Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-09
Having thus examined the position. of differ.

/ ent gentlemen, he proceeded to support the
| propositions which he himself had LAID down.
| Tie referred 10 the statistics of the State, 10
| show how the gam OF loss OF power more IN
| iellgeni 20 gentlemen thin mere abstraetionsl
| would be ahec ed by the Rep of the Lcgis'a-
tive Committee, anl by the amendment He
| contendod, that the two extremes Of the STATE,
the Iransmontane aud Atlantic portions, would
lose according to his principles % repre.enln.
tives out OF The ratio OF 2limvmbers &!pfthcse,
the country. hetw cen tide water aud the Blue
Ridge, would gam u, aud III" Valley country
ID lie asked 10 whose hands could this add
tional power be placed with more security than
In he middle country, whose situation and hah.
its were ca rulated 10 remove all fear from the
two extreme districts Both would be satisfied
that thu additional power should be transferred
To the hands of that middle county,
lie was sorry tn find gentlemen taking il for
granted, that there IL no community OF ireling
betwoent different, parts af the state. liz was
sorry 10 see such doclrines ayoaed, and such
prne iples maintained, rs that mnn are x uvrrn.
ed bs interest, peeunary interest alone. VIVA,
was the condition of this Colnmon 81 Nth IL
1912 Whie your militia were engaged IN
local patrols, who came To fight yOuI no, Sir,
our battles lie had understood. thaf az one
time neatly 1900 citizens from Shenandoah
coInty alone lad repaired 10 the sea board inr
your de lence-lhat company oil volunteers
from Culpeper dew to the frontiers, aud YET
there were not more than three III the whDle
company, who were possessed OF the right ii
freehold. How then can IL be said, thu there
| is no community Of interest throughout the
citizrns Of tho State
Gentlemen have snid, ii he basis of popula.
tiou and taxation b. rejected. II " III scatter dis
| coutent through the State. But do not gent le-
1 m ! a auonfaI will nla 40
| produce discomfort among other ciUgens--and
mat these constitute the majority of the people
--aud is II not hrtter to produce discomfort a.
mong ia, minority than the minority
Nbv should such respect be paid to wealth
| alone lie reminded the Convention, that
human affairs were continually subject 10 mn-
taiIon--lhe wheel of foriuao was ever revolving
and aTistocracy was often blind 10 lis own
| true interests, whle II labarod 10 promote them.
II stephen Girard was TO migrate Ia Virginia,
with hls IL millions of dollars, he might dppop
ulhte u whole District, and On the principles oi
| these gentlemen, he mlght bc EMIT d 10 appear
| IL his own reprcseniHuNe But do they not
| rcculoct TINT by such a course they are viola.
| tug the rights of thcir postorhy 7--Besldns,
has mol every rich man poor ,ela ions, whose
| rights he - bound 10 consult Where are all
| due och famins which o1Ce inhabited lower
Virginia MAY not the prosperity OF some OF
the very men nov. around hun, fand "A more re.
spectacle body of men could not be collected
any where. become the spot of fortune, and
BE- reduced 10 n state of poverly--and would
moi sound policy dictate that some regutd be
pad 10 their political interests, and 10 The pro.
lection Of their just and equal rights
MIR. Scott OF Fauquier, rose TO ask for the
reading of the question before the Convention
which beng done, he proposed 10 amend the
IL. 4 a..
white population exclusiyely,h (The effect oi
this proposition would be- TO npportion The
House Of Deitgdics by population aud taxation
| combined, and the Senate by white population
| excusiyely.)
Mr.. Scott hen remarked thai II he consulted
his own feelings alone he would have been
admonIshed by the NJ aciIs Of disease (Which
| enieebles the body, and does not ALWAYS spare
the mind , aud he would have refra med iron,
joining in controversy with the redoubtubJr
Knights Of the Field. But he could moi resist the
strong impulse Of duty. He belonged 10 a dis
nict, which had not been in the habit OF sing
lug hosannahs TO the present Constiluiiou--bni
he WAS afraid II The report of the Legislative
Committee were adopted, our Western Gili-
zens would prove Themselves too much like TO.
| man AlIes--nnd he was alarmed AT the conse.
quences of such proposition as they were now
advocating with so much zea
He had thought thai tho frost-wofk Of NIB
| straeions had yielded TO the genius Of The
gentleman from Northampton, ms upshur)-
| hut with what success the gentleman from
Brooke bad attempted TO rebuild II, IL was Tor
the Committee 10 decide. Why resort % alb
| slraetions why reason from abstract doctrines
Of The rights of man The whole question
| resolved ITSELF into matter Of practical uniiiy
Into the mere fitness Of means for the end
What Constil utIon was fitted for the people OF
Virginia We are 10 enquire whether this
principle OF the MS ma1oris ought TO be eog,ai.
ted into this Constitution, as better calculated
TO effect the great object in yirw. Ibe FIST
thing we have 10 do, Is TO call into operation as
much power rs is necessary 10 produce ihe
object in view, aud then SO to restrict il as o
guard II from abuse. The preliminary question
thea. is as TO the quanium OF power 10 be gwen
and The mkt rs TO whai restrictions may bg
Instituted against its hbuse.
After having adopted the division Of powers
into the different departments, we must have
other provisions, besides tins once balancing
OF one power against another. The leading
principle W. should keep in view, is. when you
vest men with certain powers. so To regulate
u. 10 make the interest Of the agents not "a
abuse il II II were not for the want of such
guards, how comes II about, that so many ar
~ 'OtIntlta nave tAtstth, Hun lHHl 81
oligaTchies have run into tyrannies Gentle
men have talked 10 rs of guarantees of the
guarantee OF integrity, of honor, &c. but thcr,
| IL no guarantee, except that of sound interest
! II is this principle winch constitutes the Iea
difference between aristocracies and dempcra
cies. II is because Of the responsibility Of In
agents to the people, through their own inter
est; II is because they are affected by laws. il
whose consequences they are thereby involved
and II is also because by dIscharglng the
duties, so as TO satisfy the people, they Obtain
their own reelection, that representative gov
ernments are to be maintained aud preserved
| This principle OF strong interest runs through
all the occupations of society. II is this tina
nerves the soldiers arm, and inspires the 30
cts genius. II is the love Of wealth or OF dis
iincuoD. Shall we then pass this princip
| byi He did not mean to charge gentcmel
here with consulting their own limited interest