the six smallest counties in the state,
compared with the six largest, would en-
joy mine and one half times as much poll
teal power and weight as they were en-
titled to;
When freeman of Warwick county would
have as much political weight and power
as t,oenty-seren freemen ofLoudoun, Ere
derrick or Shenandoah.
All these things they did not and could moi
foresee nor did they, nor could they foresee,
nor would they have believed though one had
| arisen from the dead and foretold it. that when