Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-14
Fox TIE CoNspITugIoNAL WING.
I.R,, i,r, and c.tr 49,.


Fox TIE CoNygITugIoNAL Vine
Let all the ends thou ai,'st at, Ire thy co,ra.ry
IIy (iod's, and truths"
In observing the proceedings OF the Convention
at Richmond, We arc surprised to discover that few
! of lis members seem inclined to adopt the plan OF
two distinct basis Of representations the one for the
Senate, the other for the lower House. We had
believed that most of the Eastern gentlemen would
have acquiesced in that scheme; and VIC still enter
| tam hope, that 1t may finally prcrail.
We confess oar iueXpcrience III political affars;
but If there be any principle which We have been
taught from infancy 20 revere, which we may almost
be said to have ilbbed with our mothers milk, and
IN which, to use the nervous dialect of the Roman
Orator. mon tact!, sed nat institute, sed imbut
sumus' it is that minority can have 10 rirht tc
supreme control over the maiority of the ndepend
eHt citizens OF our country; and cGu not see an
attempt made to violate Us conceive the sanctty
OF that axiom, without raising voice. however
| feeble and unhc2rcd against it. We will not Der
NIT any seeming, temporary, interest, to begue Us
into the adoption Of doctrine, which would ulti-
mately prove the ruin of the Commonwealth No
we swear by those who fell at Lexington and Bunk
ers Hull, never to desert what we regard as the
fortress which protects the liberties of the State
although We wcro born, and have generally resided
and expect hereafter to do So in county considera
bly, below tide-Wate, we donot DENY that we're it ab
soiuey necessary to adopt basis of representation
In both branches of Legislature, either white
population alone, or population and taxation combn-
ed, we should prefer the former. The litter indeed
appears to wholly oligarchical and aristocrati
cal IN its tendencies. that would almost MS soon
think, of claiming for the district in which we live
privileged order Of MOBILES, prominence in the
| Legislature, created upon such foundation. we
neither know nor is it in the present controversy al
| all important to know, whether the rights of the
majority be rightly called natural or not but we pre-
sumo the Convention, IN forming system of govern
ment, will look only to what reason Justice and DO.
tlcal expectancy, may dictate. Now if the create,
number must either be placed in the power of the
lesser, or the lesser in that of the grcnter the latte
event would surely be most agreeable to natural req
I son and equity The minority would be as apt tc
abuse their sovereign authority. as the majority
since they are impelled by the same selfish passions
and the huppiness of large body of men, is of more
consequence than that of few individuals II i:
more unjust to Cypress multitude, than two OF
three, as 1t is more iniquitouS rob thousand than
to rob one; and if you once yield the point that q
minority may rule, 1t may diminish to two or three
persons since, there is limit at which Won rnnst
step There is no definite magnitude assigned to
this minority, which might dwindle TO a point. anG
thus single city might, by the mere ACQUISITION O.
enormous riches, swell its power to a Colossal size.
and assume supreme dominion over the Reoublc-
are the Democratic sons of tue ancient Dominion
prepared to admit such doctrine as this, Is this
the liberty and equality for which our forefatbers
shed their bood' And is this ali that remains to us
of the rich legacy they bequeathed their ss,leo-
Shades of immortal Washington, of Greene, and OF
| Warren,
slcu all Thy co,nqaests, gEoTss umPb sPoils
An able advocate of the compound basis in the
Convention, endeavoured to demonstrates by instan-
ces hgenlously drawn from our political Institutions
tha there is nothing in the spirit Of those institutions
which declares that majority shall govern His
Rnaogles, though specious, are utterly G,llacious
There is no resemblance, far as the present uucs
ton is concerned, between the examples put of Ju.
RES the Presidential vote, and others and The case
now under discussion. In every instance mentioned
| by the eloquent gentleman alluded to, the motors
were merely the deputies Of others and not decidino
Upon their own interests. The jeries and Che Con-
gress, are the assents Of others; of the nation
! large. II an individual should choose 10 apDont
twelve or two hundred persons to transact particu
lar piece OF business for him, and to rive to SINGLE
one OF these persons the power 10 control the oDn
lois OF a.! the rest there is no injustice i'll this; be-
cause the party appointing them is the only power
concerned and he has a5suredly right to nanage his
own business IN his own way. So if .be nation
chooses to Constitute Jures, Legislatures and otbe,
Pohtcai 3oFSss, and organize them in the way Just
mentioned 1t has an unquestioned and unuurstonable
right to DO So The majority of the individuals com
posing the hatioD might do this and thus those nori
ties would have an authority founded upon 81 derived
TON the VIII OF the majority of the Community
ouI suppose tbeSo twelve, these two hundred men
were cast upon desert shore, would one iudiyid
ual among them, have any title TO regal power
without the consent of his companions, lie would
have most certainly right 20 leave them if he did not
IKE tue form OF government they might establish;
out heitheT natural nor Justice could rive
HIM claim 70 make them the slaves of his will II
may hc SAID, II has been said and in the Convention
- '''' 'iC '5oiut might alWay5Fc taIn the prepon-
derance by paying The larger share Of taxes. ibis
would DC impose en- the largest portion of the com
nuuiiy, the very injustice which the minority only fear
1He majority We are told ought not to govern WHY?
Because they might tax the weaker party beyond
measures and to avoid the possibility Of this forsooth,
we ought TO inlet on the majority the very evil
which tie minority may otherwise perchance endure.
ihcTo is something so obviously unfair in this argu-
nent, that we are astonshcd at its use by the hon
gentleman who employed it.
We have been told, too, that the East could not
PTsetice eNJFiion Upon tito West, because the lat