Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-12-19

10 authority from the people the Constitution, TO
l'ctate what portion of thu community shall have
yency in the choice ofmcmbcrs Of Convention nor to
The Convention whtrn organized what they shall do |
Or IN what manner they saN do it. Any restrictions
therefore, that they may think fit to Impose upon tho
1--WE the language of the Bill OF Rights)
or upon Convention by that community, to revise
and amend their form of Government can DC no more
binding or obligatory, than acquisitions made by any
other INTERIOR upon any other superior. We hmnbly
presume that an ordinary Legislature IS The servant
und not the master Of the people and learn for the
first time that i'll nIatter dehorS the existing cpusti
ton and without the scope ordinary cgslatiun the
Gcncral Assembly has right to say to the non-frcc
holders, uu Shctn not cote for member ottie Concc-
ton; to that Convention itself order you when
you have made constitution. to submit it for r;t-
cation rejection, to such portion ufthe people only
as we shall! designate. Such proposition is enough
to make the bones Of Jefferson burst the confinement
OF the coffin and the grave. Whence does the Lee
9isatule derive this power? From the constitution
No From the Bill of Rights, The whole language
and spirit of the Bill of Rights directly and expressly
contrhvench 1t. From the people; speaking intepcn-
IDENTIFY OF the Constitution the Bill of Rights The
people have never SO spokcn-liever will SO speak
These are the only legitimate sources of power and
if derived fim none of these it's exercise must be
an act of unauthorized usrpaion merely ,iod and of
no effect
Phcre are certainly doctrines getting into vogue
here, which were formerly abhorrent to Republicans.
Aristocrocy is isrnuatng her poison and struggling
hard 10 retain that predominancc in the ney Consi-
tuition which she enjoys in the Old Wires are pull
linz .,,,I,, I'M,
hands Of its enemies, who sNyaddle il much as they
please From the character othc bill ready for sub
mission, and the conversation OF gentlemen, one
would suppose that the freclIodcrs COMPRISING
three iiths of the trceulcn OF this Commonwealth,
were non entity. None but freerholders are to b..
permitted to vote for members of Convention and
none but rceholdcrs worthy ofbcnr permitted 10
express an opinion upon the Governments which is to
coutroul their lives, liberty property and happiness!
the representatives, or the frcehoders IN Convention
choose TO adopt monarchIca form Of Governments
and the treeholdar themselves choose to ratify 1t
tho 10000 non tcehodng citizens of Virginia are 10
have no voice affirmative negative in the matter.
Do gentlemen really suppose that GS state Of things
will be submitted to:
We arc at loss to knuv-, Wftn how or vllencr
dis notion about ,ie Supremacy ol freaodcra cre,
IN. We believe il to bt, the stro,tr hold behind vbi,
arstocracy has imrenchrd itself, and where means
to fight its last battle iii tine United States Of Aaeri
On. Plat it Is NOT derived from the Bill of Rinhts
where the great and sublime truths of minis riobs
are recorded, wcQnotc tire hngrage of that paper to
show.
hcrttn 3 "Ifait g7yrmtn is or ougt to be Instituted for
rio'c't1 ana fuElty On tie people, nation
nunity OF all the various modes and GOVERNMENT tina,
pncs and safety, mos cr1uaIy secured asn, b
danger ot nal administrations that Whenever ay rr,I
majority Of the or 6 Goni ty to Fe Pr,
ALIEN ABLE mud INDEFEhSGi.E right TO reform alter o
the public wcH.1
Whore then is this idea OF the supremacy Of tIc
trcchodcrs dcrivcd1 We reply that it has no autlor
ity in institutions. in reason or the nature Of
things. The non-trecholders are not only par. Of
the community, bat the largest part, aud their right
TO participate i'll the formation of the Government
Under which they liv" is 'intlisputQbIc" and sun
alcna6c,' as the truths contained in the Bit of
Rights itsfli, universally acknowledged and
etclua1.
Can tho ficncral Assembly seriously racdirate de-
privng the Ion frccholdcrs Of lIs rirtt Can thc,
seriously propUsU to exercise the liberty of prohi}
ing tircrfhs ofthclr fcov citizens from vot;uy Tor
thos" Who are to forru Government, which is to
operate equally upon them the ffcchoders thcp-
selves: Do they mean even to deny this majority
ot their fe'!ow citizens the poor privilege of cecting
or approving constitution made without Iicir pur-
tlciPatlon If this be not open, nudsguscd, unra.
gated Afisfocracy, snch thing has never been
fno"n IN THIS World 1t Is reducing the majority oil
lii5 continuity far bcIow tire fJr5y shilling freel,ol
dery Of ireland.
These IDEAS hayr certainly BETH advanced IL rent.
iTlttoc' and sanctioned by majority Of it. 4hat
they can possibly BIZ tolerated By 50 democratic
body as the Legislature of Virginia, or incorporated
~ the hl' We do not believe for moment; and we
trust gentlemen VINO Lave cxprezsrh them, viii he
Inclined to rcnouncc them orrrcr, When tbey cody
compare them viii the Bill of Rights and discover.
not only thei" rcpugnancr bat ablorreucc t. is spirit
and I1nguaor.