Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-11-20
susu&.

tative. But do they no. rccollect that by
sush course THEY are violating the rightsl
of their posteri,y !-Besi,les. has not every
rich man poor relations, whose rights he
is bound to consul. Why are all the
rich families which once inhabited lower
Virginia inlay not the pos,criiy of some
oil the very men now around him, (and u
more respectable body of men could no,
be collected any where become the sport
OF fortune, and be reduced to Il state OF
poverIy-and would no, sound policy die.
tate that some regard he paid to their POI
litical interests, and to the protection of
their just aud equal rights
Mr.. Scott Of Fanquier, rusc TO ask for
the ready Of the question before the Cm-
ven,or-whlch being dore, he proposed
To amend the amendment by adding and
IN the Senate, to which population exclu-
sively" (rhe effect OF this proposition
would be to appor,ion the House Of Dele
gates 10y population and taxation combin-
cd, and the Senate BY white population
exclusively
MIR. Scott, then remarked that if he
consulted his own feelings alone, he would
have been admonisl.ed by the attacks of
disease (Which enleebIes the body, aud
does not always spare the mind j and he
/, would have re!ralned from joining in con-
troversy with the redouh,ahlc knights OF
the Field. But he could not resist the
strong impulse of duty. He belonged to
district, which had not been in the habit OF
singing hosannahs to the present Comst.
tuition but he was afraid if the report OF
the Legislative Committee were adopted,
our Western citizens would prove them
selves too much like Roman Allies-ani
lie was alarmed at the consequences OF
such proposition as they were now advo
eating with so much zeal.
He had thought that the frost-work OF
distractions had yielded 10 the genius oil
the gentleman from Northampton, MIR
Upshur) but with what success the gen.
ileman from Brooke had attempted to re.
build II, 1t was for the Committee to decide
Why resort to distractions why reason
from abstract doctrine of rights of man !
The whole question resolved itself into a
matter of practical uiili,y-into the mere
fitness OF mean for the end-What Con.
sti,ntlon WAS fitted for the people of Virgin
Ia We are to enquire whether this prin
ciP'c OF the jas myoris ought to be en-
grated into this Constitution, as bette,
calculated to effect the great obiec, ir
view. The first thiag we have 10 do. i.
to call into operation as much power as is
necessary to produce the object in view
! and then SD 10 restrict it as to guard i
from abuses. The preliminary question
then, is Us to The guautum of power to b,
givcH--and the next as TO what restriction:
may be instituted against its abuse.
After ha"ing lopted the division o
powers. into the different departments, W.
ms: have other provisions, besides thi:
balancing of one power against another
rIhc leading principle we should keep il
view, ~, when You vest men with certair
powers, SO to regulate it, as TO make i
| the interest OF the agents not to abuse il
Ii Ut we're not iUr want of such guards
how comes it about, that so many aristo
cracies have existed, and that SO man,
oiigarchles have ran into tyramnies +? Gen
tlemen have talked TO us Of guarantees
OF the guarantee Of integrity, of honor, 81
but there is no guarantee, except tina
sound interests. 1t is this principle " hicl
constitutes the real difference between ar
istocracies and democracies. fit is be
Cause Of the responsibility OF the agent:
to the people, through their own interests
II is because they are affected by laws, il
whose consequences they are thereb,
involved and il IS also because by dis
d; charging their duties, so as to satisfy tho
people they obtain their own reelection
that representative governments are to BIZ
maintained and preserved. This princi
! pie nf strong interest runs through all tn.
/ occupations of society. 1t is this tina
nerves the soldiers arm, and inspires the
poets genius. 1t is the love of wealth OF
of distinction. Shall we then pass tbi.
principle by! He did not mean to charge
gentlemen here with consulting their owr
limited interests, in the course they were
pursuing ; yet he could not but remark the
marvellous coincidence, which prevailed
between the principles and interests O
gentlemen on this floor The question
then was, how the power to be given in
this Constitution was tn be so balanced
as to present abuse and oppression. He
remarked, that the tendency of the pro.
positions oithe gentleman was to throw
the 2rePonderatlng power on the Other
side of the mountain. Ard MIR. S. con.
tended, that must be so L; that the lowlands
were nearly worn out. Where was room
to be found for the diffusion of an extern
sive white population ? Except strip oil
land at the base Of the Blue Ridge, there
was no space on this side Of the noun
tans, nor the extension of white settle
men's, compared with the country in the
Valley, and beyond the Allegheny. The
lime stone region alone would require an
increase OF white population. greater than
all the lowlands Is il not expected ion
that the Potomac and Ohio Genial, if it
SuCCeeTS IS eyppctod IN Eli tb,t ,r,...-.