Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-01-04

10 subject. Ne deprecated al other
Hfxts of obtaining convention, much
AZ he desired one; aud far from throw
ing brand amongst the people to excite
them TO other modes OF Obtaining their
wishes. he desired the bill which would
grow out of this resolution, to pass,
tina. ever pretence for violence should
be taken even from the mos violent.
For his own part, he was not one Of
those who wished for an entire change,
or 70 deprecate the value of the present
constitution; tnere we're many features
in it, which IIe greatly admired; but ne
WA not afraid to submit tue question to
"a people whe bad so long possessed and
exercised with so muck intelligence and
moderation the right of selfgovernment,
as had the people of Virginia. That
there were many great principles Of the
present constitution be wished to pre-.
serve; for instance, the complete indie
pendence Of the judiciary. lie felt the
preservation of this priaciple necessary
to the security of his own property and
personal rights and feared not but others
would feeiit equally Indispensable to
their Own protection; end would. there =
Sore, preserve il untouched, and so
ether greal and valuable features of the
present Constitution.
As TO tie right of suffrage, although
he wished to see il extended, yet ne fell
that il would be inconsistent with bis
rests, and the security Of his proper
tv. that every vagabond, pauper, or
.sranscieDt person, who was not likely to
feel,the oppression Of those laws, which
.sheir own representative had enacted,
should possess the right OF election;
and be trusted to the good sense ct o.
Tiers, that they would see IT equally
with himself, and to their self-interest,
that they would equally oppose it,
The authority of the great names who
framed the existing Constitutions, had
been arrayed against the friends Of a
Convention. lie acknowledged that they
were nsn whose names deserved to be
handed down to the latest posteritv. for
their virtues, patriotism and talents;
but. still, ike other men, in the appl'
cation OF their abstract principles to
their actions, they we're compelled to
leave than, IN some rig assure, modified
b. circum stances. aud abrogating, a.
they did. in lew days, their ancient
form of government, and substituting
another in it's place, they were compelled
to retain in it. some of these features
(which were inconsistent with the abstract
= principle, that "all men were by nature
egual'' But the progress of events said
MIC olston, had nifty years, tended still
more to increase the evil resulting from
this feature in the Constitution At that
time the free part of this community
was in a great measure composed OF
freeholders, their families and their over
seers. The operation OF the statute Of
descents, a, well as other great changes
in the circumstances of the people, had
gradually produced other classes of
CITIZENS.
Sen generally draw their illustrations
said ,,t. @. from objects most familiar
10 ,beg: AID he should, therefore, state
uhat was the situation of hiseown coun-
~. MOI because It was peculiar, but be-
cause ne believed il to be just picture
ofthe countiegin its vicinity. There
were not in that county more than SIX
Hundred free holders, whilst be was
sure he did not over.estimate the mum
Der. when he stated. tffat there we're not
less than one hundred and fifty tenants,
not persons who merely rented small
houses and gardens, but that number
who rented farms, and equally with the
landlord participa ed in the aurthens of
government, and were equally interest,"
ed in its wise and economical admins
tration. These persons, deriving their
subsistence from lands, are equa lily at
tached to the soh, nay, sometimes even
to tie locality with the tree-holder, and
have an equal permanent's attachment to,
and q com mon interest with him, in the
commonwealth That besides these there
were Throughout, the Valley counties, a
numerous ant respectable class OF me-
charles and manufacturers, who minis
tered 20 the wants and necessities OF
their f. GLOW citizens, and in whose DO.
SON the ,hrob of patriotism was not less
strong than in the heart of the tree hol-
der. Where so large and respectable a
proportion of our population, said MIR.
c., who, taken in the aggregate, are
more numerous than the free holders
themselves. are thus denied the priyi-
Al 4 ~