Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-03-21


cums'ances you please, prevented from attending
the polls OF their respective counties; and a bare
majority OF minority, fragment OF fragment
less perhaps Than one forth OF the whole number
are hereby invested with full power TO change or
to abolish the constitution of this land or what i;
the selt-same thing, TO give 10 the ball Of the re-
volution an impulse which will drive il 10 that
point The friends of this bill complain Of the me-
ditated Injustice on the part of its enemies of pre-
Stunning that all those who shall not vote at ali on
the question, shall be counted in the ne aatiye.
whilst ITS enemies, with much better reason as
conceive, complain of the introduction of n nrinci
PIE which goes to divest SO large portion of the
reehelders, possibly three fourhs of their title 10
that which they hold most dear * that without even
inc pretended exhibition, of any shadow of proof
oil any act OF forfeiture, Of voluntary relinoisb
ment With c.ial justice, sir, might YOU under
take TO presume against the title Of an indivd,,nl
70 MS estate, merely becaue he did not i'm ODE
dience TO requisition, the legality OF which he
couiu not acknowledge, enter upon il, on certain
prescribed day, for the purpose of exercising the
right oil ownership. All that contend for is that
nothing shall be presumed against the title of the
peopie,or OF any portion of them without the clear
~ ana unequivocaiiy ascertained assent of A ma
Jority, who alone have the right TO dispose of it
10 prove that the call OF Convention necessarily
ana ipSo Jdct0 operates this divesture IL ;s su6i
cient to reflect, that Convention supposcs the re-
solution oil society into its primary elements into
d state OF Things antecedcnt and paramount to all
government, which thereafter only exists by sne
lerahce, as a mere act of temporary and provi-
Sional management. A single stroke of the wand
oil these potent assembled fnagicians and all our
existing institutions crumble into dust one dash of
the pen, and what the constitution i no NOR,
Is NOT this legisating the people into Convention
whether they will or no. puttinr tbe car, bof,ro
the horse, rather is il not taking tbe hi, hot
our teeth, and running away with our riders mr.
to use still homclier phrase is II not k;ctncr bc
lore we are sPurrede But, sir, my objections TO
!lhs pm 90 not end here. BY question couched
abstract anil a
any thing, every thing, and nothing the peunIe Of
.hiS commonwealth, by which term | certainly
40 not mean TO distinguish them from ourselves
VINO are out portion of the general mass. and
e"oSe perceptions on this subject, | am sorry to
md are just as perplexed as we can reasonably
suppose theirs to DO, by question of this SORT cir
say that we to be hoodwinked and hind
folded and led to the brink of precipce. a beet
ing CHI! from whence fear there will be 10 Poor
20 aoin 10 iead us oil IN safety. But too happv If
like poor, old, blind Gloucester we come ofi y;,b
Whoic ZONES, and little innocent sprnFlinp in tye
Girt. NO, sir, should we once get there / fear
u u we must even go topping headIong down to
inc bottom, nor know what hurt US until we oet
tnere: convention or no Convention? That il the-
question Now, sir, pray you 10 Profound This
luminous or rather this mystical question 10 900 of
The most Intelligent men in this Commonwealth
ana, Tor lar examples sake, let it be undique
10.''ttS memoirs, TO the enlightened members of
tins legislature. We shall all no doubt raaSiI
agree, sir, that this Mr.. Convention is very s;r,
man, nay, that he is Hercules; but willis, con-,
Imagine that he is TO be quietly and peaceablv led
o:th upon the stage, spancelled, and manaced or
win one hand at least, tied behind him 10 red,,c
MIN to an equality with the frechoIders. he nro.
Sents himself TO others infatuated by the oarrnent
OF Nessus, and welding his club for indiscri,ni
nate distinctions; whilst, to the most susceptible.
iancies of others, he is a conioint ynonstar -
pounded OF the Cyclop and Briareus viii
single eye looking steadfastly towards the y,est
and an hundred hands to tear down all III
Is venerable for its antiquity or consecrated for lie
usefulness confess, that under this appalling
aspect ne mas not untreQuently perpleXed me y
monSst others with the fear of change In fne
sir, our perceptions with regard 10 him are lust as
widely different ebony and topaz, or as thew are
inreiaon to the gifted author. Of this most bapny
co ?i Now' IN Ioa name, let US at once ba-
nish these vain, deiusive phantasmagoria. which
vii! otherwise continue TO mislead aud TO pernIe,
US ana l as actors III the political drama OF which
THIS biI IS but the prologue, we are really ser;
GUS IN wishing TO derive our cue from the peopIe
VINO a!one nave the right to prompt ali our actnrs
20 80 toast submit tzCTII 1
OF the piece to be acted. Let us submit IN d.,
some plain and simple question, which will CO..
Wy t1is same idea 10 all minds, and which will en-
aDie US or our successors, to conc here prepared
70 DO or TO oppose some definite substantive act
10 SheW the utter mpossibility of coming TO any,
greement' or concert, IN any other mode, / will
s1Ste IN iurther illustration of What have said that
WhilsI very many, perhaps, majority of ,boso
with whom have conversed seem never to Lo,,o
dreamed, that any other than ireehoIders v,erc 10
be admitted as participants in the proposed con
Vehuon' this ldea presents to my mind as great a
soiecism as would that ofa convention of tbe I -
TO amend the constitution of England While,
many seem TO imagine that the convention is 10 ~
cohhneu within certain e-established limits IN
be prescribed, God knows how, when. or whore
cana WIN thank gentlemen to tell me- this idea
presents TO my mind as greatan aI,surditv ae dos
the command Of the impo:ent Canute IN The -.
sistlesS waves OF the tempestuous ocean Fran
these vague and conflicting ideas TINS afIoat i;
the community, how, in the name of God sir
are Nc 10 oeuuce any satisfactory inference as to
what the people actually do wish and ordain;
why, simply, sir, by propounding TO them some
question which they, and which we can under
stand; some such question for instance as this
W III you, or VIII you not, vote to instruct your
representatives i'll the next General AsserobIS, ~
pass such laws as may be necessary to tba ,,i,;,
Oh convention, to be composed Of deleeates cho
sen by all the free white male citizens the Com
monwealth, over II years of age, who shall he en-
powe'eu 70 change, alter or amend the Constitu-
luton a5to them or to their constituents shall seoD
MT Should this substitute be adopted fooetber
WIN the amendment, which if adopted I shall
propose TO II, we shall at least be guarded aainst
an surprise; we shall have fully and fairly submit
'ou 70 our we" all the elements Of WHICH the CON
Venucn VIII be compounded; and all the passions
PreJudices ami Interests which will be BROUGHT in
70 pay, and from the signs in the political hori-
ION we shall be enabled 10 predict fair or fo,,I
weather. instead Of blindly submitting our desti.
ny to be cast in tho horoscope ola set of poIica1
juggiers, who substituting their own intercsteJ
views, ana false conceptions, for those of truth
ana justice, viii commit US to sea of troubles
without rudder, chart, or compass, without land.
inS,h' beacon OF polar star, to guide us on this
uaFk ana doubtful voyage Of untried discovery
And, strive shall afIeast be saved from tlIe rneI
choy necessity Of hereafter exclaming in the bit
ter agony OF disappointment, Oh what men NAV
90, nhaS men can do, what men daily do, not