Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-08
VIRGINIA CONVENTIONS

VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
We have thought due 20 The interest which the .ubee,
exei'ss and the ability with which treated .he follow
E,ssy TO lay it entire before resders The nyyp
chester Republican" Of the I'd states that this "paup.
ued from TIL. press week. and written by e,,,., e
Wincheser." Public cTnion la, 6Ied upon Af John
Cooke, citizen IF that to~u, and indeed the deep
inter which ne known have taken IN the nd
from the aud elegance OF the composition e had de
nailed n mnds eye" q, the author before We had
heard Of any such ia.inaou others Is written With
e'en force; though 10 f,ther TOO strong tone.
We understand, from ihs signs times" III =, eoun
ytspre'enaton zone to each county, mos, likely
this time 10 prsv,n in the House Of Delegates, We can
eaeey eonesi7e oil asj'en more unequal and therefore
more unjust Il fact nothing bul the unequal aud obiee
sonshie y,,en of tie prc,ea, Con,ion bies La, caused
the majority Of tie ,sopls call aloud for Convention
sDa for Reform How smedy The evil. of which bev
eo'ans How ean 'estars any thing like equality 20 .uf
;ase' when Is i'ell founded upon the grosse. neaos
We beeeeh fsllovE the es.s;ure 10 think
ser OF che matter and let root Of the
1t each county however small. upou one repre.eo,s
tive let Us at least scale the counties and sppor:icu TIE rspr
sshaan - 'ome fair standard to Their popuaon- Engusr
AN EARNEST APPEAL
=. The Friends Of Reform IL, the LegisIatuye of
Yiyginia
~ The topics which are discussed in the fol-
lowing pages and The date Of their publication
eAuiSienNeNIence oil the Tact that thew writ
Cen currenfe cdiGT,o. The writer has no apoJouv
than this 10 offer for the numerous defects IN he
styie and the matter, and still more perhaps in
the manner, which the critical good sense of some
anu tue cultivated taste OF others may detect or
condemn. by The friends of reform al least II is
hoped that this will be considered a sufficient a.
Po'ogy Tor the obtrtsion, on t,.e public eve of
what may be deemed the crude and Immature
conceptions, or rash suggestions, of one who has
yielded too much, perhaps 10 his feelings and n
pfil Lone oh ~.
istlnS crisis in the affairs Of tie commonwealth
Dec. %, 1928.
an EARNEST APPEAL. &c.
The people of Virginia have decided that Con
vention Of their representatives shall be assembled
orevisc the Fundamental law ot the common
wealth. say, emphaucally, de People of Viz
GINA. For though the question has been submit
ted in FORM 10 the feeholders only, and has been
decided, in form, by majority Of only five or six
thousand, c,t Of total number of nearIv for,v
thousand, that decision is, aud will be, sustained
and enforced by one hundred thousand citizens.
whose opinions are not the less kl6,rn because
they have not teen expressed Of tie polls.
The highly responsible duty and difficult task of
defining the principles which shall regulate the.
representation Of the people, III the con. eniion TO
re assembled, have been iacty imposed, by them
on the Legislative bodies Of the existing govern.
ment, whose Tegulo. powers & duties coinprebeod
matters of ordinary legislation only The legislature
DIVA, for 9,rnay therefore be considered qua
81 convention entrusted with extraordinary powers
upon the wise and honest exercise Of which, will
depend the success OF the effort, now in progress
60 reform our institutions, without encounterjpp
The dangers CT a revolutionary movement.
10 tacitiy comforting such high powers on Ie-
gislatuTe, whose most numerous branch represents .
so unequal!y, the great interests Of the common
wealth, the people have relied much and il is 10 be
feared too much, the virtue, intelligence & re-
publican feeIingof the individual members Of that
respectable hoJy. They have reposed in il conf
dance, (which Gre aes high corresponding obligations
They have entrusted to il, in conjunction with the
senate, the investigation Of the elementary princ.
pies OF gov ent and the formation Of the prira
~ law, which will give 10 Tie contemplated con-
venton lis Impress, form and character. They
have conferred on The legislative bodies the power
10 say, whether the proposed convention shall g.
qualy represent The people Of Virginia, aud so be
the fountain Of peace and harmony aud prosperity,
and liberty, shall unegUaHy represent diem
snd be the author oi discod, the rau61r Of tsjrsn
CHS emen, and The ceu5e OF ci.d tfoils and COZ
fusion - ess''Siy II Jlooished aud dismcmbeg.
ment.
Butte it be borne in mind, that while the peo-
pic, in a spirit Of generous confidence or 10 es-
cape The evils inseparshe frotn revolutionary
movement have reposed this high and exiraofdina-
~ trust in the ordinary legislative bodies, they
bays not imposed upon bemsclyes an obligation 10
abide by the event. To suppose that they have !
conferred these high powers loithom appeal !
without reserying 20 Themselves the rjgbt 10 say
whether they have been honestly and wisely et- (!
efcisei--to suppose that they will submit 10 an (
dbusire erercise Of these powers is 10 misappro |
bend sd undergaiue the character Of the people Of
Virginia. Conhding and easy sna unsuspicious GIll
aroused they will be found, if they be put to the
rial, The same people, who, half century since,
declared war against a tati0n, eighty tneg more /
numerous and Io1 erful than The then feeble colo
nj Of Virginia, and that, too principle IF u5-
efvdtf TiGM' speak not in the spirit Of menace.
Tdo but infer the future from The past, and that
With feeling Of cad and soffowf1l Anticipation
bsesng, ia IoDs Aid dreary pcispe Give, the evils
They bad experienced, in other words, but liz 1
tle actual opprtssiOn from the government Of I
Great Britain. /; vas The assertion, by that gov
eminent. Of TIE light q Cypress, which was deefn-1
ed by the hifh-spir,ed Virginians Of that period
sufficient Justification Of, and on adequate motive
for, fhe declaration Of war, which was virtually 4
made ca TIE 18th Of May, I776. nearly two months
tefo7e The congress Of The United Colonies would !
ge1.J-a ~ 3. similar nsssufe