Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-23

ss W s""s'f !" u mas aHchuy uonc, by
the Underwater people. who, forming eombina.
lions With other sec,ions not interested in The
navigation of James River, may continue TO i'm.
rose heavy tolls on the produce which we send TO
Richmond, although we derive no,a particle
oil advantage from the Canal made TO Maiden
Adventure Falls This oppression we have
already felt and it proceeded from the tide
water aud Roanoke delegates--the very people
who are now calling on u, 10 lend them our
aid TO guard them against injustice which they
pretend 10 fear, only tina, they may still clutch
The power.-ilow long il will he before the
majority will be- west of the Ridge, il is impos.
slble 10 predict with any kind of certainty.
Years II must be. In the mean time, the slsvc
popnal 'on of the State is progressing west
ward. The neighboring county of Bote,ourt
IS last becoming slaye-holding aud tobacco
growing county and we need not attempt to
prove that the interests of the people of that
county are identical with our own; our products,
our markets, aud the character of our popaa.
ton being, 10 great extent the same. Rock.
bridge is also fast becoming n slave holding
and tobacco growing country, trading To the
same markets that" seek. The people oil
Augusta, Frederick aud Jefferson (also la the
Valley,) ara slave holders to considerable
extent, and are daily becoming more exttn
srvely SO Here. then is the security we ask.
Long ere majority oi the white population
shall pass the Blue Ridge, the Vale, will be
hlled with a slave populalioo-ils interests per
! iectly identified with ours--i,s lakes ,ou,i if
not greater-and, united with us, lis Strength
sufficient forever 10 overbalance any number
which the West can POSSIBLY expect to possess
but, suppose we ar wrong in this calculation
suppose that the Valley will, contrary 10 ma
tare and 10 interest. unite itself with the W.st
instead oil the East what security does the
mixed basis afford No person has yet been
hardy enough TO deny thai priacpe of the
Bill III Rights which recognizes the rghI Of the
majority 10 alter or amend their form of GOV
erhmeht II then, as we are told, the majority
is so soon 10 be ives, of the Ridge, how will the
establishment of the compound basis al this
time proven, them: il they be 50 disposed, from
then expressing the East What will they
have 10 do, SO soon as they get his majority,
but TO call ano heI Convention, and eApunge
this provision the Constitution /. il wise
IN us, then, knowing that we are So soon to he
minority, TO use the last moment of that power
wh'chis just passng from our grasp to force
upon those in whom is its reyersion a principle
obnoxious 10 all their feelings Is il not 10 be
apprehended that by pursuing this course VT
will render absolutely certain those very evils
the distant and unfounded apprehension OF
which now fills US with dread ? When thu
power shall have passed into the hands Of our
Western brethren. may they not retort upon
US, and say, when you had the power, our
FEELINGS, our WISHES, our prime pies our interests
were distrgarded aud Iran,pled upon Tue la
bles are now turned and that measure you
have meted TO others you must expect to have
meted TO you" These consideration are not ad
dressed TO The fears, but TO the reason of
the people. We do not believe that
our fellow citizens of the West would,
IT they had the power, Cypress the East.
We urge them, only VI on the principle of those
who affect to dread such a catastrophe. If,hey
were ever TO manifest such disposition, we
know the people of Eastern Virginia too well
TO believe for a moment that they would moi ,
against any odds, resist oppression. But, is il
wise-is II patrioIic-to use the last moment OF
our power in sowing the seeds of discord be-
tween the different sections OF the Sate-in ex-
citing feelings ofjealonsy aud hostility amongst
those who must shortly be the majority-and
who, when they are SO, will have a right, on our
own principles to mould and form the govern
men, agreeaby to their own wilI2
We beseech the people to pause aud reflect
before they act in this matter. Look from
whence the most violent opposition TO tho white
basis OF representation proceeds Is il not pre-
cisely from that portion Of the State which has
always enjoyed most unjust preponderance in
the government And is ii not a district com
paratIvey more divided from us Ia interest and
feelings than the Valley conntry-a district with
which we have no sort of connection, excep,
that bond which connects us all together, as
puginGnsf Look at the effect which will re.
suit from the adoption Of mixed principle, aud
compare it with tnal which win follow the a
doptiou The white basis aud then decide By
adopting the compound basis, the power of the
State will be placed in the hands of the tide
water and middle districts. BY the basis Of white
population. il will be placed IN the hands OF the
middle ndVslley disiricts-the great central
hold the balance Of power between the two eh-
tremes The question resolves itself into this
are not the interests Of this section of country
more similar, and indeed, identical, with those
II h. " .llc..