Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-12-09

the gradual change Of circumstances. Of favor
ing progressive improvement, have clune -
old abuses intrenched themselves behind Ste.
dyhabi,s, and obligng their subjects to seek
through blood and violence, rash and ruinout
Innovations, which had they been referred to
the peaceful deliberations, and collected vic.
dom OF the nation, would have been put into ac.
ceptabe and salutary forms. Let US follow
no such examples, nor weakly believe that one
generation is not as capable as another Of tall
ing care of itself, and Of ordering its own ar
fairs. Let US, as our sister states have done
avail ourselves OF our reason and experien,s
to correct the crude essays Of our frs, and nm.
experienced, although wise, virtuous, and we'll
meaning councils. And lastly let US Drov;ds
in our constitution for its revision at stated no.
RODS. What these periods should be. narpr.
herself indicates. BY the European tables of
mortality, Of the adults living at any one mo.
ment of time, majority will be dead in a.
bout 10 years; and al the end Of that period
then new majority is come into place, or in
other words new generation is as indepen.
dent OF the one preceding, as that was of ali
which had gone before; it has then, like them
right to choose for itself the form Of govern
| ment il believes most promotive Of its own
happiness; consequently 10 accommodate TO the
circumstances in which il finds itself tina, re.
ceiyed from its predecessors; and it is for the
! peace and good Of mankind that a solemn or.
porlunty Of doing this every lo or 90 years
| should be provided by the constitution, so that
it may be handed on with periodical repairs,
| from generation to generation to the end Of
time, if any thing human can long endure
II is now 40 years since the constitution Of Vir.
! ginia was formed. The same tables inform U,
that, within that period, two-thrds ofthe adults
| then living are now dead. Have then the re,
naming third, even if they had the wish, the
right to hold in obedience to their will, and to
laws heretofore made by them, the other two
thirds who with themselves compose the pre-.
sent mass of adults? The dead! But the dead
have no rights, they are nothing, and nothing
cannot own something. Where there is no sub.
stance, there can be no accident. This corpo.
real globe, and every thing upon it, belongs to
its present corporal inhabitants, during their
generation. They alone have right to direct
what is the concern Of themselves alone, and 10
declare the law of that direction: and this de
claration can only be made by their ma jory
That majority then has right TO depu,e repre-.
sentatives to Convention, and to make the
constitution what they think will be best for
themselves. But how collect their voice? this
is the real difficulty. If invited by private au.
thority to county or district meetings, these di.
visions are SO large tha, few will attend, and
their voice will be lmperfec,ly or falsely pro-
nounced. Here then would be one Of the adj
vantages OF the ward divisions have proposed.
The mayor of every ward, on question like The
present, would call his ward together, take the
simple yea or nay Of its members, convey these
to the county court, who would hand on those
Of all is wards to the proper general authority,
and the voice Of the whole people would be
thus fairly, fully and peaceably expressed, dis.
cussed and decided by the common reason Of
the society. II this avenue be shut to the call
Of sufferance, it will make itself heard through
that Of force, and we shall 60 on, as other ma.
tons are doing, in the endless circle Of oppres.
sion, rebellion, reformation; and oppression, re.
bellion, reformation again, and so on forever.
| These, sir, are my opinions of the govern.
ments We see among men, and of the principles
by which alone we may prevent our own from
falling into the same dreadful track. have
given them at greater length than your letter
called for, but cannot say things by halves;
and / conhde them TO your honor, so to use
them as to preserve me from the gridiron Of the
public papers. If you should approve and En-
force them, as you have done that of equal re-
presentation, they may do some good if not
keep them to yourself as the illusions of wi
thered age and useless time.
shall, with not less truth, assure you Of my
great respect and consideration.
TIL: JEFFERSON.