Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-03-15

the decline of Virginia Ia prosperity, in
national Character, IN viSor, in every thing, in short,
is pointed out, you ars TO be deferred from reforu, by
being told to distrust yourseivcs.
To TIRE EDrroRs or TIE CONSTITUTIONAL WING
Are the trends OF a Convention asleep,-or do they
think they have gained all in the passage of a bill TO
collect the public voice? Shall we now after having
been at sea for ears,-bufetted and tempest. beaten,
sink into lisuessness and indiHer ence when the desired
haven is actually In view? Iii be so. Vuginisn. will
become as renowned for incon.tapcy. as the ancient
athenians, and their Commonw ealth, instead of heinz
"the admiration of our sister Republics, and the won
der St the worid"-to qupte the language Of Mr.. Drom
goolr, will fear be a bye word and a proyerb amonr
tie nations. Shall we then,-I appeal to the sober
sense and practical IS isdom of the State,-slial we miss
the most glorious opportunity which ever occurred for
"iorniDg onr institutions, and restoring the exhaus ted
energies of our country? Shall we sutml, TO he annu
al grievance OF egg Legislators, who are no more our
Representatives, than tho House of Commons. are the
Representatives of the British Nar,on,-who consume
nearly one t''id OF the Revenue wrung BY taxation
from the toll and sweat of the People,-and who IN 70
turn either fill our statute bnok with innumerable mi
vale aud local acts, not worth the thousandi'. pattof iic
expense incurred in their enactment. OF what is worse.
involve our general laws IN perpetual change, confu-
sion, and uncertainty? Shall we longer Weld 10 the vex-
atoms and delays, which spring out of our i'll cons,ruc.
ted Judicial System, and which under our present
Consultation is believed 10 be without hope or remedy?
Shall we longer acquiesce in the idle pageant OF 4 mn
merous Executive Body, without unity, power, or en-
ergv, m its theoretical stIucture, but not without adj
ding another item 10 The already overgrown expenses
OF the Civil Eis'? Can any man honestly say that
these are not grievances.-or # they are, that they ara
" ;ihin the possibility Of redress without retnodclIing
our form OF Governments? Take The Legislature for
example. Is there any hope hereafter, that the sessions
OF so numerous a Body will be abridged to a reasuna-
BILE term, OF that their deliberations val be character
zed by more wisdom. uniformity, or public spirii3
Let hIm answer whose own experience acquaints him
with the tedious and profiiless proceedings of that
hrunH nj tin fN,tor nnpt ~, .- 1.l.r -. - -. .
reform under the present Constitutions, Let the con
srituiionai doubts end difficulties involved III the late
discussion on the Circuit Court Bill, furnish the appfo
pirate reply.
1t is not my present purpose however, to dila.e IN
on the general linperfections apparent throughout The
whole Constitution, or TO point out the many and valu
able improvements OF which that instrument is susccp
tible. propose 10 conine myself 10 that one feature
which OF all others Is most radically vicious,-mos.
vitality defective, and most decidedly anti republican.
mean the feature of unequal representa- ION. 1t is the
more important that this subject should be clearly un-
derstood, as many ingenious fallacies have been put
forth, ] will not say with intention TO miseuide the
public, but obviously calculattd TO produce that effect.
MIR. Dromgoole IN his speech delivered in the Sen
ale, IN hrs zeal to overthrow 'the petty assaults OF
Utopisn Ieiormers'' as he mcdestly characterisns all
who differ with hun in opiuion,-has assumed TO he trus
what his own calculations subsequently made, prove
to he destitute of foundation, after ridlculing the doc
trine of equal representations as absurd and chiInerical
he asserts that "existing inequalities are so dispersed,
al! over the State as compile ely to counleract each 9th
err, and prevent any permanent evil Tesultn-and vet
when he comes TO hiss aTilbnetick IA science which he
sceurs to hold in no high estimationl he demonstrate.
IN his way that the People west of the Blue Ridge have
nearly three times the political power which hey ought
TO possess. If IL be granted that MIR. DIS figures are
correct. and that il W estern Virginia having a popula-
ton of 253, 900 (round numbers) and paying S8I, 900
into the treasury is entitled to so members, the eastern
section of350,OOO and paying $3.50 900 should have in
tue same ratio $50 repT esentauves. instead of 1874 IFS pre-.
sent number.-wbat does it prove but that Mr.. Drom-
soole coming from the east ought TO be a jealous adj
voCate Of reform, and that by enlistiDg on the opposite
SIDE he IS octrayIng The interests and surrenderne the
rights OF his constituents MIR. ID. consoles himself
however with the truisID that perfection in human m
strfutions is unattainablc, and that by consequence,
expressions hnwsoeVer great, are unworthy Of correc-
ton, and ought 10 be patiently submitted TO. "The
fact OF numerical NEG quality " he says sin the election Of
delegates, is no proof OF the inadequacy of the govern
ment 10 accomplish the ends of lis institution."-
What an admirable compliment to tie genius aud spirit
OF the British government! What a severe reproof of
the patriotic zeal of the reformers of that nation, who
have so long labored TO emancipate the English people
from the mockery of pretended representation IN Par
Lament!
But I proceed to shew that MIR. Dromgonle has ia
ken but a very imperfect and one sided view of this
great question. His whole argument is evidently
founded upon the mistaken notion, that the western
people are the exclusive ComplaiDants of the present
system, whereas much of the Opposition to reform has
proceeded from that quarter; whist on this side OF the
mountains, its advocates are powerful in numbers, and
with more or less concentration diHused in every d.
rection. In truth il is that broad belt of country on
each side of the Blue Ridge, Comrrehending on the
ore hard the Shenandoah Valley, and on the other
the region bounded by the head Of tide water on our
numerous streams, which is uujustly doomed to poll
heal Acknowledgement, though constituting the fairest
the most populous" ana fourishing portion Of Vir-
gInia. These central districts containing a white no
pula,ion of 80 900, round n%unbsrs) a total population
of $4,000, and paying $I84,50O into The Treasury
bave only 81 delegates, whilst rhG extreme eastern and
western districts taken together. with a White DnDIla.
ton of 306 ,000-a total population of $50. 600, and
paying only $4,000 into the Treasury, have 1872 de-
legates. Instead of this gross disparity, If according
to Mr.. Dromgoole's plan. the representation was fixed
upon the basis of white population and taxation com
bined, the central districts would be entitled to twenty
delegates more than the extremes, whereas under the
present system, they haze so less. o. furtber-if the
representation was graduated by line whole population,
white and black, without reference TO Revenue (which
MIR. Dromgoole thinks The fairest model then instead
of ~ delegates out of 2l4. the central region would
be entitled to at least 105. In any point of view, there
fore, there is a manifest inequality in the representa-