Litchfield enquirer., 1829-12-24
Extracts from Mr. RaadolpA's SpeecA iA
 tke VirgMia COMceMtiON.

I Mrs CNdtF1NaN--AS long as | have had any fixed opinions 1 have been in the hab. 1t of considering the constitution of Vir- ginia, under which haVe lived for moro 1 than half R century, with all it's faults and failings, and with all the objections which practical meM-=Nut theorists and visionary specUlators--haVe urged or can urge against tt, as the very best conStltu- tion--nOt for Japan-not for China-not for New England-or for old ENgland--- { but for this our ancient Commonwealth of 1 Virginia.
 But am not such bigot as to Dc Un- willing, under any circumstances, however imperious, to change the constitution uU- der which | was born, l may say, certainly under which I was brought up, and under which, | had hoped to be carried to my grave. My principles on that subject arc these this grievance must first bo clearly specified, and fully proved; it must be vi- tai, or rrather, deadly in its effect; it's mag nitude must be such as will justify prudent and reasonable men in taking the always dclicate, often dangerous step, of making innovations tn their fundamental law and the remedy proposed must hH reasonable and adequate to the cn6 in view. When ! tho grievance shall have been thus Ma,lc out, hold him to be not loyal subject, but u political bigot, who would refuse to apply tho suitable remedy.
 But will not submit my case to u poe litical physician, come his diploma whence it may,--who would at onco prescribe all tho medicines in tho Phurmacoppia not only for tho disease now have, but for all the diseases of every possible kind ever might have in future. These are nay prin- ciplcs, and am willing to carry them out |; for ! will not hold any principles which l may not fairly carry out tn practice.
 Judge then, with what surprise aud paiI, ! found that not one department of this Government,-no not one--Lcgislalive, Executive or Judicial ,-not one branch ot cither,-was left untouched by the spiri, of iMROUatiOR (for | cannot call it reform When even the Senate, yes, sir, the Son- ale--which had so lately been swept by the bosom of finnovation--cven tho Senate had not gone untouched or uMscathed. Many innovations are aaroposed to bo made, without any one practical grievance having been even suggested, much less shewn. Take that branch of the Government which was so thoroughly reformed in 1916, and even that is not untouched. Sir, who ever heard q whispcr,-06 Wrbc C0n- ditG to this day, that the Senators of Vlr- ginia were too yOatktM! never heard such sentiment in my life. And in the ] House of Delegates, what man ever heard that the memhcrs-l speak of them, of course, in tho aggregate-that the mems bers were too young 2 Yet, even there 1 1t is to be declared, thnt all men who might be elected to that body between the ages of 2l and 24 are to be distranchised--and of 2l and 30. Yes, sir, no, only the spring and seed time, but the summer and harvest of liie-that delightful season which you, sir, nor I can ever recal-ihe dearest and best portion of our lives-du- ring the period of nine years, the very prime of human life--men arc to be dis- franchised. And for what ?--For poli,ic- al megrim, a freak--no evil is suggestcd.- The case is certainly very rare that man under thirty is elected member of the ! Senate. It will then be said, there Is no privation, and, therefore, no injury. But, Sir, there is a wide difference between q mans no, being elected, and a fundamen- tai law stamping stigma upon him by which he is excluded from the noblest priv ilege, to which no merit or exertion on his part can restore him. But all this, l sup pose, is in obedience to the all prevailing principle that UOz popaI vOz dti; aye, sir, the all.prevailing principle that Numbers and Numbers alone, ,are to regulate all things in political society, in the very teeth of these abstract natural rights of man, which constitute the only shadow of claim to ex- ercise the monstrous Tyranny.
 It is not the least of my regrets that one of tho most inevitable consequences of these changes, if they shall take effect, will be totally U change all inc politics of Vir- ginia in reference to the Federal Govern ment--(without considering the hands in which it may happen to be placed. )-and do confidently believe tha, the very greatest cause of them is to be found in the hope of producing that all desired change. In many cases \ know it fo exist, of my own personal knowledge.
 When in 178S, the Convention of Vir- ginia adopted the Federal Government as part of her Constitution, they effected a greater change in our Constitution than | I.A- ---an l--A