Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-08-04

''eo " on the day which the Com
, o W. % nai reported TO the House the plan they had
'o' nat That had been long hand disputed inch
they were woie with the eonenons IL had roduceJ AMI
o from mere lissilude have been induced open the
n,ne hey adopted in the house by way Of 10
the eommittee; and thus my preamble became
was passed the 29th Of June and the CON-
h had Only the day before that reported that
.n mat preamble prior competition 10 the decarstion
1n having tn. same object OF ustifying our separation
lu'uheaiion; and hence their mitude5
ms statement completely settles the point tina.
"eofGe Mason was the author, or, at least, the
wiH 1t OF both the Bill of Rights and Constitution
u. - 'nsinia' ana Thomas Jefferson the author Of
'ie preamble 10 the body OF the constitutions; but
.his statement contains still more important mat
'e's oil iact The first is That these inestimable
'.s'e papers were not the effects of sudden incon-
suefate excitements, as have been ASSERTED, by per-
sons unriend!y to them; but &c that they had
oeeh so long III hand, so disputed inch by inch,
ana the subject of so much alteration and debate
that they (the members of the conven,ion) were
worried win the contentious il had produced, and
couid not, from mere lassitude, have been induced
10 open The instrument again. The other most
important TACT is The constitution, with the pre-
ainoie, was passed on the 29th June (l776l-
- '' DIS MI Jeife SON recollection can be relied
on for that fact
Notwithstanding this fact is here positively stat,
signature OF J. C., makes the following assertion.
from THIS II must be Inferred that he doubted the
accuracy OF Mr.. Jetferson's statement As il regards
IN, IN particular day on which the Constitution of
virginia was adopted:
" Bat the Constitution of y-;r.;r;, ..,t,, y, 1T.
OF by nearly month"; and wa, wholly eomposei
49, whist rs known Dir. Jefferson was out o, the
% attending the Session of Consres Of Phiiadelpbian
The only morsel that can he aa,bered ~, ,bis
point from Marshai's Life of WASHINGTON. will
os iouha IN the following extrac, taken from the
-hu Voiume, pages 375-- 376: " AID in yirr-
ma me pubic sense was decisive on the subject,
ina, 'ne convention not only instructed their repre-
sn '",.Ees 10 move the resolution in grand coun-
Gu Oh the Continent, bu declared that Colony an
independent State before the measure ,as :,nc
1Iohed by Congress- MIR. Writ, in his Lie OF
"iieA tienry, Is more specific. In page 1876.
va" VIC iouhu me following statement: sOn We'd
"eSu%y 'he iZth oil June following that declaration
Vi rights, winch stands prefxed 10 our statutes was
.ePoi'eu ana adopted without dissenting voice,
as was also, on Saturday the 29lb of the same
month, the present plan of our Government We,
10 note annexed TO this identical parsar.pb. Mr.
'H' makes the following statement: fnt The
CONSTITUTION oil Virginia preceded the Declaration
"a independence by nearly month and was
WnoHy composed and adopted while Mr. Jefferson
Nno"h 10 nave been out of the state attending
'he session Of Congress a, Philsdelphia.'
is 1t not wonderful, at this dav, that any dopb.
should remain TO The identity of ,be a.v 1t
brought into practical operation and proclaimed r.,
' "oiiu 'he great principle of the natural rights
"a man, as me tue and only source of all righlu
governmental power! This subject has been lon-
u''~ei 'ne consideration OF the writer of this COM
'shc"on; MS attention has been particularly call
;n - "''i'n me last two years, and he had OIL
sinahy liked upon The 9Th of Nav. I776. NOT
wi'hout some doubts, as the day of the final ,don-
''on oil the BiH Of Rights and Constitution ofYir.
eihia The day, which first exhibited 10 the world
-. ne astonishing mental effects OF our wise. heroic
i''"s"ious fathers; the first in tie annals of HUI
'lIdn e' enis. This conclusion was formed from
90 examination OF the reading two of the editions
Oh the frginian Revised Code of Laws-,ybicb il
IN the iolIo" ing words:
Reused Code, &c I776.
" AT General Convention of Deleoa,e. 49,,
representatives, from the several Counties AMI
Corporations OF Virginia. held at the Capitol in
me CITY OF Williamsburg, on Monday. the 9Th of
NAY, I'.6." Then follow The Declaration of
,fna ana constitution OF Virginia. with the pre-
ample prehxed to the body of The constitution.
AFTER The preamble the following is the canton
to the constitution, as it appears In the Rer;so.,
Code: " VIC A'e''Seo
we, therefore, the Delegates and Repre.ep,.-
uVes OF the good people OF Virginia, having M
ture'y considered the premises, and viewing with
great concern the deplorable condition to which
'i'' ""ee happy country must be reduced, unless
il
any adopted, and in compliance with recommen-
Cation OF the General Congress, do or1Iain an1
declare The future form of government. of WIN;
10 be followeih" e'"'"'
Inc writer having compared these facts and doc,-
ments with the alleged version of the Cons,i,n,ie.
'Hsihia, as II appears in Darby's edition of
brooke's Universal Gazetteer conceiyes. that Tho
PNDi'sneIs OF tha' work have taken some unvar-
rantable liberties with that original and h.uo",
instrument. Mr.. Darby disclaims the cdi,orsSir
mat part OF The work, which processes TO ioiro-
duce the Constitution ofthe United States. and the
several States, in tie following words ,stan
from his preface 10 that valuable work
Inc edition OF the Constitution of the Tinted
otales, and OF the respective States which forms
part OF this volume, was added by The publisbors
~ o'uer 10 embrace general view of the geogra.
ply a"o constitutional law OF the United Slses.
was not the editor OF that part of the pnbl;ca
tIoni nor al reality ioGs formal ediforsbjn ~
d'spelsi6ly necessary for re-pyinfi,,g ,1o,tc,
aohlch "dnfted Of no change or addition ;,
Inc publishers IN 1928, the executors of W.,
Warner, late OF Philadelphia, have taken the IN
ty to omit the Bill Of Rights and the Prearbio .,
together; and instead OF the second section of H.
constitution as before introduced, herein taken
from the Revised Code, after the following s,a,n
Inent; ''d'e-
The constitution or form of cove n,rer, 49,,
to, and resolved upon by the delegates and e.
sentaiives OF the several counties and cornora,i.
OF Virginia, in General Convention. bsTd -
Williamsburg, on the 9Th of May, and coot;n,,eg
ty a9journmentS 10 the 5h of Jlly, I77s ,; ;r
PRODUCES the constitution under The following c..
uon--"i'noui numbering that or any of the o,bsr
secuohs' we the delegates and representative
OF the good people Of Virginia, do declare The G,,,,.
form OF government Of Virginia to be as folo,veL ~
The omission Of the preamble which ia An &C.,.
tai part OF the constitution itself and an ints,o,;