Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-01-15
BY A CITIZEN or WINCHESTER.

BY 4 CITIZEN or WINCHESTER.
The people OF Yrginis have decided tina,
convention Of Their representatives shall be
assembled TO revise the fundamental law of
the commonwealth ! say, emphatcally, the
People OF Virginia. For though the question
has been submitted, il form, to the ire eholders
only and has been decided, in form, BY q ma
jority efonly Ave or SIX thousand, out Of total
number of neatly forty thousand, that decision
Is, and will be, sustained and enforced by one
hundred thousand citizens. whose opinions
are not the less knovn becaue they have not
been ertressedat the polls
The highly responsible duty, and difficult
task, ofdehning the principles which shall re-
gulate the representation of,he people. in the
convention 10 be assembled. have been tacitly
imposed, by them, on the legislative bodies Of
che existing government, whose regular pow.
ers and duties comprehend matters OF ordinary
Legislation only. The legislature OF Virginia,
for 1888, may therefore be considered
,,,.asi convention, entrusted with extraordinary
mowers. upon the wise and honest exercise Of
which. will depend the success OF the effort,
now in progress, to reform our Institutions,
without enceantering the dangers OF reyola-
tionary movement.
In tacitly comforting such high powers on
iepis,sture. whose most numerous branch re-
the commonwealth, the people have relied
much. and it is TO be feared too much, on the
virtue, intelligence, and republican feeling Of
the individual members OF that respectable DO.
DIV. They have reposed in it confidence,
which creates high corresponding Obligations.
They have entrusted to it, IN conjunction with
the senate, the investigation of the elementary
principles of goverument, and the formation Of
tie primary law, which viii give to the con-
templated convention its Impress, form and
character. They have conferred on the legs-
1ative bodies the power 20 say. whether the
proposed convention shall equally repre-
sent the people of Virginia. an6 so to be the
fountain of peace and harmony and prospe-
sity and liberty, or shalt unequa!ly represent
them, D. be the author of discord, the RATHER of
Sisfranchisement, and the cause nf civil broils
and confusion, -psssitiy of boo6shed and dis.
me mberment.
But let It be borne in mind, that while the
people, in a spirit Of generous confidence, or 70
escape the evils nseparsble from revolution.
cry movement, have repesed sh;s high and ex.
traordissry trust ia The ordinary Legislative
bodies, they have not imposed upon themselves
an obligation to abide by the event. To sup
pose that they have conferred these high pow
ers. z0ifaoxt appeat--without .eservlng to them.
selves the right to say whether taey have been
they will submit to an abxsive exercise of these
powcrs.-is to misapprehend and undervalue
the character Of the people of Virginia. Con-
hding and easy and unsuspicious till aroused,
they will be found, If they be pu, to the trial,
the same people, who half a century since, de-
ciared war against nation. eighty times more
numerous and powerful than tho then feeble
colony Of Virginia. and that. too, ca a principle
efa6siracf rights speak not in The spirit Of
measce:-i do but infer the future from the
past. and that with feeling of sad and sorrow.
ful anticipation. Seeing, in leng end dreary
perspective. the evils that are to come upon
this generation, if the legislature of '2s shall
betray the high and sacred trust which the peo.
pie have reposed in IL, should be false to my
eountrymen. il hestated, from spurious de.
hcacy, while engaged in The discussion Of
these momentous topics, TO warn them of tbs
dangers which believe TO impend.
The indicstions OF determination, by the
majority Of the house Of delegates, TO exercise
power and tr2mple on right, are, fortunately.
aco plain to be mistaken. The formation of
cSnvention.committee, composed ola member
frcta each congressional district, was an omen
p' evil. wlose fulhlmeat is already 10 rapid pro-
gress. The committee, il is said, has deter.
nineo 10 recommend to the house the equal
representation OF the sctnal congressional dia-
SohHShSiOUs WHICH Ougnt on every
p'lncipie of right to be composed of the rep,e.
1entahves ofequai portions of the people of Vir-
una. The prospective snnunciation of mes.
Snre so fatal to the best interests of the com.
mohweahb, has directed all eyes towards the
minority IN the house OF delegates. On their
n'uihess ana wisdom-on their uncompromisino
LsVo'ion TO the principles of free government.
ths hopes OF this generation rest. II thev act
wen their parts, they will receive the loud and
cheering plaudi's, ifill, the deep and murmured
curses ofoppressed and DISTINGUISHED ,boussnSs.
history, too, will record their deeds. whether
honorable or'nglorious; and win rank them. in
sn'n' eos, among the benefactors of the human
race, or the deserters from the sacred c.nse n
Hoerty. owe no apology, aud make none.
sor using language so strong. When od;ou.'
Ds! tolerated, abuses. which sprung up in times
Oh ignorance and disorder. are about 10 receive
Ihey mad experienced, in other words but
I.lio ass'sos Oppression from the Government of
great Britain. II was the assertion. by that
kovernnent, OF the right to oppress. which
vas deemed by the high spirited Virginians OF
tsA period sufficient justification Of. and an
Aueqaase motive for, the declaration Of war
w vrNc was virtually made on the 18Th NAV
Eto. nearly two months before the Congress
isr measure. VI s'Af