Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-09-16

without being heard might be willing to withhold
their allegiance from the self-copstituted author
ties at Head Quarters are too .imid. too pacihs,
IN their dispositions to incur the dplessurs of the
,nquisiton, under whose immediate cognzanct
their suffrage ia rendered.
Thl. is a mere sketch Of the outlines Of this most
ridiculous and contemplate system-a minuter de-
linestion Of which, have not leisure at present to
exhibit. Its degrading and inAauitous operations
are we'll known, and most bitterly lamented ~
thousands Of ofenlightened and vrtuous men, througs
the State, who have for q long time unsuccessfuily
raised their voices and exerted their talents, to e.
feet its destruction, with view Of building ups
system of ra tional freedom on its ruins But 80
many interests are involved in the continuance Of
the predominant state of things, and - much preju'
dice must be overcome, and so much ambition con-
quered, before a reformation could be introduceo'
that the genuine friends Of liberty will have hard
struggle TO encounter, before they succeed. Ihe
tenure Of erisiing Offices in the State, with few exc
ceptions. from the highest to the lowest, depends
upon the prevalence Of the old regime and ere any
of the prominent abuses can be rooted out the
Constitution must be amended, and when the work
of amendment commences, it is not probable that 1t
will stop until there is radical meioraton Of all
the defective parts oil that deiormed instrument
Hence every interest, the most remote, IN any
wise likely to be endangered by reformation, 10
opposed to it.
In enumerating the causes which dsrken the
judgment, and suppress, or overrule the will Of the
people, omitted to mention the insquality Of re.
presentation, occssioned by the delegation being
| regulated by mere local boundaries. without any
regard to the amount of population.
The consequence ofthis is, that decided major.
ity of the free inhabitants OF the State are virtually
without any in legislation. county COM
tanning population oftwenty-fvs thousand 'osis'
has but two Representatives in the House Of Defe'
gates, and county comprising a population OF bus
three thousand, has the same number. Hence the
little, old, worn out counties contiguous to the sea-
board, embracing meagre white population, and
swarmipg with slaves. govern the deliberations OF
the Legislature, and consequently impart to the
State its political character.
This is the miser able condition to which the high.
minded Vrginan, who thinks, aud would act TO,
himself, IF he could, is compelled to submit! Ho
feels the yoke upon his neck, and vainly attempts to
cast it off. He endeauors TO move, and he finds his
| limbs surrounded with shackes That the day Of
vrgnia's deliver is not for distant, ente-taiu
no doubt but before it arrives, the stormy conflict,
whose sullen mutterings already heard rolling
among her hills. will sweep from her mountain
| tops to her lowland shores.
You perceive therefore, that in the present state
of things. the issue of election in Virginia doe,
not affol any thing like fair criterion OF the gen.
uine sentiments of the virtuous and independent
portion of her citizens and that all calculations az
to the probable result Of the next Presidential Eeo.
tion there founded upon principles of political and
moral virtue, must be extremely. uncertain, if NOT
entirely fallacious.
The people are in need OF illumination. Theit
eyes are enveloped in mist clouds of which are
perpetually thrown around them from the press Of
RITCHIE & GooCH. The rays flight which sms.
nate from other press Is in the State. have to en-.
counter too much of this darkness. which pa, been
gathering for years. Ifths Constitutiona1 Whig.
the Lynchburg Virginian, and the Winchester Re.
publican, could be brought to act upon every part
Of the State, they would soon scatter the gloom
with which its moral and political atmosphere 10
loaded and obscured. ] entertain sauguine hopes.
that the Wing, which, from its location at the seat
ofgovernment, has more power than the other able
and liberal presses which have named, will ulti.
mately carry into every porto. Of the State cor.
rective for the doctrines which are disseminated by
the Enquirer.
The Wing is conducted by gentleman. no less
respectable for his original strength of mind and in
tolectual requirements, than for the elevation and
expansion Of his moral and political principles Il
isgreaty desirable therefore, tha, his paper should
receive the patronage to which, on his own &C.
count, and more especially on account of the inter.
ests ofhis native State, il is entitled.
But the Enquirer has been SO long regarded asa
sort of nfallioie oracle, in Virginia, and 80 much
pains have been taken by the Richmond factionists
and their minions, to inspire passive submission
to its dictaton that majority Of its readers look
upon any dissent from its doctrines, a. an alarming
heresy.
Hence, IL il inconsistently, and in the face ofib
own avowcd opinions, concerning the character.
acts, and political sentiments of Gen. jackson,
should, as it manfesty indicates disposition to do
-espouse his pretensons for the Presidency-it
4 "a