Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-03-29

Gus idea which has lately dcluscd Europe i'm blood.
Their monarchs instead Of wisely yielding to the
gradual changes Of circuRsa stances of favoring pro-
greSstye accommodation to progressive improve
mcnt, have cluug to old abuses, ntrcnched them
selves behind steady habits. aud obliged their sub.
Jccts to seek, thro' blood AMI violence, rash and
ruinous innovations, which, had they been refer.
REQ to the peaceful deliberations, and collected
wisdom OF the nation, would have been put into ac-
ceptaolc and satuary forms Let us follow no such
examples, nor weakly believe that one generation
Is not as capable another to take care of ITSELF
and oil ordering its own affairs. Let us, as our
siser-states have DONE avail ourselves Of our rca-
son ana experience to correct the crude essays of
ofour hrst and inexperienced, atho' wise, virtu-
Gus, and well-meaning councils And lastly let
us provide II our constitution for its revision at
stated periods. What these periods should be ma
ture herself indicates. BY the European tables
OF mortality, of the adults living at any ono mo-
mcnt OF time, majority will be dead in about 10
years. At the end of that period then new ma
Jori'y is come into place; or III other words a new
generation Each generation is as Independent
OF tho one preceding, that was Of all which had
gone before L has then, like them, a night to
choose Tor itseifthe form of government it believes
most promotire OF its own happiaess: consequently
to accommodate to the circumstances in which il
hnds tsot that received from its probe and
1t Is Tor the peace and good of Mankind that So
Tenn opportunity of doing this every 10 or 90
years, should be provided by the constitution so
that 1t may be handed OH, with periodical repairs,
rom generation to generation to the end Of time,
II any thing human so long endure 1t is
now ~ years since the constitution of Virginia
was formed. The same tables inform us that
WITHIN that period, two thirds of the adults then
living arc now dead. Have then the remaining
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 them
selves compose the present mass of adults Z If
they have not who has! The dead! But the
dead have no rights. They are nothing; and no
thing cannot own something Where there is no
substance. there can be no accident. This cor
Poreal globe o. every thing upon it, belongs to its
present corporeal inhabitants during their genera
ton They alone have right todirect what rs the
| concern OF themselves alone, and to declare the
law OF that directions: and this declaration can on
~ be made by their majority. That majority then
has Alright to depute representatives. to a Conven-
ton, and to make the Constitution what they tink
will be best for themselves. But how collect their
voice? This is the real difficulty Ifinvited by
private authority to county district meetings,
these divisions are so large that few will attend
and their voice will be impsrfecty ! or falsely pro-
nounced. Here then would be one oil the advan-
! tages OF the ward-divisons / have proposed
Iho MAJOR OF every ward, on question like the
present, would call his ward together, take the
'iPt~ VI JOh Va Vi us NUMBERS, convey these
to the county coart, who would hand OH those OF
all Its wards to the proper general authority, and
the voice OF tho whole people wcld be thus fair
ly, freely and peaceaby expressed, discussed, 6.
decided ny the common reason of the society II
this avenue be shut to the call of sufferance it will
make itself heard thro that Of force, and we shall
go on, as other nations are doing, in the endless
circle of oppression, rebellion, reformation-and
oppression, rebellion, reformation again, and so on
! forever.
These, Sir, are my opinions of the governments
we see among men, and of the principles by
winch 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 / confidc then,
to your honor, so to use them as to preserve me
from the grldlron Of the public papers If YOU
shall approve an: enforce them as you II ave done
that OF equal representation, they may do some
good 1T not, keep them to Yourself as the e1'u.
sons Of withered age, and useless time / shall
with not the less truth, you of my great res
pcct and consideration.
TIL JEFFERSON.