Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-04-21
CONVENTION.

~
county OF Frederick, assembled pursuant to pub
hc notice, in the market square in the town of
Winchester, on Monday the 9th day of April Geo.
Reed, Esq. was called to the chair, and Jdr5es p.
fteuy appointed secretary.
! The following preamble was presented, and
unanimously adopted
| Virginia has been called a republic, and its GO
vernment representative democracy, for more
than half century. And yet the members Of
this assembly represent and form about too thou
sand four hundred male citizens of mature age,
residing in the county of Frederick alone, who
have no voice in eiec,ing the magistracy Of this
pretended republics and who nscy 6etaxed and are
taxed, at the will and pleasure of legislative bodies
In which they are not represented.
When the British Parliament in lTG4, claimed
the right and exercised the power of imposing
taxes the British subjects residing in the thir
teen provinces of North America, the cry Of ety.
Georga-froin the foot of the Allegheny to the
shores Of the Atlantic. The enlightened states
1 men, the distinguished patriots of that memorable
era,-men whose names zee consecrated in the re-
collections OF a grateful neutrality-suspicious.
with one voice, that taxation without represent
taiion, was grievance which they could
not and would not bear. The wisest and the
most distinguished of the statesmen Of En-
gland, proclaimed the same opinion, even within
the walls Of the Parliament House, and justified
the opposition Of the colonies. They even justi-
fed the open and armed resistance Of the Colo
nies, to this favorte measure OF the weak anil in
them would rest the awful responsibility for all the
blood that would be she'd in the contest hich they
had wantonly provoked.
A long and bloody war ensued, in w'.;ch tho
watch-word on one side OF the Atlantic was, 'tax-
alton, 10 tyranny on fhe other resistance, no
rebellion" In that the infant republic of
Virginia acted prominent and distinguished part.
To the assertion OF the principle of that war, she
sacrificed many millions OF treasure, many thon-
sands Of her best and bravest sons, and saw TN
moved her trade destroyed, her agriculture sus-
pended, her towns reduced to ashes; in word,
her whole seaboard laid waste with fire and sword
The war was at length ended, the battle was won,
and the stern and stubborn patriots oil the revolu
ton thought themselves well paid for all their
tolls and for the wide desolaon Of their ma
tive land by the successful assertion OF the pfin
ciple, that they could not righnuily be taxed but
by their own representatives.
| But they left their work unfinished. Spent
with toll, and i'll love with repose they did not use
the leisure that was given them for entrenching
within good forms the rights tor which they had
| bled" They left the arissocratic institution of
the freehold Limitation Of suffrage which had been
imposed on the feeble colony OF Virginia, in 1877,
by the edict of a protiigate tyrant and the bayo-
nets OF English soldiers, 90 the beauty and an
dermine the strength OF ,he glorious fabric they
had reared. Their descenda:. ts have reaped the
bitter fruits OF this their il-tmei relaxation from
the labours of reform.
An aristccracy, composed Of forty thousand, cit
liens, rules the great Com,nonw ealth of Virginia
voice in the government. Two thousand four
hundred citizens in the county Of Frederick enjoy,
on this day, no higher privilege than that which
even tyrants concede to their subjects,-ihe privi-
Iege OF complaining of their wrongs and disfran-
chisenent, while half the number are exercising
the right of saying who shall make laws 10 gov
ern them and who shall not.
But the members of This assembly, while they
thus complain of rights withheld aud wrongs in
tlicted, would do injustice TO their own feelings
fhQV IA mt raw hat fhaxy III 4
and enlightened freeholders Of their own county,
oil all voluntary participation in this unjust and
anti republican exclusion. They believe, and it
affords them high and unuiixed pleasure to ex-
press their belief, that nine out Of ten of the free
holders OF Frederick would gladly them, on
this day, enjoying TO the fullest extent, all the
rights that are withheld from them.
The hope that this generous feeling prevails in
great majority OF the privileged class Of Virgil
mia, could alone reconcile the members OF this as
sembly to the idea, grating TO the feelings of
fTeemen, of seeing Constitution or fundamental
law, which is 20 define the rights of themselves
and their posterity, perhaps ior ages TO come,
framed by the representatives Of that privileged
class alone.
On this hope they are content 10 live till time
shall show its fallacy, restore them TO their
rights as men and as freemen. May Heaven in
spire the Convention, which is soon 10 assemble
with wisdom and honesty and true republican
feelings, and thereby avert from Virginia all the
evils and miseries Of civil discord.
After the adoption OF the preamble, The follow
ing resolutions were unanimously adopted
i. Resolved, That we deem the present lin
itatioD OF suffrage to be a remnant of ROYALTY
inconsistent with the spirit OF our free institn-
tons, and a, variance with the principles Of repub-
licanism.
| 2. Resolved, That we consider the 9Th clsuse in
the Bill oil Rights ascoDainiDg sound and repub
| ,lcan principle-a safe and polite dire Glory 10
proper regulation of the elective privilege.
3. Resolved, That we deem it a solemn and ga
cred duty, which we owe to the violated rights of
man, to our country and to posteri,y, 10 denouDce
the late act of the General Assembly Of this State
restricting the Right Of Suffrage 10 freeholders in
| the election OF members 10 the Convention, as in
compatible with the sacred axioms cor aimed i'm
the Bill oil Rights, rcpugDant TO every principle Of
genuine repubHcanisD, and violation Of our nat.
ural rights.
| 4. Resolved, That we heartily approve Of the
proposition to take census OF the population Of
the State, as we believe such census will show
that twothirfs Of the free white male adults are
in state OF Acknowledgement, and that know
| ledge Of this fact will impress the Convention
about to assemble, with conviction OF the pYopri-
ETY. and expedoncy Of extending the Right of Suf-
lrsge to the persons so DISTINGUISHED.
| 3. Resolved, That Committee of Correspond.
ence be appointed, consisting OF five members, 10
promo unity and concert Of action i'm s,,cl,
measures as may be deemed proper to feet ar,
extension of-tnc exercise Of the Right Of Suffrage
under the new Constitutions, about Il, be framed
by the Convention.
Whereupon Mr.. Davis, Mr. strelt, Mr.. Reiiv
Mr.. Richard Il. Byrd, and ME. VIM Gore were
appointed.
s.. Resolved. Tina, The above named Committee
Of Correspondence be instructed 10 urepayc an AL
dress 10 the reeoders in the STATE expressive oil
our views on the subject d an extension Of The !
Right OF Stuff age, and soliciting them 10 lend |