Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-08-18

7 Is v.ahOv
SENS OF government, to promote the moral md inellec
,u"' improvement of man, thus TO muIt;py and a.
@ Nus comforts and enoyments, has been sufficiently ,es
'" oy experience IL is becoming the desire nj -,
IONS And Notwithstanding the u,fayourabIe .rn.a,
ana asooufaging retogessions, we have Witnessed
i"' ''e last twenty or thirty years among the ma lions of ~
rope am still inclined nope, that is the destined ~;
S'rnt IN the hand OF Providence of redeeminu the mil
nous ct The human from the tyranny and cn,,,o.
OF iew of its individuals. iF
"' 'h's system is subject law, which has for w;
other Lr,na, CO.. p,'loses oeen impressed an every
decay. '' any
We build with villa, we deem eternal rorL
~ INSTANT age asks where the fabric stood.
10 counefac' this general descending tendency Of all
human concerns; to stem this current: sec,e %
e the cei part Of business and ,luv in mis- vol,
~. "nss alone; drop poles and oars; and ourselves
I'm al our affairs, individual and POLITICAL be, in mn,.
a'ateiy to iloat backwards downwards In ,Is ,
"o long continued struggle,it may serve To cheer ana In;
"u '.o's TO consider that by their juiicious iii
~ "'' "'''e,"i'ttd application, may do more than
prevent our condition from becoming worsc we NAV ,t
real and daily advances in impro, ing it.
system Of civil government may either he i,p,;,od M
Inc agency o its administrators, gradually bendrr H.
rules OF Which it consists from their original shane q,
may not only be rendered for answering tho
i"ence OF the changes, which necessarily norc nm IN
''r statistical circumstance. of every comnuii,v "
In England the places which have sometimes hoo, Gala,
rotten bornughs and which now owned tv ,,c or = -
'cw PERSONS We're Doubtless the they we're cbarnr
=" "i'n the privilege of sending member to Parliament
!io"f'shins commercial manufacturers towns. and -;
ms STATE the population of the county OF Warwick or
V, mo thar half
flax. '"''"' vi MAJ
frequent attempts have made, in The course of Tho
,aSt nifty years. Il" equazc representation in the Bri,isb
't!hmeh where representative legislation was first o.
t"'shf'i but they have all proved unavaing and be
Iievc IT is now generally understood, this abuse wbi
has every where tendency, only to increase in cxen,
o"t 10 epeuate its existence. long since ,rans
cemtrd the limits, within which alone :orrcrnn h -,
regulation practicable. nj British statesman now taIt
seriously OF Parliamentary reform.
MS evil IN wouli ,ror.,
= /, H.,
t." lis ultimate point of naigny, that it would neycr
increase Beyond its present dmcusons But this sun,nsi
~ o"'" ho' ne true. 1t rs daily increasing, or in the
present course "i things will continue increase TO am
undehnablc and unknown extent. 1t arpcars FINN ,h.
''''e last censuses, that the population The large veal
NY an" pni"'"s oonnrs between the of tide water
ana 'he Allegheny mountains, has the last twenty ny
'"'F yc',S creased and from the inprovahI cha
rucFT Z" the soI continue nce ase i'm a tio ,ct
greater ah mat OF the other counties of State Tho
tine seems fast approaching, when shall no onoer he
able 10 talk, with proud rcfe, cnce q, rho e., "
sc"cc o! our SYSTEM about rotten boourb ,enr
scn'a'ion al tie British Parliament Whether Inc day NJ
rc'nrm h"S passed over US also remains be seen.
Whiic the United States British, Colonies tIcv al
ways freely Acknowledged Executives but as ,n;f,rI
iisciaimed the Legislative sovereignty of the o,c co
Try; and the and sole question of the Ieyou,inno
war was whether we Should nc subject the legislation nf
the British Parliament, whcrc we've not cpreerutrd r.
iem' s"Yco"n 10 line Legislation of body in which thev
were nov represented al all was by fathers Justly CON
sidcred an evil Of greater magnitude than civil war which,
generally includes every form and degree evil that bu
suffer, surely the Question about Cair "a
equal representations cannot bc entirely UNIV orhv of re-
gard Nor ought those be considered as unreasonable
ds"r5crs Of the public ePose who satisfied with ,hn
possession az only oueiTd part of their representa-
ton IN our State Legislature, seek by respectful memorial
ana humble cntreaty he placed footing in this res
pect with ieir fellow citizens.
Many consider this rs a matter raibcr nj .ar
and beauty oi symmetrical arrangements of pacticnI
Interest But fathers about fifty ago when suc
cling through the difficulties and pers the revolution
seemed TO vi"w IL in very different nh and 50 did the
convention ("hai American rccocct the CHARACTER of
that august Assembly without feeling proud xn. on of
his tfeas) that framed the Fcherai Constitution Tbiz
convention "i sages, and statesmcu and philosophers and
grey headed warriors not only established system of re-
presentation as equal as the novel and extremely difficult
circumstances IN which they stood would permit but made
constitutional provision for preserving equality BY or
daiune, that should be at tho cxrs ~ of
every ten years. little attention to the subject NAV
ihnk, se'Te to convince us a!so that it great
practical importance.
dcnocratiral form Of government is for Obvious rea
sons totally napicable great nation Civil Iibert
add scIfgov consist in the influence M
people possess, through The medium Of representative
system their lcCisla ton. II liberty therefore
10 really and practically good thing so must this inhu
rncc for they expressions Of identical nr; Will II
I've commended that provided The whole this Influence be
III possession Of the people, matter nf no practical
Importance, IN what proportions il he distributed among
lcu' But 60 the mantle absurtv of ,ic in,
rrcnco drduc1ic from this principles may safely
or It's reicCtiou.
If nation be sufficiently enlightened representative
government al ALL system nearly equal practica BILE
affords much greater probability Of wise legislation, than
very unequal and imperfect The former like pcr.
ccily regular and transparent lens, which transmits
all the light calculated 10 con-rr-
tive body; while the latter resembles lens irregular
shape, aid suused with opaccs 10y which large propor-
ton Of the rays arrested reflected divereed
Cut the great practical importance Of establishing the
same ratio Of representation in every section Of cos
IS fully evinccd by IFS tendency promote donesc
peace and order and cheerful acqUcsccpce under all
civil regulation. Uuder system as this the sense
Of The representative body, may generally be considered as