Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-16
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
MONDAY. my q

itself INTO Committee Of The Whole, ON the
Constitution Mr Powell in The Chair.
Mr.. GILES rose 10 address the Committee
He began by remark,ng that after the discus.
sion winch this subject had undergone IN the
| Comm tee, II migbi seem prrsum piuous in him
To engage III the deba e.-But he was impeed
by u sense If duy, u address the Committee
aud not With visw of shedding any new or in
resting light upon this subj 'Ct--nor with n
view oil obtaining q lean M jot ny For, he
| should regret 10 see lean majority deciding
upon this SUBJ eel rs II " Iuid look like a poor
| triumph of friends over friends, He uas very
ANXIOUS 20 procure something ike unaniinliy. -
| Al aaanimiiv on tbs occasion would be wor-
| thy II this House, aud OF the importance of the
great subject they WERE discussing. Aud why
| should we nj approach tbs Immunity 7 We
are not without great example on tins oeea.
| sion.--This very Constitution which they were
attempting 10 improve. Obtained finally nm unan.
imops vote why should we not follow this en-.
| ample III has been said, indeed. that this u
nanimity WIS produced by sense Of common
danger and alarm-and that the subject wa.
disposed oi ~ great haste.--lIe was sorry 10
| hear this santi aent thrown out Our forefa-
Tiers v, re sensible. IL 10 true, of their dangers
yet il did not produce precipitation or disturb
| the equanimity oil their minds. lie had been
told that nothing was more common, than for
them ioJeer each other aud to say " that they
| must either hang all together, OF he hung one
bg oat'-and tins Constitution WAS the proof
| OF the = cooncss aud equanimliy - lhey had
| giveh oTih 10 the very best government that
had ever been producsd--We have met here
| ander very different circumsl ances-we sit
aOOlly and deliberately. fe ARE sitting here
| under the advantages of that state Of MUD, pro
| duced by the wisdom of our iorelaihers - And
N f,a
ours Ives worthy Of our loreiathers.
lie said, that we were Stimulated, by as
strong considerations as cvel actualed our tore.
'athefs-We should nol sacrifice he reputation
they had transmitted 10 us and which we hnd
enjoyed Aud II therefore we'll became rs 10
hanish all those passions, which might sWeryg
he ju gment Of The House. he stated that he
mad peen delighted win the spirit winch had
Distinguished then proore iings-Niih thu nDiil.
~, and the honorable fraokness, which had
been display ed. They mad iacreas d, he hoped,
the moral character OF the Suite. Gentlemen
ha mot each other front TO front; frankly
stating all their views aud all that was neces.
'sry wns to examine all these Arguments IN their
state OF conformation.
Nj q. stated II was very unfortunate thai
sn IA differences of sectional interests should
exist, as they did in VII sinia--thls arose from
peculiar species ul property-niicb was so
distinct that at lrasi ono third fine taxes was
paid by he slaves Of the State. But what was
our duty 10 meet these Arguments fairly sub
due them thoroughly, and reconcile all these
differences.
The venerable gentleman from Loudoun
(Mr Monroe, had remarked, that emancpb
| non mus, take place and that il could not be
| effected without calling in The aid Of the Gene
| raj Government. MIR. q. confessed thai he had
bau4I HIM n i.l raj N, wit
& eat pain. Ii we were constantly To go 10 the
General Government tor aid, (some for Internal
| dprovement, and the venerable gentleman
| for AID 10 emaneipale our slaVcs,) where were
| we 10 stopi II would eventuate IN the destruc
| lion oil State Rlghts, IN the concentration Of
great power IN the hands OF the General Go
vernmeut, aud in the beating down the barriers
which project The States and he people. He
asked, II gentlemen were aware Of the danger
of concentrating power M any hands whalev'
err
| He proceeded 10 remark thai but for this
unfortunate division OF sectional Interests, he
should have hoped that they wonld have done
much 20 improve our political system lie con.
sideied politics as yel only 10 It's infancy. Fiiiy
years ago tins first Constitution had b. en form
e.. u had opened new era IN The scierce o.
polite, aud the American people ought 10 60
| on To bud up n science OF their own. But hc
| was afraid we have Tdiher teirogra led, than
improved IN that time. We have gone ON 10
initiate tho British GovrrnHeht--non Of the
previous governments had been formed by
| aud, backed by powcr-we know how many
patriots have persisted IN the cause oil reform
that Hampden aud Sidney have become mar.
tyrs 10 flowing 10 the inllutnce VI the .stab
| hshed government.
lie said hat the great Improvement made in
the science ofgoyerDment, was that II was de
rived from the social compact, or, from writ
ten Constitution ---Bui thu great difficulty sill
was to understand the elements ol their socia
compact. The compact presents us but two
parties, the governor aud The governed and
whether the majority are to exercise any contro
over the government, aud IN what manner IL IL
g. be exeriod, depends upon the manner ia
which the social compact Is organized.--Wba
is TO b. done. Tor Instance, IN our present stua
4 ton Here IS n new sfciiUuai interest 10 bt
projected. Ifthe majority is 10 govern abso
lnjeiy, the interest OF ms minority will he sa
crihced.--He took II, that the ma orty have nc
rights ia any particular case, unless they were
derived from the social compatible contend
ed, that we had drawn TOO much upon the ex
ample Of the British Constltution-lt wat
strongly illustrated ia the case OF tho Execu
live of he u. Stuies--In the great patronage
gwen TO that department. Aud we are eyer
called upon IN this Convention, 10 initiate ID,
same government. Instead of adhesing 10 oul
system, we are borrowing our examples iron
abrohd-And fthe government of tue unitec
States were 10 borrow from US, IN the structure
Of the Federal Government, it would lie great
Improvement in our organic law.
Among the obj ctions made TO our presen
Const itution, gentleman had remarked on
the want of responsibility 10 the Executive
This was the last objection he expected ,c
meet. For, the Executive Council is obliged Il
keep Journal OF their proccedings-and wha
would be better TO check an agent, than TO keeI
regular account Of his ,ransactionsi Anc
how is it with the Governor f--rhe Journa
vii, show whether he follows or declines The
advice OF the Council. and thus he incurs th'
responsibility OF his own acts. So true is this
L IL hu. al IL