Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-03-07
To The Erseholders of the County Of Fairfar:

close, and the season is approaching when you
are to select again Delegates to represent you
in the lower House Ordinarily this election is
not of any great momeIt,-at the present cri-
sis it is of incalculable importance. Thou
sands and tens of thousands OF the people re-
spectfully petitioned the Legislature not to call
a Convention, but simply to designate moae
in which the question should be submitted 10
the freeholders, under the sanction oil law, 'o"e,
ther IL ,ras their sovereign pleasure TO demand one:
The people are the fountains OF all power; In
Virginia the freeholders are the people. why
not, when they petition for it, submit to these
discreet men this simple question! Are they
so silly and wild, that they, the freeholders, are
not to be trusted to record their own votes!-
Are they so corrupt, so false to themselves,
that their own servants are to insult them, by
declaring to them-"this is theme too dam
oerous. too high for YOU: you shall not touch
it,"
When this interesting subject was brought
to the test in the House of Delegates, 81 voted
for, and lol against it. The 81 represented "a
bout 100000 more of the white people OF Vir-
ginia than the lOl. Thus are we compelled
to witness the Notifying aud disgraceiul spec
tacle, of a minority deciding against large
majority of the people that, in what vitality con-
Germs that people, they shall not be licensed TO
express their sentiments. 1T any man tancles
this will be long endured, let him take the word
of very humble prophet, that very few years
will dispel his delusion. There are many now
who cali aloud for resort to the people In their
primary capacity. do not concur with them.
love order, and prefer still longer persever-
ance in the appeal to the constituted authorl-
ties. Already the Senate have protested their
readiness to obey the voice OF their consutu-
ents This Senate, although 1t but impertectly
represents the people, is not so grossly and scan
dalously UNEQUAL as the House OF Delegates
Hence this change of opinion: In the other
House. although majority of 100000 have
virtually proclaimed that this question shall be
placed before the freeholders, yet the minority
have drowned their voice, and again we are to
be the living victims of injustice oppression.
OF to lol. Change 5, and the work Will be &C.
complished. A single County with the lily Oh
Richmond, where the cause OF truth ana the
people is gaining ground, might have the no
nor of reforming an absurd Executive, equailz-
ing an unjust Legislature, cheapenlng our,
densome government, renovaunS w.eo'heu
crippled judiciary, and infusing new lie into
mournful and decaying Commonwealth
will ado, might have the glory OF extending
70 all the safe and steady citizens OF the State,
that suffrage of which they were roooed 0! an
arbitrary and abandoned king. Surely, men OF
Fairfax, men, in the bosom OF whose oouh'!
res, the ashes of the immortal Washington, you
owe to yourselves, and to your Country,to SNARE
off the yoke of prejudice, and unite IN 'l'e ooin
mon struggle for reform.
Are there those who say cit is true Justice
and the rights of others: policy and me Interest
of the State require that these things be altered
n r Ioeer ybo Ho
magnanimous people world disdain to declare
to their fellow-citizer.s 1--WE cannot consent to
accord to YOU yo,ir rights, because forbidden
by our interests. This would be like saying te
man in private life-"this money is your due
but you shall not have it, because 1t is not my
interest to deliver it to YOU" The upright
mind rejects unhesitatingly such proposition
But simple reference to facts will clearl,
prove, that Fairfax will gain power by equaliz
ing representation. The white population o
Virginia is 6oo,o oo that of Fairfax is $500; ant
there are 2l4 Delegates, Of which this count!
has two, ora hundred and seventh part. l
Fairfax had only 5000 she would be entitled t.
hundredth part of the delegation, but, as SHIT
has $500, she is entitled to ninety-thlrt
part. That is, she loses, BY representation a
it is. IA per cent on her just weight, or, wha
is nearly the same, about one-seventh part
it. A like process of arithmetic, which sheW
that one-hfth is more than tenth, leads to thu
result Thus, then, love power, and love
of Justice, combine to induce us to seek this sa
lutary change.
Truly, our situation is at once melanchol!
and ridiculous. Works of time, and thousands
of dollars have been spent by the Legislature
in debating whether man might marry hi:
wife's sister or not, as if there were no Other
fine women in the country. Grave Legislation
has given sixpences for killing the crows tha
are cawing in solitary triumph over our forsa
ken old fields, and making occasional incur
sions into our corn. Amonth, at least, has beer
consumed in defining oontempts of courts, ane
most wisely providing that for such contemp
a citizen shall not be imprisoned more than
month or two, nor fined more than 500 dollars
when the oldest man in the State does not re
collect the infection of any such punishment
This same Legislature has lett the adjoining
district without any Superior Court at all fol
two wears. Upwards Of thirty accused crimi
nails clank their chains, and exclaim, when, oh