Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-21


| nHtntal but 10 conventional law
| Ibe hrsi article of the bill of rights has ano-
Their function, not less important than tue dec
laraiIon OF equal freedom and Independence.
| aud certainly more practical 10 its character
| The declaration of those inherent rights of
which men do not aud cannot dise.t their pos
tenty by any compact OF society. As govern
'nent Is Instituted for the protection of life, II
berry, properly, TO securr happiness aud safety
so no government can be legitimate 10 which
these are sacrificed. II is happy for u.s. that
this part II the bill Of rlghs mas been soemnly
ndjndsed 10 he constitutional law. and to il
the citizen owes the protection of his property
from the power the government
The eond article OF the bill If rights is n
further afirnance of the doctrines of Locke g.
Sidney, IN opposition 10 Sir Robert Filmof, re-
cognlzes the people, not the prince. Ms thr
fountain of political power, md declares magis.
taies 10 be thrir trustees. answsrnble TO them.
not their irresponsible masters. No one here
denied these 10 he the genuine doctrines Of our
government
The thirI article aihrms, that n government
n Instituted Tor the common benefit that
hat Is best, which is capable NJ producing
the greatest degree oil happiness aud safety,
aud !. most eileetualy secured agains the dan.
60, II nal hdmnist ration, and that WHEN any
uary 10 these purposes majority of the
people hath M indubtalile. unaliennble and IN.
deieasible right 10 reform. alter or abolish h,
IN such manner ms shall be sajndRed most con
dueIse Ia the pubic seat Here we have
plainly declared The object oi government, The
STANDARD nj lis excellence. and thu rule for It's
rciofm,--it object, the common benefit tn
test OF its exccllencr its capacity TO attain hat
object, by producing III" creates, dsgrc' III
happiness aud safely aud being secured agniDsi
ma administration aud the rule far ~, form,
thr Jodgme of the ma GRITTY pronpuncing il
inadequate TO iis purposes. aud STORING II
with sole view 10 the pnblIc veal We Te
saved then the necessii, of looking To aiurnl
law for the right OF tue ,ajnr,y 20 reform we
htve positive conventional Inv Nh most sol
enn declaration on the lace ot our social com
pact. tina, The majority have rigat, an mdnbl-
table, unulenable aud ,ndeieasible rght to re
form, alter or abnlish II is uut that tbls
power is to be employed when the government
Ia ionnd ina Iequstc to It's object, the commor
benefit and mus, he employed with einglr
view To the public good
B1l WIN ia 70 judge whether the govern
meni has been al, guale TO the object oi us
institution, who 10 judge ni the manner OF its
reform surely the people who ordained H.
the people Tor who's happiness mud safety II
was ,n'lilued tn people, by ajeiiy 81
whom the Iighi oil T, iutm Is declared unqacl
tonabIy 10 brlong,--lhe peoplo are ,he sole,
tbe exoIusv judges ! is thci, duty, | adni,
TO listrn with all reference aud respect TO The
c0nns is of th"ir WISE men, who may tel them
We have been long aud attentive observers
Of the peratIons OF your government. we have
c0mpar, II with all the governments OF The
world. ancient and modern, we are satisfied IL
IL In 4N fIt.Io f.I
s,raie thar II has fulfilled all The great ends of
its institution. that 1t hus secured you all the
happiness aud safety, which is the province OF
government TO Sc ore, and tina an attempt 10
change b essentially IS II wanton experiment II,
make hat better. Which Is alreadj good. be-
you'd the common lot OF human institu ions, is
10 sport with The blessings OF Providence, and
encounter the inmcneni baza,d Of losing all
thai Is valuable III practice, IN the VAIN pursuit
Of al that Is perfect IN theory Alcr atieh'iye
ly I'D imparIIally considering all the argu.
gumenis adduccd 10 sustain these c0unsels, and
carefully weighing every tact on which they rest,
II convinced BY them IL is solemn duty TO
themselves, to posteriiy and 10 all mankind, 20
rejeci all propositions ofIeiorm 10 preserve =
model OF So much excclence as an example I
the world. aud as rich inheritance to lie gene
Iations that are TO Come. But ii they are con.
vinced, v on the contrary. their judgn. MS arr
satisfied, THAI they have not enjoyed the d.
gree OF happiness aud safety, which good gov
ernment ought 10 assure--ihat their gOyernmeo;
is not only imperfect IN theory, but defective IN
praetice--ihal its defects may be salely rem
died, aud its practical good much enhanced, -
then there rs but one answer which they can
give Ia these Counses-" We acknowledge
" your experience, your wisdom, yOuf rine.
" the great superiority of your altainments, aud
-" the entire sincerity ofyour opinions We ad.
" mir, the plain, candid a. manly language, IN.
" which you have spoken disagieeabe lruIhs
Eve thank you, sincerely thank you, Tor ihf
parental soIici' with which you have rails
A" ed your warning voice but you must allow
"lhat we too have some experience Ia The op
" ratipns oi our own government. that we
" have enjoyed its blessings, suffered its evils,
" and have some opportunity oil judging, whe.
q" iheT the one may be abated, or the o her in
" creased ;--you must remember that you air
" ende8yorIug to prove TO us, by rhetoric and
+" logic, that we are prospef Gus aud happy,
" wbeu our own senses and the reflections #
:" our own ads. have conducted US ~ diff,
" rent conclusion ours Is the stake IN this
government ours tue loss II III should result.
ou,s the gain, If happiness should attend our
Z" reform ours therefore 10 fhe province 10
Judge, aud you must excuse us, II Dissenting
the dictates ol our own judgments.
The people then, Mr. Chairman must Judge
FIR themselves, when the casuS Jirderis has oc-
CURED when The defects OF the government re-
quire reform and Judging that time to have
arrived, thu inquest, enable right 10 reform
belongs to the majority But TO The majority
of whomi majority of the Community, is
the answer which the bin OF 'ighis gives f; and
that answer is perfectly in,elllglble, when we
consider IN counexion the several clauses OF
the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The
community referred to in the ,hrd article, can
not mean the whole people, because they never
are, aud never can he considered, either IN the
formation of organic law, or in the admoistra.
ton of the government II can mean none OH
er than those to whom, IN the sixth article the
right of suffrage is declared TO belong
those 10 whom tho Constitution itself
was submitted TO be carried into Ell