Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-30
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
SATpRpAY. Nov. D.

The Convention wns opened with prayer
BY the Rev. Mr.. Courtney, Of ths Methods
Church--when the President took the Chair
/. The Convention resolved Itself into "A Com
mitiee of The Whole on the Constiiuiion--hiI
POWELL in tho Chair.
/, Mr.. THOMPSON, Of Amherst, said, he was In
debled TO the gentleman from Brooke for IN
opportunity now afforded him to address h
Committee; that gentleman [ Mr.. Doddridge
was ent,Ilrd 10 the floor, but hs Ind yielded, I'M,
had waived his right, and he now stood forwar'
To express the sentiments Of his constituents
and would 10 God his constituents had com
| mltied 10 other aud ADLER hands TO express
observation-disclosures. The, had selected him withou
his interference or request. aud he felt II there
fore his duty, his imperious duty, TO erhibii
! their feelings and represent their interests
| When he considered tho occasion. TIE tinr
.he place. The circumstances, tho interests OF
his constituents. the in,uros. VI the e. v,,.,a
wealth. the weight of duly incident To all lhaso
cons iderations, would almost tempt him to
shrink from the endeayor TO express his ideas,
| but when on the other hand ha considered,
| that he was one oftho representatives of many
! thousand tfeoholders every opposing consliera.
/ tion vanished. lie said he should then fearless.
u express his opinions In spite OF tho ridiculo.
| The wit The sarcasm, the sneers which gentis=
met had cast upon their opponents, ~ this
| debate. lie could moi sh'ink from this duty
| IL lie could be Induced to shrink from his duly
| through fear oil any such considerations, he
| should forever de,pisc himself but his duty
stimulated. urged him onward. otherwise his
| lips might have heen sealed, hormetieaily seal
| ed His duty was inpeiious mud must be- obnyed.
| lieslid he should require tue indulgence, he
| attention oil the Committee, aud he knew II
would he ioIded him he knew II, because he
| was addressing Virginia assembly, AMI when
| ever an appeal was made 10 the courie'y al such
| an ass6mbiy, ihatappoal was ever made 10 vim.
He diSclaimed the intention To enter the hats
| 10 break lance, against the redoub'able
knieh's who had arisen III this Convention IL
| Ind no, the strength 10 sustain him nor The pc.
oply TO cncifcle linn with which they were sa
vroned. lie participated with all In iha de
| liz ht experienced wh,lp attending 10 the argn
| ments of gentlemen. aud had only 10 regrei
| was in his power 10 make So poor return thai
| IL was oul of his power TO shedlgb Tor light
| but he was chcered 10y the cousideraii ~ thai
| the widows mite was considered AS gtalefnl n,
| the most splrudld offering, aud he should b.
/ satisfied il his remarks met with the receipt -
| which her mite had received. He regte O. d
| being compelled To follow thn gentleman from
Chesterfield since he could not contest it'll thai
| gent emau the field of rhetoric. OF eloqpsnee
| or oil wit, tut While he yielded the mastery On
4 -
| bold enough 10 question the facts upon wuGh
| his Argument wbs based or rather his assump
| ton OF facls pnd the deductions drawn from
! these facts. lie proicsscd 10 he Que OF those
visionary aud mad politicians who wern m Ia
| yor of general suffrage, which gentleman had
donominntcd universal suffrage by genera
| Suffrage he protested 10 mean tho extension u
| thar right 10 all fec white male cit'zcns Of
| twenty one year. of age, and who bear he
burdens Of the State, whether civil pecnnipry
| or military aud when he voted to extend lbt
| right thus lar, be spoke the sentiments nl ii
| large majority Of his constituents lie dad no,
| come here to dhlranchIsg my individuals, but
| TO aid in their di,ftanchiscmrni. 10 aid IN h.
| holy cause Of dsirHn chsing the non ireohodurs
| ofthe btae--not 10 dsltanchse The foiiy sh,-
| ling freeboldefs--no. not Qua II might b. ii
| bold assumption, but bold as II wa, he wa.
| prepared 10 make il, aud thOnght he could
| meet gentlemen upon this question, other upon
| the ground of reason or argument, upon the
| Bill OF Rights, upon expectancy OF upon pre-
cedeni, aud all were IN his favor II WIS Imma.
| ieral whether man was regarded Ia his SOCIAL
natural. political, or in any other ligh, or Char.
acter /; he still thought he could prove that the
classes oil nUn-febhoIders TO which he had al.
luded, were entitled TO the enjoyment Of the
Right of Suffrage.
clared tina, all men ARE by natEre equnlly FREQ.
&c, Here the LIST, I'd aud 9th sections Of the
Bill OF Rights, was read But before proceed.
ing in this argument. Nh Thompson begged
TO mike genera observation which had sng
eested ,tsef 10 his mind--an observation which
had hccn brought to mind, by reference TO the
Latin quotation used heie, Temporal mutan
; lp" mrn change with tunes. &c. BIT how
can this remark be true, II there are 10 be nd
, changes in Virginia II times do chang
I however VIZ DE- sire their chnHee in favor Of he
! rights ol man. bnt il seems that the very men
lion OF The words rights of man, exposes tho
advocate here TO dersidn and sarcasm. III
| appealing TO authorities here, do we hear, ha,
) any one appeaed 10 the name of the sage oi
e Monticello, or to the celebra' ed author of iht
rights of man, that author whose work, during
Z our political revolutionary struggle, were con
sdered as our political decalouge, whose doc
trines operated like a taiisman, to conduct our
! armies to victory has any reference been mad'
10 these grent names No, sir, the doctrine
coniended for here, are drawn from oihe
sources, they are drawn from the text OF I'D
c rnund Burke, and this is TO be oar political tex
, book. This, indeed, proves that times hav'
? truly changed +; but yesterday and Jefferson
name, would have stood against the wotld bu
now none are SO poor as do him reverence -
e the time was when Burke was not considered
as orthodox here, but iempora muaniur Ut no.
muiamur cuin ILLS, is indeed too true. Allow
me to make one other observation, a genera
remark which perhaps may not be correct. bn
which appears 10 me to be true IL is. sir, tina
there is u great similarity between the votariei
Of politics and the volaries Of religion, there
are now no atheists, no deists. but all ADM
2 the efficacy Of religion, but few practice wha
they admit--so in politics. All admit what th,
orthodox Greet sb onId be, but none will follow
H. do not want the admission of the truth
: declared in the Bill Of Rights, unless we ais,
! obtain their practical observance. The bIesse,
founder OF our religion, declared that 10 con
! siitute faithful follower, man must becom
as a little chiId-so think in politics, il is ne
/ cessary to get rid Of this incnmbrance Of weal,
! before we can be true politicians. As there ar
pharisees In religion SO also, there are phari
goes in nolics What did the authots of th,