The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-03-02

HIrs 81 NJ ffsaEas Lei y d abttifHfIa lHN 2
yer, tlat he legislative maiotieR I'D 4 rigiH to
~ At HAT session, that ire aisbe. Of the poo-
pie cold sot b. coneIu.isely nafc.Ict from The
sofs ofthrif representatives, Since the public at
tcnfion htd not been sufficiently eSci,ed on the
subject
W tch pretext can be found 20 Justify or
pallIate their -. Mt eonduel. For It's notori.
Ou., aud no mtn VINO respects the I uth Wnl de-.
Is II. that the members of the present house 81
delegates were elected, throughout thr state rx-
prcssly ~ reference 10 then opiuIons on this
deeply interesting subject. Ibry all went 10
Richmond, facltiy, or expressly Instructed TO
vote fuI " against iuc bill for taxing tie sense
II lac people on the convention question The
vote was tukcn, and it vas fauad That about
III 90 crtizcus were IN fasor of tue bjl, and
about l2n,uOO against II. Bat these 22J.DOO c.
ltaens wc,e represcplcd by lU7 VOTES, aud The
81 ,0uoby Only 1913.
The bill was therefore lost, and the ALL Of The
majority of the people ds egaided. Then, al
least, it was the duty of the lea fsiatse majority
10 reconsider the bill and pas It, Deoa,ac the,
then knew, bcyoHl a ] dapu5r, tat tacre vas u
majority OF 10 Thousand citizens Of Virginia
IA layor ofits passage. Ban no one Ia the 10
WIS found sifi ntIy true 10 the yfitctples o.
the g0rerameHi TO make snch a .nJtou.
LIE rejection OF that bin vas an open def.
ance otto known aud oppressed Will Of the
peoplr-wa, a VIOLA ION 81 tn prtnciplc d-cIaf-
I'd IN the III Jtrlghts, "that o naiouty Of tie
p'0P'c has an hidupItahlr, naaIcnibic aud IN
drira,ti'ie fighl u ref ri, al 81 Or abolish H.
government. Tho HeJo, ny Sad, By taeir re-
ptcstntauYes, " We wish IT, pieLarnInfy sfcp
70 bc taken, towards reforming our govern
mcui' lie miaorIg b, tisu representatives.
sad tdthem, " No SIP shall be t1tsa toward
reforming HIS government. We ne satisfied
WITH II ~ - pi"srnt shape. We hue d. fa,.-
e., aud We viii kecp II. We hare ie1icd tax
On the whole people, without Knowing OF cafing
whether they approved al them OF no, aud ne
uIH continue 10 iug them
Il Las you declared thai the social comaacf
was dissolved, aud society resolyea INTO it, OH.
eina' Elements, by the assumption by tue klug
and parliament of Grrbt Britain II the mower
10 tax you nlthou, yonr consent. Ahor III
lapse otfty ycus the eose n he reroiutloa has
again occurred. The pow er 10 tax yuu without
your consent, long erere'ecd by the existing 90
vernment, IS now ctatRlsd IS a matter nj righJ
and Your Inconsistencies against rs - crcisc are
treated, rs they acre IN 10, with profound con
tempt.
lithis be not tyranny and am usurpation.
terms have lost their meaning. Yes. fellow-cit5-
2ens 1.-THE majority, you have right 10 consi-
der the social compact dissolved, and your
selves released, ~ the very principle on which
ypnr government Is founded, from atleeianC,
10 the government de Itnio at Richmond.
In this new and mpiQ"ntous slite Vi our al
l1rs, the important question must he met and
decided, whether m t4e MINORITY slall proceed.
~ once, toiorm anew government, wholly dis
regarding the estabishcd II glimaie gorera.
nfnf ht fuchmp. 4, or wait untl the slow BIN
certain ma eh % public opluluu shan thin tn
rmNs offs partisan md supporters, and leay .
I without tie scmbiauee oi leea iiy.
Iamo aware That aIargo portion. 6f the m,io i.
~ arc so heartily sich OF the misruIe Of the -.
ing government, as 10 be in fasor OF the 10.
coutsc. They insist, aud With much rea-
son
HAT the government Of the state is in the
hand, OF mon, as regardless OF Tie wishes and
want, aud interests, rs they are of the libe.-
ues oil the people otmen who refuse II red, e,s
me most Oppressive grievances, On the most ninr-
y and ridiculous ptotctfs Who rriusr- for cA-
ample, TO provide bt law for le.appointtncn of
Judges III place OF those disabled hV the vista
ton OF Providence rom dschai ging their duties.
on The pfctcnce that tn constitution OF the stutc
viii not permit the euarihlGnt Ola law 50 essen
tlal To the welfare OF large portions OF The com
muniiy who are, nevertheless, guilty of the
IlliHt diIlA Hl1btlAlNttit B 81 ttIiNiitA Il take any
step towards amending HAT constitutions.
That these mtn are necessarily and lncurably
ignorant Of the interests, aud of the physical
wants and necessities, " a large portion of the
commonwealth.
That they are wholly incapable of conceiy-
ing o. executing any OF those great and noblr
plans o. Improvement, by which the age is dis
tiuguished.
Ihat a want Of practical good sense is shown
IN all their movements.
That when some master spirit suggests
an enterprise worthy ofso great 1 common
wealth, and induces them TO commence il. IT'S
commencement IS marked, and lis progress Soou
arrested, by a wanton proiuscIess of expense,
which the actual administrators of the govern.
ment eitacr cannot, or Ill not check or rrsu-
late
That all the ordinary duties aud functions of
the goyernIueIt are most Rretciedlg performed.
That aur sysfemof road-laws, on whose e-
hcle1cy the prosperity OF the western part of
tins coan,pnereatrh 50 materially depends. is
nnspeakabiy bad, and IS, in fact, a most obpres-
slyr nuisance, because the rulers Of the state Ic.
side IN a country in winch nature has made
tlr roads good, and neglect cannoi make ttem
bad.
That both it and our. system Of poo laws are
aristocratic in their chalacte aud, by pressing
with unequal weight on the laborious poor.
betray their freehold origin.
That our militia system - as bad as the wit of
man could make it-and draws largely on the a.
bor OF the country aud lnpairS the morals ofthc
people, without producing any proportionate
benefit.
In short, that the whole system Of our internal
policy Is SO wretchedly bad, THAI our ancient aud
respectable commonwealth is sinking into power
~ and inSignificance, While many of our sister
states, with inferior natural advantages, are
rapidly increasing IN power, wealth and popu-
lation.
All this and more, has been said. and truly
said and ii makes oat a clear case of iusi6ea-
ton, and a strong case Of %indncemcnt, 10 the
majority OF me people. to rise in the majesty of
thin strength aud dismiss IN 4 summary way.
their incapable or faithleSS servants.
But IN deciding a question ofsnch vital lmpor-
tanCe. WE ought proceed With tie most dclib-
crate caution, and TO inquire whether there are
not countet sdiling consideration, which deserve
10 be serione'y weighed. / do not adfe1 70 the
obvious objection thai such a course Of proceed.
ing might convnlse tht commonwealth 10 lis con-
tire, aud produce furious civil hrutlS. il not war