Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-01-13

hon' PROJECTION and security of the people nstiCn
community. 'And that when alc government s,all
We iotnd inadequate, or contrary 10 these purposes,
majority OF the community hath cn a;iubita- /.
bic, unalienaHle and inleteasble rimht To reform,
after or asoi,sh 1t, in such manner us shall be
deemed most conducive 20 th,. public wea"-
In the annunciaon Of these great princles the peo
PIE alone recognized the depcsarics Of pol ca
power- the will of that people is sIlcwn by the OF
u'eir "o'y and that viii Is supreme. Why sir have
e majority this right yeIoyat nIiei. or abo'ish"
" nat sanction has hs supreme w.ii?--lt resides in
thelr physical force, and i'll nothin. else. There is
not one word mere said, in tracing the source OF pow
T-aoout the property ofthc community continuing
any portion OF this power. will, ~entem III tell US, that
incse are mere political abstractiion-verv true in
thcory, but not applicable in practice? Do gentle
men aeny that "a power is vested in the peofie?'E--
or NiL tney content themselves TO admit it. rs it is
written, and then thrust it by mere abstrac-
on 1T gentlemen do this, they mast be prepared to
decare to the world that the vorv sutstratln, CT poD
i government as understood aud practised here for
gre IMAM l'ty years, is but vain and ,nsubstantal
shadow-that the bill OF rights of 10 that epoch of
glorious memory, declaration of mere abstruc-
TONS attended to deceive a confdir,r people and ca
loie mem or their power The great fathers Of our
FtPhoc nave advised tjeGueni recurrence to iinn-
mental prncipes--Never was advice better founded
Tef"efh recurrence Is necessary to their prcserva-
eoh-nor Could there be stronger instance Illus
trate its truth, fiat this day are to be told bv Virrin
lans, that fundamental principles arc mere mo-
iticai distractions, which may keep the word of
pron'se to the ear, but brea, it to the hope
ht fortunately for the people, this doctrine that the
mf'ofy have the right 10 reform alter or abolish
aoes not rest alone IN parchment authoriv there *
an nherent conservative that will rive if efficacy II
put 10 the test Why i It that the majority have the
riSnE what sanction HIS the peoples viii: It re-
sides sir, IN physical force and it resides ~, whore
else; The power 10 execute their will makes that
viii supreme The acknowledgment oftli; sanction
orihGs tne minority 10 submit. In popular row
efninont then the criterion OF political mower is nbv
cal force and as i'll property there can be none OF M
orce, so il can carry with it none Of this power.
men speak Mr.. Chairman OF physical force lei
me not ne understood IN the language Threat or me
mace mean SIT nothing such. But tine FIRST section
OF this BILL contains provision directly II war viii
the best principles Of our government and is hut
TO expose this hostility that trace those prucines rs
their true origin
Property ana power arc divellent yba ON, b,
longs TO the many, The other To the ew-l,ropertv if
not controlled will tyrannlsc over power-thouoh The
proposition may paradoXcal-and the Converse
IS equally true, that power if not restrained win 1,I
IL over properly Every wise government then will
nave THESE influences adjusted 10 render Then,
nearly equpollont II must be done admit tbro,,.,
he medium or representation and doubt not the Wis
dom OF the convention will provide sufficient co e.
guards for 6otl-But gentlemen asI, that Il he d,
by the i-eglslature-that IN organizing the conven
oh We SHOULD take care to guard the rights of the
lew ny an unequal representation of the manv--
1nls may he very grateful to the leOalaturo cors-i
tted as 1t s, but let me tell gentlemen ;i,n
the people think very dfcrentlv-This ineuuajt, Of
representation IS the very grievance to be remedci
ana can thcy uattcr themselves into beef that lv
any device here they succeed in trausfsiur this
grievance into the gorernmcnto It strikes at the
very root O! popular government. Il is rockery Of
the peoples will and the voice OF The, cecnI, viii Ia
raised TO denounce and ptd It down.
! What sir, the legislature mediatelv tbrorct tb
convention to fix the standard of representation il;
tie new governmental in this the most i,nnortsnt
change to be wrought ny tie convention, the will Of
inc Legislature Is to controul their deiiberations
cni bono call convention at alI-If fixed by a con-
Vention representing the fTse Whites il will have boan
done by legitimate majority of the peopie-Tf fed
on thc contrary by Legislative enactment here that
majority VIII be set at nouglIt whatever NAV be their
better wisdom their better wi
BY the ceusus Of 1890 there is asccrtaincd in Wv
glnla white population of COS OGl-reprnsented j.,
General Assembly through i05 counties and towns
or b6rou@hs. As represented 50 &C mites and o
Ooroughs with population of i73 7OI Whites send =
majority here Of 1903 deegales-wlst The rervainino
% counties and boroughs Nth population Of 4ot
3oo whites send minority here OF 1C6 delegates
What then sir the people TO exncet from The now
government, their most important rirt OF rnnreser
tatlon is 10 be adjusted by body thus orcranizeFo
what Will be the result in practica-W nv Of nrcessi
W, the same minority in another shape perhaas
VIII secure the power to themselves Can oep- |
tlenen believe that the people of VIRGINIA are nra
pared tanely to submit this. Do gentlemen fatter
themselves with the deluson, that the empty mn !
chine of government fortuitous!v in the hand, oF .
minority, can at this day be successfully welded a.
gaiust the rights of the majority. 10 sir trust ms, flat
day has gone by. You may succeed in CARVING vour
OBJECT here--you may organize = Convention in such
manner as to give to the minority there, the
same fictitious power they possess here. BY your
Legislative enaetments You NAV substitute yonr
behest, for tile opposing viii of the people them.
selves But at last, your efforts will be vain
and ftuitlcss. Your constitution thus framed will |
be rejected with indignation, I fear With reprobn-
baton. l cntredt gentlemen TO reject ON what |
iosy follow, when they tell Us, they are rDpcriousv
bound by the will OF their constituents let them re-
member that by asking too much, they may endancer
all ana III the exercise Of that discretion which the
generous confidence of the people always eavea -
their representative, decide to give mp part. lest
otherwise they lose the whole. constitution entail
e upon us forever the right of minority to rule.
VII not cannot stand before the peope-everv consi-
Iteration will call upon them to renoUucc it-eyary, ~
gard for the purity Of their popular institutions will
corapel 1t, for sir, believe they know their rights
and knowing dare maintan them. If this then
We shall be thrown baclSt to where we nov, stand. AZ
lm ELI.h Cvamt let na..--l,.t ....u