Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-12-23


gance atectation OF feeling, to say, that 1 shall
never cease TO take deep interest in its welfare.
And as her streams and her valleys. where nature
eNhibits her purest OF chtysal and brigh,es, of
green, can never be presented to NV view with
out wakenng in my bosom the tenAeIe It r., colec
tons, so her just rights & privileges eau never be
subject OF discussion, and find me an indifferent
| spectator.
! But. on this interesting subject, ! am in pursuit
OF truth and justice 0lone-and will follow their
dicatcs,to whatever point Of the Compass they may
lead me- cannot acknowledge what disreg ard
as an unjust Claim oil political power, from what
cser section OF the State il may come; whether
from the East or the West. The Constitution ought
| to be formed upon just principles-upon the true
principles OF Representative Government NJ il is
10 last, probably, for ages, and TO affect the happi-
ness oil beings yet unborn. In laying its founda-
tons, no sectional pariiaites or preudices should
| be permitted to withdraw our minds fiom the line
OF eternal truth and justice. IL we do we never
can be tranquil "a happy. or united people
Unceasing, everlasting dissatisfaction, must be the
cons cquence.
| do not believe that territory or slapes form A.
ny just foundation for Representative Government
iheir wishes can form no part of the public ,cH--
| they require no representative organ TO make il
known. To say that land and slaves compose
part OF our social compact, is 10 my mind absurd
The Tree people OF the Country are the only OBJ
!ecs OF representation Is, their will alone, that
Is 10 DE spoken thro their representatives. What
do we mean by Representative Government. II
is an Institution of modern invention, and was in
tended to supply the inconvenience, or in truth
Tin extensive countries) the impossibilties of the
people assembling in person, was done i'm simple
ueirocr ties, and exercising themselves their own
legislative sovereignty. II this not the object
oil the Institution, OF Representative Government,
| then acknowledge my total ignorance of its prin
ciples, from the first dawn of reason until the pres
| ent moment. It's whole beauty and excellence,
consists in this idea, that il is mirror in which the
peoples will is retlected-the oracle from which
| the public voice can be known. Suppose the PEG.
| assembled
cising in person their own legislative affairs what
would be said OF man who would rise and pro-
pose, that a Citizen, coming from Warwick from
Lee, should have ten votes, and that Citizen from
| Frederick or Loudoun, should have one? Would
| he not be laughed at, as having made a most pre-
posterous and extraordinary motion? He would
be asked for some reason, why one free citizen,
residing in particular section OF the State, within
an imaginary boundary line, should have ten times
the weight IN the Government, that another free
citizen should have, residing in another section:-
What could be his reasons Would not the moral
sense OF every man in Virginia, be shocked at the
monstrous injustice OF such proposition? Would
it be satisfactory reason for the mover of such
proposition TO reply-why, people of Virginia. |
have heretofore had ten times the weight in the
Government, that certain other people have had,
| residing in different section OF the State-and,
therefore, it is right and proper, that should con-
hnue TO exercise it. imagine he would be told
II such scene could be presented, that his con-
clusion was a non seQuituv! He would be told,
II was no reason that because he had exercised an
over portion OF political power heretofore, that he
should continue 10 exercise it: And yet the fore
going is true and just analysis of the system Of
County representation. The one would not be
more UNJUST than the other. What reason can be
offered that because the people of one county have
heretofore had ten times the weight in the Gov
eminent, that the people ofanother county has had
that they should continue to have il? Would moi,
this doctrine put stop at TO all reformation in
the ancient order OF things' Could not every part
oil our political association hold to the power
xuf lri hos
very same princple' understand, that the whole
object of this proposed Convention is to reform the
body politic--to take from parts, power which is
unrghtiuiy held and to give it 10 other parts, 10
which 1t is justly due. But, if the possessors Of
unjust power are determined 10 hold on to it, be-
cause they have heretofore enjoyed it, adieu all
] reformation; by peaceful means at all erents.-
affirm, that II is utterly impossible TO equaze
the representation OF this State, without max
| ing the Legislature four five times as nu-
merous rs IL Is at present, and retain the Coun-
ty System OF Representation. II Warwick is en-
titled to Representative, Frederick is entitled
| to ten: Loudoun. Shenandoah, Rockingham,
| Halifax, &c. each oil them to many more
SO that all the crying evils for this ex-
pensive Government WILDE aggravated ten
| fold And repeat again, without we intend to
! rely upon the exploded doctrines, upon which the
rotten Borough System OF England justified,
5000 people residing in part OF the State send
one Representative, 900 residing in another par
| ought in justice TO send six. And If we cannot
.
let us talk no longer about the beauties of Repre-
sentative Government Of its speaking and ODE ying
the WWQf the Peop!e-of the virtues and ex
cellence Of self government-And of the blessings
| OF living in Country, where majority OF the
Community make the laws by which they choose
! to be COVE rned.
1t is all mockery: Would not the doctrine, thu,
power once enjoyed ought to he ditcdys enjoYed,
have justified the Lower Country in holding on to
the power II had some 10 or IL years ago, in the
Senate oil the State ,instead of magnanimously sur
rendering it upon the altar of public Justice? Why
did 1t yield up the power, which had been secured
to that section of the State, for many years, by
our old Constitution!
That IerritUyor Slaves or any other species Of
property, ought 10 compose part of the basis Of
Representation, which is TO speak and obey the
| fnoic VIII, is proposition that 90 cannot be ex
! pressed, without le,i.m in language, or con-
ccived without confusion Of ideas"
How Toes SUCH Represen'aiio speak the Pub
lie wiz! One county contains 5000 people, an
other 10000, and by their Representatives. they
vote equally Call you That speaking the Pub
| nc tphR Or, il you choose, one section of the
State contains 13d of the free white people of the
State; another section contains 2-3is-but, add the
slaves to the section containing I'D, and it will
send majority of Representatives 10 the Legsla-
ture; Will they speak the Public Will: Will they
permit the SiaueS TO be called part of their Con-
stituents, whose will they to consult and obey!
No. These Representatives would speak and obey
the will of 13d of the State; and to the Slaves
being part of their Constituents, they would re-
gard such suggestion an insult 10 their under
standing.
! Whether the people exercise their legislative
sovereignty IN their persons, they have
done IN small Defnocracies, where all have assem-.
n bled for the formation of the laws, by which they
II. foi., II -