Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-16
DEBAyE ON THE CONVENTION.


MIR. Cha;rmau The able debates of,bc gentleman
from frederick, and OF my honorable colleague to-
day, leave me Int little ground to occupy; but tho
reply OF the gentleman from Vcstn,orcland has IN
ocod' opened q wkle field. That gentleman has III
rertcd the Very truths established by human eyper-
cnco. lie has declared that ITO human government
III the world sor has been, either founded or upheld
ny physical force, not taat othc Emperor of all
the Rssias--Whereas if he had said that every 20
vernment known TO us, ancient ST modern, except,
perhaps, that OF En- and and our ovn Institutions.
were the creatures OF force or fraud, he would have
been Justified by the experience of mankind. That
gentleman has set at nOugh The truths asserted in the
'iI OF Rights, and even in the Declaration of indie
pcndencc. Like anotlsr dchatCr OF our own country
he has declared that the assertion That all men are
ny nature born equally free, and have certain rights
&C is all abstract error, made true, becatisc as
serted by such high authority; and, in rcpy 10 the
gentleman from Frederick. that the only sanction oil
the right at the majority to rule, is To be found in
phySlcal iorcc, he asserts that governments partcu-
larry ours, are altogether faunicd IN cnnpromsc-
ana To that test will cnicavo hereafter, 10 put the
present question.
Tho bill reported proposes, by ASSUMING, tho ratio OF
tho Co srcSSional Districts, TO organize n Convcn-
ton with elements, tending to the establishment of
perpetual aristocracy Of shareholders, in which a
minority oftrccrian 20 be invested with pcrpctu-
al rule over the majority o their compcers an oil
garchy founded no distinctions of merit of aor or
OF public service; but simply the possession OF
particular species Of property. The fran RS of the
BIZ, had rot. when they reported it, vonturcd ~ nrc-
sent to the view oftlS people an u'rarciv founded
on wealth generally. Y'hIt distinction hu1 bcro,,n
odious III the eyes Of al. No voice, has as vet tolc-
rated it III Virginia. but, in claiming representation
oil 3-5ths of their slaves, they contrary to their own
doctrines IN time OF war, affect 10 consider , NEGRO
slaves, rs equal 10 ) white mon in a Dolitira view:
and thus, 10 Introduce element into the Stat,
Hovcrnlncu-. In supporting this new and ularmnp
claim they are, nj every step, condemned by their
own Inconsistencies. When a: war politicians in the
savcolirg States considered slaves % entirely n
property, tint they demanded an Indemnity. when
this property lost i'll the defence Of their countr
but now, this property Is considered as d monrrc
mixture containing IN part the qualities of chattc
ana IN part the attributes of freeman. 20 no rom
sstcnt with themselves, hike p1rccnurs avilrrtoo small
Il freehold each, to enttc him 10 vote five negroes
ought 10 be permitted, by common consent to rive
three votes and after exercising this particular po-
cal right, return 10 ;her master service
To the principle ofsavc representation the friends
OF reform can never assent. They know full we'll
that minority Of the ircemen of Virginia could nei-
ther impose, nor wear this yoke By the friends of
reform, mean to designate those. wlo Voluntarily
and from their convictions, have sought it for vear;
and TO conrd-dstingUiSh them frOm such rs have c
come the friends of Convention since April last
The former have sought for reform the great prin-
cplc of an equal distribution Of power amongst the
white population.
Mucl, light may be thrown Oh In" subject BIZ brief
recurrence 20 our own political history Before the
ReVolutloh, the government Of the Colony was re-
gal one. ~ such! the Charter cr5atfp IL existed his,
fore the existence of SLAYER. Slave 1roDcrtv thcre
.
tore, conferred 10 political distinctions on its DO, sos
So;s. t!"s property was acquired and lost under .he
Colonial. a. 1t has been Under the Commemorative
Government. So completely was thist the case tbnt
slaves, so far this government IS concerned were
never attempted 10 be placed i'll the noltical sc-es
by the Colonial Charter, tho legislative power was
possess ~ by three co-ordinaie branches; House Of
,iurgcsscS, Council and the KING. Pie first Of
these, and the first only, elected BY the freehold
dcrs, and ho members were so far renrcseutatiycs of
thc peof2. Their property qualifications were dou-
DC what they now are by law. The Governors were
the Kings Deputies or Vice Roys and had power TO
convokc and dissolve legislative Assemblies. When
dissolved by royal authority, the BURGESS was rcdu
ced to the condition OF private freebooter. He was
no more burgess: Accordingly, when the mantle
Of royal authority ie from the hands Of the Earl Of
DunmOre-When he dissolved the General Assembly
aud fled from orr shores, all will agree that Society
was resolved oIts original elements. There was
neither Governor, Council, House Of Burress-F
The state Of Society. 1875, precisely what til,
Regal Charter was calculated TO make il. The ROY
eminent tended 10 all arstocracy. and had produced
y. lie King was muster of the Executive Power
ma Of the Legislative Council. The House of Bur
gcsses was 70 be manf .sed ll, the House Of Com.
llons. The way Ia do this was perfectly easy Each
county entitled TO two Burrcsses without rernrd
70 population. To keep the Representative Body
unIOr the influence Of the Executive il was ONLY ne
cissary to have majority of BIrgesscs elected from
.lc vicinity of the Palace, ana within the circle of
Executive patronage. The Map of the Common
wealth shows how this was done. II was done bv
hi'lIIy SlO uLFilll9 Counties INTO small
cncts, so as 70 out number the votes Of more distant
and less favored settlements; by giving separate rep
rescutoton TO small VILLAGES, au1 to the Colicee of
" lam ard Mary. By tiGsc means an arstocrati-
cal class OF families sprung up IN the East, and prin
clpay between the head of tid,-water aud tho soa
hi5 arstocracy was further promoted and strength
O. u by large and profrsr grants orCro,n Lands TO
?lTtcul1r iayoritcs. 1iIi5 practice Produced I'M
m'n;e inequalities ID wealth, while the policy of9oy
crEncrt placed the means Of public instruction be-
voad the roach o'CI, conimo1ai,y The tendency Of
the Colonial Constitution was 10 pro oc~ IN aTstoc
racy Of wealth aud Of learning aud the period OF tho
x olutiou found tia 1ri5tocracy "a M vsour OF
this aristoorlcy. tic dissolved House Of Bu-rcgsai
was the Representative. That body found its mem
ber5 reduced 70 the condition ofpnyatc cizcus and
they resolved ofihe boliest usrrpat;ons over
Effected by hnud full Of men, without arms in their
hands. The great.obiect Of this usurpation was 70
save tue country and for this hazardous STEP ge owe
Burgzses met IN March l175 md called themselves
q Convention. Under this appeatyn they clothed