Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-10-31


an Individual but short in tina, of a,ionCaTry this
culaton for so and that district may half
lief that it IN power bind this vigorous and growing
people in all future time tn the car of population which
of the 4h bisiricton tide water jn 1890 the white popua
ton of this district was Ii9 .housd 1860, a thousand
in 1870 I53 thousandn 1920 1871 t0lyad and in 1929
1876 thousand The white population
in The first district was ei2 per cenoin while the of
IN the Iih district and last
than per ccnVn And the ratio of increase the white
pei cetun, While o the slaves was ii hn inerss OF
that species OF population which must naturally rerc,
down In his and while engaged in noting down the os,
arS OF the gentlemen on the other side, and had drawn off
these present reference aud l ~
order mis- constituents mh sec the denh
OF that gulph of political degradation from which they would
the slors Of this Convention should haniv rr
suit i'll the amendments of tho Constitution To carry tie
proposition ri the gentleman still in dJSu,,,-i was
said that the property holders in ne tos and
must always reian because the physical moral Con
sttuon OF the west precudes the adaptation that property
TO their purposesh tins property pass over The
mountain While they take This ground they admit ,bat the
white popua'on viii the Blue de, rapidly in
creans in u,nhs-rc they mus, until the poruiao,
the tide region shall b. proportion as drop il. the
hucke fS may be 10y The ratio al the have
already given The slaves increasing in a greater ratio
ion the whites East Blue Ridge, especially IN Tie rg;oo
above the bead Of tdeo a, alarms every iteh,
mind II! SHIRT time, snch will r tine pepouderan weight
Of the white population beyond the Blue Ridge In coSpars,n
wnh that ie that shall have with thing like
a>'ornelt 10 WHOM, to Submit; willie The slave popu
aon will never make advance the We ne
yer cease proceed this increasing ratio slave o
dcrs are areeusivc OF danger froa how more
VIII they fear as VIC becnme ercr He would not opk through
past years 10 estimate the multiplicity of which had
ioduceo tins increasing power Ill the West, It there
must necessarily increase SILL with tire population And the
East claims the establishment that basis by which her
power VII 10. erpruited fhc English OF it is That the po
ptaton this slice the order 10 quiet their oyr
Telling: on tie snbect ~ their slaves require that The
whites btyond t: mountains shid hrcoi,e their slaves asn
II W. were willing ensra this procips mir Constu
non what would be done with those who have the powc
e general reflections here present themselves In proper
ton to mans wealth. his power. lie wealthy 10 day
and exercises proporona,c influence Sudden repcrss make
hn oor He then loses his eqaian his political
standing They transferred with wealth 10 some NOR
fortunate posscssn This called the ancrn csu
non IN cur pae we are disp'sed 10 Consider
hest regulated Constitution III the world. We have had it for
- wears ana we are warned against the danger of altering it
NAT should we imagine if hundred wrcchcs either in
in,les or sly together with the lands of their master were
s up at the Bell Tavern by anc,ion' the land described
s so a 'o-'he aPutenaccs axe so and soamyl when YOU
Iuy hiS property in this Land of the pnest frecs p1
eoi inns best regulated government nj the wordyou buy
WIN te political power aud rights OF possesSor and
te nn,Ttunae man widse property yo bly,, becomes
Of sIvn Did he mrsrepresrit when me said
slaves I u;ty live, said hr free in the West oow NV
ow , pursuits and obey ny inclination, but I asa
i Sof Save you ho!d political dominion
we arc majority Of units ~ the enumeration aud equal
~ Ejsa and po;o-i to paon Of tie State
have heretofore oppressed u.s. YET are arc bound to sy @
nave sometimes felt misre If you cannot make laws to
please the majority it is pisruIe Ii not for YOU Ia iiSe
We any practical mischief is done 10 in consequence OF
lme neqnainy Of representation We scarcely know what
ue polls furnish any criterion the Of representatives
ho are TO receive their political creed fom lrir constituents
nen 'ney VINO are aganst us perceive themselves a1ayed
against such vast population the heroic resistance which
they make to the pnhc Will, proves them AT least 10 be very
firm very honorable men ~ wy
Ancns he propositions suggested y the gentleman fun
oticelha majority in society means not ,naior Of &
%. majority oil men and interests. This gpncr pro
MIR OPSaUR said he did not intend TO say that this was Of
Necessity the case He had said that in fixing the al,port,
and die; necessarily ouw that the raio,y should e ~
any particular descriptions might be a Of persons ana
Nh oopDRiDGE said he understood the gentleman now az
ne ndFrstood him before; that majority did necessarily
mean majority OF units, but combination Of units and m
perry F
Ms: UPSHUR. lie had supposed the Govern
Ient IN operation; and had never contcnded that in
the Senate or the House OF Delegates majority
IS not the proper rnlc; but We are engaged in Tho.
formation az government. and it is for us to say out
OF What clements that majority shall be formed
gu may get one out OF numbers alone, or ont OF
combination OF numbers and property. In state of
gnvernn,rnt majority is the rnIc: but ,ve are here
assembled to Tx the original law to the materials
ont OF which Tie nmjority shall syrinG and we may
mont or Of both clemens.
MIR. DODDR16GE s1id he did not misunderstood
the gent 'cn,an Ii his friend from Northampton had
listened little longer he You'd have 9iscnveroJ
this TIE gentleman viii doubt whether the yio4
OF Inc majority to alter amend the Constitution
shall be obtained by taking units alenc or men and
property combined The Bill Of Rights conternpIates
numbers alone. That the plain EnrIsb of the RiIj
Of flights. But the doubt is whether VIC sbsIT taIn
tne men ara property together, or men alone He
would leave it 20 be decided by any man or Won an
who understands the English language, if the fra
nrers Of the Bill meant any thing bit men, and he or
eife must decide that nothing clseis meant but ma
torley OF numbers Lecal interests bore the same
proportion then and the slave population o X
iscd when this Constitution was in such haste sdonf
cd. Yet it IS not regarded III the Constitution ri
IL was intended TO take persons and property into the
SCALE the language Of the Constitution hears no sncb
constructions This brings him to the conclusion that
slave property taken into consideration in form
ing the Constitution Without regard to the question
whether those upon which the Constitution vas to
operate were rich or poor, or whether fhe sIavn
population was moro or less numerous that instrn-
mcnt was forned for if the trainers had DESIGNED to
make such distinctions, they would have made them
IN explicit terms. They LEFT the representation
where they found tin the land qualification. When
the charter granted, there was scarcely slave
IN the country. It results that while wc are de-
manding natural rights for this specieg of pronertv