Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-02


The qualification and equality of the voters having
been thus defined and established, every obstacle to
tha corencemcnt of the election seems To have been
at length rcinovcd.-But j, is not The uppcten-
cy hr power presents itself anew, in the shape of
claim preferred by the smaller villages, to have reg
ulation adopted, by which they shall have the souic
weight in the council with tho larger.
Ihey found their prctensious the established
usage IN time OF war. whom. only, the tribe has pos
scssed any semblance OF government to admit the
distinguished warrior of each village into the council
OF war Without any reference to the nimbcr Of war
riors u could bring into tho field. The council of
war having been the only government which had ever
been recognized by the tribe, and they having, always
had an equal voice II that connci they contend that
they have vested and ptcscrpvc right to an equal
weight with the larger Villages in tIa government
abcut to be formed.
TO this the people ofthe latter reply, sit is entire
ly ridiculous that should pretend to overn seven
ana twenty men as good hiurself. For that is, in
tact the proportion that the smallest of Your villages
bear to the largest of ours Some OF yours layc
scarcely dozen tyhs men, while ours. on the 9th
or hand, lumber their warriors by hundreds As TO
the usage you speak Of h grey up in times when the
principles OF government were neither understood nor
regarded To tolerate no unjust usngc, is one thing
to give u the sanction ut deliberate appreciation a.
adoption, s aiio;her.-We havcu right, Us being the
majority OF tue tribe to reject your prctcnsions and
no case can be ina Cncd in which the exercise OF that
right would be more plaRly Just, than in this. lfyou
ask us what right the majority possesses controu
the minority, answer, that it is founded i'm the M
nrc OF things and in necessity. When differences of
opinion arise in the councils of an independent cpr-
munty, as there il no superior tribunal to decide who
is right and who Is wrong in regard 10 any particular
question: some positive rule or arbitrary regulation
must be adopted, according 10 which one or the other
opinion shall prevails rs otherwise It's deliberations
would never come TO an end. and anarchy would en-
sue In other words, must be assumed, taken for
granted, that ono side or the other is right. Now If
the attempt vcrr mndc TO introduce the rule that in
such conflict Of opinhr, the minority should be
assumed to he right, the majority would not
! .,th f,asl - ~ Q 4.
nullity 1t IS therefore necessary 10 assume that
the majority is right; and the majority has natural
right TO govern founded this necessity or in other
words, founded ON the nature of thihgs.''
The result, ten, OF this supposed convention Is :ha.
clteus of matrc reason, re-a gents by situation Tin
debased by crimes, and having sufficient evidence of
permanent COMMON interest with, and attachment TO-
tho community, the ruo clements and basis OF
political power And that, in epportioning represcn-
fation which Is political power among the different
districts or geographical divisions Of commonwealth
there should be given to each district number Of re-
representatives. bearing the same proportion to the on,
tire representative body, TINT the whole Number NJ
snch citizens, in the district bears 10 the whole num-
Der ID the comnonwcHlth. And rs the proportion OF
such citizens TO the entire free population is gene
rally the same throughout part of the common
wealth, result, sufficiently to the true result
will be attained, by assigning each district mum.
Der OF representatives bearing the proportion TO
the whole representative body that the entire free po
rrlaton of The district bears to the entire free nomi-
lation ofthc commonwealth.
Ii the principles which have thus pndeavored TO
iS' rate ana explain are among the elementary truths
OF the science of government the Hpporionenf of rc
presentations or political power recommended by the
convention committee, is unjust and udefensible-
ara Is not gong too far 20 say. that they must them
selves have been sensible Of the inconpatblity of
their scheme OF apportonmcnt with the true prnci-
pics OF government. They have themselves done
homage. unwilling homage that sacred principIe of
equality an almost intuitiee perception ofwlrici has
been engraved b. the Almighty on the heart of man.
n t,oir nko,J
the principle Of distribution Of political power vhicl,
has prevailed so long in the commonwealth that it de-
lends itseby TIC pleas of"ong acquGsccnce g. vene-
rabie antiquity Why the established system of the
equal representation of the countless which few wears
since was considered masterpiece fpoltical wisdom
abandoned, now, without straightforward the
coHmon sense OF the age and the sensc of
tho committee rcvolts Mt its gross inequality,
lRthcn,th convention committee have themselves
ognizcd, by implication, the equality of the politi-
cal rights of the citizens in the different sections of
IN: contnonwcab why have they proposed distri-
button of political power which violates those coual
rgfs' Because, it may be said the slayeholdnp
country has so long enjoyed monopoly Of political
power that to reduce IT. at once, to its proper stan
dard would occasion violent resentment, heat and an
imosity. This is an evil greatly to b. deprecated
and one to be avoided by ali possible means But will
1t be avoided by the course proposed? rs it not oby
oustba The majority arc vide awake to the trc OK
tent OF their rights, aud deeply impressed with the
Migrant injustice of any course Of proceeding BY
which they shall be still longer withheld, Under
such circumstances how can you expect that they will
be satisfied 9th halfway justicc' If yon adopt the
system Won propose, vlnot they too be Disconnected
and provoked, and driven perhaps to tho determine
ton to right themselves2 Which is the greater evil
that small minority ofhc people should be rendered
inacontcnt by the enforcement of Justice md ri,bt
or that the majority should be- tempted, by what
they conceive to be wfil Injustice to shake off the
yoke which they have borne long, and resolve soco
81 into its original elcments'
This, you admit, would DC n prcat evil R,,, ,o,,
nope that matters will not be carried to that eytrcmi-
ty 1t is not the part Of true WISDOM you say, any
oFc chap that Of magnannity, 10 insist pcrtinacious-
y on every Jot and title of ones rights. Same allow
ancG Should be made for the prejudccs OF those whose
Prei'Sions, however groundcss, conflict with our
r'ghl', however clear. Conflicting clons aud pre-
tensions can never b. adjusted unless the PARTIES con-
c9rncd are ocuated by spirit OF mutual conciaton
All these admit to he correct as general rgIes
i"r the government OF tbc conduct Of men. I admit
that conci!i1iioa, per is good thing But when
any given scheme Of Cancellation involves in itself an
q N y Al j. &c T.