Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-10
Ube Constitutional eg1bie.
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EHRGfN1A CONV ENTlON.
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Hfr. MERCER thea addressed the Conn

I'M
by which its attention had boen so long occupied
III MEecrR SAID, he !abnured under the inAuenc,
o: feelings which he had not lnnuuan e to convey nm,
mo EXPRESSION OF which he f,ared would d,squalif,
Nun Tor the arduoIs task which he had urderta keI
80 perform. The sentiment first ut his hear was
that the depending Question might terminate in re-
su't proFtious to the union, and happiness 81 thf
Vffoi' c1mm2nweath While desirouso of OK tendiru
III The peoplS oi the West IL inst nartcination ;T
she political power OF the government a power nyo
porisned 10 thcr relative numbers he cred tpo1
fec prcseat discussion with ma unfrendy feeling 10
wards the Fast. Slch feeling would be equally
y war wi.hhll his reroiiectous und al his homes
fLi' cradle Was rocked by the margin OF the .cd
TIE though p-o"idencr had placed his llwe.iis,r b2
The eide o The mountain torront. lie hal mt sro
"a iTindT"d blood tiowiag in the veins of any hvny
heri5 that d. not warm the heart OF some iowlaod
M N, or ioWland woman. He canp into this C,,ry,,,
lton NOT TO aSsift the power Of portion Of the
STATE to control the other, but with tx,,d deter.
unltion to uphold the rinlIts, and interests Of NIL
Oh the broad and solid basis of those great pyincole
~ political liberty which Sre,l hers had ut all
fumes, struggled to maintain ISpphatcaiI, MIGHT
10 say this, y voach this assembly itself Tor his nroof
Through what channel, he asked, did the resolution
uttte Legislative Committee, now in discussion reno
MS Convention By what hand was the report of
Alfat Committee presented In this fIa!S By that
band. which more THAI any other now in btsing had
contributed to tracc The outline ;.d Law the Foundation
OF the great structure of iice Institutions. By
Whom had the principles Of this report bean inst sus
taincd' BY his illustrous co-pariot, vho alone of
tl!s assembly, had ecoytd the hgh horror of conse
Grating those principles by his blood.
We are chargcd with asserting aod irnplac
stose doctrines. Behold Tire proof of this allegation
Gre they nos founded the pyociyf.s il he term
nray now BE- allowed him. of evary bill or declaration
OF rights of every State in this Union which hos
framed ConstituioS since our GLORIOUS revolution,
Are th,y not sanctioned by tn. concurrent voice of
the wiss stateson, and the purcst patriots, on both
sides OF the Atlantic? Are they not The principles of
the fathet of English metaphysics, and champion OF
British Hberty--she immortal Locke? Are thew nor
the principles for which Milton successfully contend
I'd against the united power of political and ecclesi-
;Istieal tyranny; and for which, N still earlier aae
the noble Sydney bled?
Gould this question be tried without preiu dice it's
issue would not long be doubtful. The very process
by which assailauts seek to over-pawer u.s. af
tords sufficient evidence of tho strength of our cause
principles mus be true which be successfully con-
rroverted onyby such Acknowledgements inyen-
ted & most ably enforced by gentlemen Injured to TIN.
habits of profession, which, above all others teach
es IT'S professors how to discover, 10 touch and move
all the secret springs ofthe human heart. What are the
preudices which see to obs batter Judgment
On the present oceasion3 Some loo obvious 10
elude our perception, and must be disspiared when
approached. Tue eloquent member from Chester
field, proclaHs with seeming regret, that, between
the distinct, which have tho honor, in part to re-
present and the western couptIes of Virginia there
are no longer any Pyrannees From Ashby's Gap,
to the Potomac, the Blue Ridge, he tells us has
Disappeared This Illusion OF his own imagination.
the honorable member Rfers, from the sympathy,
subsistng, III the presea contest between the people
L0Udoun, and their feiioW-cTtIZenS or the
10 the other districts, the eastern face Of the
Blue Ridge, which espouse the side of this
cause with my constituents, and obviously for the
snme reason, he literally awards the praise of mag
TraniInty, which he denies to them.
Might lie not have more impartially accounted for
the zeal OF Loudoun for a Convention, from the
toYious fact that while she pays into the Public
Treasury twenty times the amount of taxes paid by
The county of Warwick, and has more than six and
twenty times the free white population of Warwick
-site has but tho political weight in re House
of Delegates under the constitution Of government
which this Convention has been dep1te5 TO amend.
Iirat twenty-six freemcn of Loudour l52ye in this
branch ofthe Legislature, the weight OF Flt free
inan or Warwick.
But the honorable member, disregurding this ine-
quality has found the origin of the present COM.
tion, in splendid schemes of Internal Improvement
TO which the constitutional scrlples, manifested, by
Virginia, in the councils of the Union, oppose bar
rier, that the new distribution of political power
sought to be effected blythe resolution in debate,
VIII enable the west to PROSTATE In that ardent
zeal, which Ind prompted so many other gentlemen
well as the member from Chesterfield, to mpue
to the friends of Convention local, sclffsh, and
soylid motives for their present union of council they
lave forgotten much and part, the history of our
legislation on ttss subject.
Internal Improvement-the cause Of this 6Ionvcn-
fioH Who until the ID day of March 1917, had
ever heard objection started to the constitutional
power of the General Governmen. to aid, by the
resources of the Cnio1 the efrt5 Of the States to
cons ruct roads, or canals of general interest. a
few days only prior TO this PERIOD re solution re-
commended by the unanimous report Of the Board
Of Public Works, passed both branches of the Cen
eral Assembly, with like unanimty, 20 request of
the government Of the United States, pecunIary aid
In promoting the then contemplated junction of
the eastern and western waters of Virginia by the
James and Kanawha rivers similar resolution bad
passed the House of Delegates without opposition
the preceding session f18l5. II was, however near
the close Of that session. the 9Th IF February, 1916
that bill to take the Of the people the pro-
priety of calling Convention, first received the sane
ton Of majority Of the House Of Delegates, and that
u1aIoriiy embraced both the delegates from Loudoun
This bill was afterwards lost at its third readings
but similar fina,lf passed the House OF Dele
gates with the CO opria ion Of the Loud0un deega-
ton during the succeeding win'er, and than
month fore The Presidents message, Of the % Of
March, i9t7 had excited doubt in the public mind
of the Constitutional authority Of Congress to aid the
several States in the construction o. works of Inter
nal Improvement State fini. .oT rnads aud ca
nais, had been already craased o- r srio5c FOL