Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-26
CHE Constitutional garblg.
RtponrED FOR THE wing.
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
Debate Of zHarsday, Nor. l9--Concludca.

ton. would have answered in accordance with,
reason, as think, that the first on ,ston TO be- dis
cnssedis, ,oho shalt be citizen IF this Cpnao oealh
The next question, embracing the very basis of gov
eminent, would lave bOItolDh stat DC Tie prSe;Le-
ges and duties Of cittsen IF ths Commonwealth. On
these two questions, as think, sir, depends the
whole system OF government. These ques' ions cor
recty decided, and the frame of our government
would have been reared. | world call the t'eution
OF this Committee sr,to the prop-icty of the term
cltlzen-l need not inform you sir, any gentle
taan present, thatthe term inpb tan, is not eauva
bent to the term cit=ea. Every citizen is an inlabi-
tant, but every nhabtant, is citizen of Virgin
ta--They are not convertible tel ms. In Great Bri-
tain. every person is subject of the King. Every
person from the Duke of York, down TO the most OBJ
native os the British Isles, is subject of his
Majesty the King of Grea, Britain. 1t is so in all
Monurchical governments. We have repudiated
,hat term in these United States and we have con-
secrated the term citizen But sir, thougi, we admire
the term and i'll sort Of complimentary way, address
all men citizens do not in fact, recognizc all
citiZens.-In Virginia we haze comparative.
iy few citizens. What let ask, SIR does the term
fairly import? citizen is freeman, who has IL voice
in the government under which he lives, who has the
privilege being heard in the councils of his coun-
fry by his agent, representative. No disfranch-
sed man is citizen. lie may be an nbabtant alien
or what you please, but without vote he be
citizen.
But sir, have long thought, AMI am more fully
convinced from the debntes which / haze heard in
this House, that the OF pn!itics, and the sci
encn of government, yet IN pfn@rcss. We have
not yet attained to perfection. Very far from l.,
sir,-Man in society, is capable Of much greater en-
ioypent than any goVcrnm n; earth has HIS vet
afforded him aiiuIe, sir, 10 the social eHjoyments
which directly, or indirectly, flow from gov rnm"nt,
and which every good and wise government ought 20
aim at producing. The Constitution of Virginia, is
the result vi al! the discoveries improvements OF
nearly six thousand years Yes, sir, the present
Constitution the result oa,i Inc improvements in
the science of government, in the history of the world
perfect, imperfect, Il was the best the world ever
saw, till the year 1916. Blu, howmuch more light have
attained in the science of politics sinc@' SO
mich, at least as to authorize to say, that that
iustrument is by means perfect.
But sir, the great error of mankind, and the
mon error OF all ages has been to suppose that all
reformations perfect, .early so, as to adm
OF little anlsndnent. 1t is equally in reIi-
giou and politics. We have had both sorts Of re-
forms. After many ages of darkness, and supersti-
ton, two men arose called Reormers; and they
achieved what has been called great reformation.
But while Luther and Calvin effected much and
laid the foundat ion OF real reormution their sue
cessors and admirers considered their work perfect
and pushed their enquiries no farther. Since then,
sir during interval of three hundred years, their
adherens have not advanced an inch So in politics.
SPINE fifty sixty years ago. many distinguished
men, deservedy called reformiss, in the politi
cal world. They carried their views of reform to a
very considerable extent, and only laid the fou1-
dation, but actually accomplished very great refor
nation i'll government. These ilustrous fathers of
the American Revolution, and founders of these
1ublics are entitled to the admiration and gratitude
of all the friends of the rights of man. But it
not to be expected that these saGes, great and wise
ged out of the political darkness and
Grated blythe prescriptions of the monarches of the
old world for thousands of years.
We wont to admire antiquity and to venerate
long established usages. We think ancestors
were the wisest and best of men. Many Of the
Gent sages attained reputation, merely because they
advanced little beyond the ordinary stature of their
times. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, Inutis
aliis, were men of only ordinary stature, but they
lived amongst pignies.-Yct these men, famous as
they were, and still are, were but Pigues compared
with myriads i'll after times. But, sir.
Plg'nies though perched on Alps, pgu,ies still;
And pyramids, are pyramids though placed in wales
not great men, but / do say, that light and science
n-e progressing, and that many of those reputed
great, are not worthy ofthe adnirltinm bestowed up
on them. They owe their fame to the age in which
they livei-Tfc greatest of these sages statesmen
and orators, have been far surpassed by the noderns
il was well for the repu alton of Demosthenes aud
Cicero, that they lived 50 loug before the days Of
Sheridan and Burke.
Phe science of politics and government is as we'll
understood in this age in any former age Of the
world. | woI'd say oct ler5sOld. Yes sir,
and would say moro, better understood III these u
States than III any other country upon the face Of the
earth Bot ihOuGh our present Constitution was the
best production Of nearly 6030 yaars, experience
and the progress of political light have discovered
some defects in it
idexpec. and did promise myself, that Virgin
Ia would ut this time present t. the world model;
the best model Of gogernncn lie world ever saw
When heard OF the talent which was to he ossem-
bled here and which now see convened around me,
thouC!.t mvscf warranted in expecting that such
would be the result Of our deliberations. Al eyes
have been turned to Virginia all 'lese O. States
looking III Intense Interest to Virginia. Sbc owes
it to herself, 70 the whole United States. 10 the
world not to diseppolut the general expectation.
Will the Ancient Dominion respect herself. and real
i've the hopes of her friends; ana SIR beginning 10
despair and to fear that again to FToye that,
1tT0gresson rather than prog ression IS tie common
characteristic Of men.
Some coli every attcmpt at reformation, aad every
new suggestion, new heorU with them The rotor
mist is thcorist s h amendments mere theories
am no friend to mere theories, but all rciorm1ula
lions and all improvements are first theories. can
not call every effort to amrloratc the political con-
dition Of man q mere theory, n visionary theory.
And yet sir, am no friend to new theories but re-
1nen6rinc ms | do that we owe all orr improvements
in the useful and fine arts. all the great improvements
hau1, 1uissd i,rascni alnre Eli TO