Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-23
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
SAIuRhAY. Nov. u.


The Convention tnei a II O'clock AM was
opened with prayer by the Rev Mr.. Iorner
! OF The Catholic Church.
| Mr.. STAEARD, resumed his speech in sup
! port OF tire amendment of Mr.. Green, propns-
! ing The nnzra basis of representation in the
| House Of Delegates.
| lie vet or 10 express what he mainta med
TO b. the absurl CO quences OF the naked
| r acipe afequalIty IN political power when
carried GU Into practice, and showed its effect
o be the abolition OF all the existing county
| ines in the State.
! He referred to the Constitutions OF Va and
various states OF the Union, and of the U. 5.
as showing that the principle was never at
tempted 10 be carried into practice, and as these
were all allowed 10 be republican, II could not
be said that full and rigid application Of the
| principle was essential IN gpin- any Govei n.
| menl a claim 10 be denominated republican.
| lie went into an argument to shpw thai the
principle va at war with the representation
| Of Va In the Federal Government, and predict
| ed that il II was adopted the extra representa-
ton derived TO Va. in consequence Of her slave
| population would be claimed by the West, as
! the common property of the State, and thai it.
| would he insisted On that il shoald be equally
| distributed.
This brought forth explanati5 us from Messrs
| Mercer, DoddrIdge and Gordon. IN winch, how
ever, they gave no EXPIRE sion Of their opinions
as TO this point.
After disc alming either desire for the crown
OF martyrdom or an insensibhty to popular
applause, Mr.. ;. reached the nam question in
his argument, which was whether there were
not IA the peculiar situation OF Virgin con
slderatons which onghtto eontfo aud modify
the application of the principle, that all meh
were by nature equal and, therefore, entitled
10 equal portions of political power.
He again referred 10 the limitations applied
TO the principle in States, much more iayorably
| crcunstanced FORTS free scope than VIrg mia /;
and then adyerted 10 the dangers which envi
roned the possession of slave property Whe
he disciaimed all want OF confidence in the
vlrluous feeling OF the West, he considered
their very virtues as lay ing them open TO the
lnluence Of enihu-ia5m. aud thus sui more Gu
baucing Tue dangers oil the slaye-ho lderS IN the
/ Last
He compared the probabilities Of an abuse
of power, II possessed by the two great diPi-
sons OF Inc STATE, arguing 10 shew that the
| East could mol be under the same temptation
TO oppr, SIS the Vest, as the West was to Cypress
The East
lie considered n remark of Mr. johnson as
intimating that the Constitu ion was not TO re-
cognise the existence OF slaves, but TO be fam
ed AS il they were not in the Stale. Aier
some appeals 10 thespht oflarmony and con
citation, he went into calculation TO shew
that the West had not been deprived Of all Just
share in representa- ion and that the complaints
as to limlling the vote on tho Convention 10
freeholders only, were unfounded because that
limitation Ind been proposed by the friends OF
the Convention themselves. lie replied to
the statistical representations of Mr.. johnson,
drawing from them very different conclusions
Mr.. S. laid grf at stress on the tact that
whether the calculation Of representation went
on the basis of the qualified voters, or o. tb'
basis of the Federal number, or that proposed
by Mr., Green's amendment having respect ID
a compound ratio of property and numbers
the result ia practice would be nearly the same
He drew from this argument in favor ol
harmony, inasmuch as tn two sides 10 M
House would reach nearly the same resal
whose ever plan should succeed: ends wer'
all, and means comparatively nothing.
He dwelt on the difficulties that would aten'
the aiopi ion of nu nbers as the standard o
represe ntatioD, from frauds in the returns. tn
, constant auctuatIoD OF the number of inhab
ants, the expense Of frequent enumeration