Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-07-08

myself that nc will hnd large majority Affirmative
How long has Mason embraced the idea that n Senator
representing large District country and population of
forty thousands better able express the wishes of hi,
constituents than the Delegate vino is in the daily ha
amiar Intercourse with them,On this subject, Mason
will not object, ii quote him very high authority lie
no doubt recoHecs able publication written dis
inguShed gentleman entitled "a SUBSTITUTE intended to
DC offered to the citizens OF Richmond the subject of
Convention The author of that publication with
great ear"estness the principle "cf laying off the Common
wealth INTO districts OF equal population for of
Delegates to the Assembly upon the principle of the
sessional representation."I it conceivable he asks
"'hat any chosen from district, would be
real representative of The people of purposes
state eglsiationtha he could represent their local te
rests their peculiar feelings, wants, Wishes"
have promised To prove that geuten, H. to wi,-the
Senators from the Districts of Augusta Nelson, Giles aud
hiddiesex voted in opposition wishes
St'uens; and this fact is made once, admitted
that tue peculiar feelings, and people,
are more correctly represented House Delegates
know not whether this admission vii! be made by ''Alason
oil 20, but am confident that the author fe Substitute
would not and could deny seeing that of his
mouth he would be COMMUNICATIVE Delegates from the
District OF Augusta &C. (Which is composed of three coun
teS) voted unanimously in Bill and il is noo-
rious that the people that district have been favorable
~ CONVENTION almost time out of memory. The
delegates from oae county only and thai one,
os't,c oil Nelson Nc (Which is composed of coun:cs(
voted against the Bel. One Delegate from another county
N mat District did also vote against the Bill, for which his
CONSTITUENTS refused 10 rc-elec him. The whole
aon of and the half ofane;cr Che two
populous) i'll the District Giles &c voted against :!c
Bill, leaving considerable majority in its favor and altbo'
III me District OF Mddesex, &c majority OF the
were in the negative the of population was ON the
other side Thus have demonstrated the most concl-
vey that the of the Senate, rejecting the Convention
SUI was not IN accordance with the feelings wants. and
wishes OF the people,
now turn to another topic, which has been magnied
INTO one OF great importance, and couccrnnp which; sonc
ol the most extraordinary crors and esons have rcvn
co. mean The question whether the reprcsrmon in the
rouse oil Delegates shall he apportIoned according to the
nee "hte population only the white black pnpua-
th taken together. earnestly solicit the attention or
Mason, and of my counymrn large. particularly of the
lower country t" the remarks which fnow-I beg
a' 'he lac'S ana calculations which submit may nc sub
ected 10 the scrutiny. They have been derived
pest sources OF have hren deliberately
weighed and fearlesy offered founded in the strict
est truth and mpa TALLY. Even acute and coupre
hehsve mind of Mason, escaped the inf of
s lf,ght'ui contagon In his first publication Goth
May last he says that whenever the attempt sha he made
10 "ppo!'on The representation without regard
populaton,-to place that property the absolute mower
VI ose' "lT nave little interest preserve it, the
strongest interest to overbthen it, il will be attended with
such contest between the people the different parts of
me state as tue Loudcun Cul.tcc indeed NAV think only
whOesome agitation of political atnosuhr bat AZ
SaI lhk ronvulSion porcuding the fearful
sequences the last public of the same wlitor in
"iusion I" the subject he declares, "Whche am falss
prophet or not will he determined whenever it shall be pro-
"sed 10 eq"nse and 'ppo'iiom Oh HE principle Ge
whte populaon) tie representation people, in that
h''f ttch slaibc nirtscd cM Me PoWer Of originating
2OHCy bis"
person not accustomed :he mistakes into which en-
",iN' u az PREJUDICE 50 frequently BETRAYED, would
be tempted believe from the Cnrepomu Gnot,tons ,,at
the commonwealth to be involved i'm some "a
amt"us destiny, and that some fearful convuson wa
Aey L" enddnser her peace her safety happiness
ne calm and nnisturbed enquirer would ask, why is all
~ up"'' 'nn alarm and Ton what purpose these APP
partitions c"Jucd up:-Suppose that the Consttutinn
w 90" should be ioImed, aud later must be
So" make the Tree white population the basis of rnDrr
Nrntaon in the icg~aturc,what are the mighty evils md
"ISctIlefs to arise from it:N the slave noDuIa op no
placed IN The absolute power those who have litt ,c
t 10 preserve IT, aud the strongest TO overbhen
Nv Ill that species of property he i'm dancer of onnr
rom those =" no will not be slave holders?-[.et
candid statement % facts these enquiries
70, an st'siral or political purposes, the has
NSu"liy oeeh divided to -four districts. The first conn
nEhcs upon the seaboar and extending the head of
"e-WAt"|' ccpsebeHding SO counties all the larse
towns of the Commonwealth; the 2nd from the mead .
Nde-waie L" the Blue Ridge, embracing p counties: the
$'d' between the Blue Ridge and Allesnany usually
hehomuhted the Valley having II counties; aud the I'M
Westo the Aieghary including 26 counties An i,n,ra
SO" very generally prevailed that the of the Slave
population lay III the LIST district and that the excess IN m
present representations was nothing lust eo,ii-
valeni Tor ITS excess i'll the number of slaves B viva,
the tact In the so counties towns n thu, i,,ric,
Wing oO representatives IN the House Delegates with
tofdt PopulaGon OF 391 1916, there ar, e6O lnk ;I
III me - counties of the 2nd dist having 81 Reprcscn
tatives and otal population only Of 371 MI ,tno
@O339i blacks; so that in the 2nd district with fever Re
personalities, by %, and snacr tofqI nonuIn,io h
1895 there is larger back ro,,I,ti 'P''t'"" ny
dred ''''-
What portion Virginia then. T cmplaticalTv ask c
rams inc slave holding population as mgh he infer
red from the dismal Jereniais which ba We beer Ia,, on
~ SUBJECT some little nuke which having ac-
49, "'Io"S sh"ie oI POiiuCdl resolved TO
retain IL: No. the black population (dcstiued TO he
e stalking morse OF that class of politicians who suecr
al every scheme of reform philanthropy are disperzed
almost IN exact proportion the great mass of the vo
people OF inc state and nearly cocxensivey with the hole
nhabltabe territory IT. indeed, the mass of the slave
Pulaon Is on the east side of the mountains so also is
large majority of the white population Tho present
sentaon IN the House Of Delegates consists Of II members
OIL W"o l04 are from the east, and so from the west side
OF the Blue Ridge If the representation should mo {
toned according TO the number free whites how i,u
would stand the relative political influence OF these two,
secu'S Ihe east would lose precisely members still re-
tanning the decided majority Of 36 in the Legislature Let
DC observed too hat the Counties Jefferson Frederick
augusta Eockbndge and others situated the Valley are
large slave holding Counties, and that according To everv
reasonable calculation, majority Of from 40 to 80 would
always be found deeply interested protection of slave
property from the rapacy and injustice of those who mich,
be disposed to oveTburthen it, In truth this leuou of die
cord, so called by the author the Su5s1e is bu,
mere scarecrow, which makes most hdeous noise indeed
but IS utterly powerless and harmless
One fact more deserves be mentioned nc strati, tho
absurd nisaPPrehensons which have been indugcd If
mere IS any portion of this Commonwealth n do not be-
'evc there is) really disposed oyerburhcn v axaon r
oef injurious measures the slave property that portion
mus be TIE extreme Western district. Ir that district with
q rec population of 132S97, there only about 1917