Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-03

ASK every gentleman in this boy to express his opi-
ion is to The particular .istrict of which lie is rep
resehtatiye Ike would answer ior his own distrc
The people there pure, yrttos and in, elhoen,
he thought he might with equal certainty answer Tor
! the whoie State he did not mean to say that the
people were TREE from vice. THAT would he . state
otpettectiop not 10 be found in man. What he meant
to say was that They possessed the a9aonate aIlot
ieni or virtue and intelligence to cniiile lxn TO de-
Iand o! us that free representative system which he
| ZIG GcScf!oeh. Were they not virtuous in i776?-
al mat period which infected human virtue It's
iSVeFesi tricIs. were they not viruous Then when
NGry man not restrained by yirsuous principles aud
eesps, vas tempted to fly for security int the arms
or vice; wien ancestors stood In the presence of
powerful Toe, struggling with ropes ros,i, their
necks all the feelings and laws of nature opcratiur
apon them to make them swcrve from their ir aud
! vigorous purposes, we found them hrcasting the
STORM, resisting the painful tide of tro; utit!u as
wen as Physica power, and shedding their blood to
attest their integrity. Were they virtuols then.
Eni IT virtuous then have they deter;Gra,ede Tcv
nave not. In the path OF intelligence they have,
SINCE that time. made rapid ana great progress. They
are now much more intelligent, than they were at
tnut time, and III virtue. they are, ut least equal Il
there be any evidence of the deterioration o. tic
people either in virtue or ne.iigcce lie would bc
glad to hear it. II has been said That they have
oeen strongly agtated by questions Of party; and
that inthe moment ofagtaion, they have sEyeryed
rom snoSe principles which The best sanctioned
IL SO, what has been the result? These bursts are
but as the c'ecric agitations OF The natural World
Tie storm which dGsoiatcd for moment has passed
away, and with il has disapgcarcd the rsys,rcs of
ts progress while the element is rendered more pire
and the atmosphere is rpncneratet. SO it is with
the people OF Virginia. The a-ita;inns Of uartv
have net LEFT solitary track on the moral sense
ana condnct OF the community This is proved by
very recent circumstances. After the nritntior.s
Which convulsed the people on the subject of This
Convent on they are now rapidly returning to state
OF good feeling and tranquility. The people are
now begnn!ng for Themselves and ut proper time
they wall hcgn to act. Can we desire a.lv STRONGER
proof that there has been deterioration in the non
ular body? BY whom Was this Convention elected
Hy the community or Virginia. T;!ey have clothed
Us WIN me powers we are now exercising. We see
mere Tie ii'St distinguished the most p r,Te;l.t
Tie most Vr!uouS Citizens of the CoiG On wealth rs
seinbed in this body What motives operatad on
the people tn send hither such men as ticseo Could
my be any oihef, than virtuoas mo;iye:? Coall
they be any other, thnn desire to promote their
own happiness and to secure the public welfare, Viz
GINA could not have given greater evidence ofabnr
FYrine than IN these elections. lie wa, therefore,
warranted IN saying that the people of VIRGINIA arc
,vlrtuou5 and intelligent, after they hare Gr;yr,, th
most conclusive evidence of the fact.
Perhaps it may be said that VIC are axo.npt from
Mat great dcer'"raton of morals, which is visible
IN some other states, because we have esrapad the
presence among US of the daaloraliznz. principle
which has existed, and been active in IL operation
III other Sta,es II may be said that in New York
there IS much greater iIutooFaIiiy and much more
cons ant tendency to vicious cxceses.e The reason
Is obvious THAT is the great commercial emporium
the refuge OF tie citizens OF every country III the
world, tie reservoir of all the vice and immortality
winch runs os. from other n1tins. We have oc,y
to look at the constant and nurerois arr:va's there
0! foreigners; many OF them the exes Of crime fy-
g i.ci The punishment ,ich they merit and fear:
ana To It's vicinity TO Canada, be satisfied tlNt
there exit many causes for the overwhelming irno-
rdity or New York winch not operative. enaon,r
us. We have none Of those large cities which are
so well adap ed for the generation ana concealulent
Oh VICE anu ne mast confess THAT he hcfero-
doS in lbs feelings as never to wish to see such row-
ing up II this Commonwealth.
Are Ue then not warranted ii giving to The people
oi Virginia, the best form of government if thew
possess these essentials? And was he not warranted in
saying that they possess the adequate virtue and intc
eence to sustain such form of government! She
facts he bad stated supported his assertion.
Lest 1t should be said that his argument was ad-
dressed to The popular feeling; that it was not intend
ed tor this body but Tor those vino sent him hither
hcwoud affirm that he had never courted popularity
His course had been uniform, and of very dideret
character If the people had clothed him ,giifl the
power he now had, it vas not that he had solicited
their favor lie felt himself entirely independent OK
the people. lie asked nothing at their hands: bur
at the same time, he would dsdan to receive vat
they might choose to bestow.
Representation is the true basis Of all rcnrrso7,ta
tive republics 1t Is the true elementary priIlcpIe on
Yiilch alone republic can be founded. He would
not attempt to sustain this statement bv resorin to
elementary writer's TO sle,y that a pcope whom fho.
Character IS asCeTtaECd OF right the fountains OF
power that they have a right to exercise their pow
or III their proper persons; and if that the corn1u-
nifty have right to decide who shall represent them
III the Legislature, and That this decision can only he
made on the principle of majority. But ne would
resort to the naxims which originated here in mo.
mcnt of eminent peril, and from these would she
that The true principle in representation should be
its apportionuent among the peoples that If the
power was i'll the people and they declined to ex-
crcise it themselves, but by doputation that deputa
ton being the voice Of the people, nrst bear ratio
TO tho people whose voice they speak. The power
IS inherent in the people to transact the business of
legislation, 10 transact legislation Themselves
In The Bill of Rights, it is said that ''a powers arc
vested in, and derived from, the people" Is not this
true, without the sanction Of that instrument
Is it for the first time now announced? Can We
deny that the power is in the people: How came
we here? Through that power. Then, if III power
in the people. and they exercise it not in person
bit by representation, how is tue principle sustained
when it is alleged that the power is in property and
not in the People' It mu5t be clear that power is not
in property bat in the people. When we have as.
csr.aiIad ..ha the nan.,c hy r,-..c-..:r .L.-