Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-25
LETTER FROM MR. DODDRIDGE,
On the Ncp Contribution.

Il Il
60 avail myself Of the opportunities afforded by resi-
dencc here to observe the course Of public opinion
in Eastern and Middle Virginia, respecting the,
Constitution, and to address my constituents and
friends the subject before the approaching elections,
at which the fate of that Constitution is to be decided
In doing this il Is my purpose, very briefly, to review
the proceedings in the late Convention far as to no.
tice the difficulties that lay in way resulting from
the organization of the body ITSELF and the means by
which our equal and just claims were betrayed and
lost.
When Napoleon had planned tho conquest of Spain,
he halted for season with his army ut Bayonne,
where he invited tho Spanish Monarch to visit him as
friend, consult measures for their mutual safe
~. The King of Spain was induced to accept this
friendly invitation. He visited Napoleon, who imme-
diatcly seized him, compelled him to rcnounce his
right to the OF Spain, shut him up in prison, s.
marched his army across the p rennces FOR the
quest of his deludcd prisoners dominons. Through
out Christcndom, this conduct was called treaoh-
cry.
ton, the people West tho Allegheny had their full
STARE of representation in the House of Delegates,
hat this availed them nothing while their friends in
the Valley, and in the large counties below and
The Blue Ridge had so much less weight that House
than thy were entitled to. The tdcwatcr country
governed the State, and all suffered alike the des-
troying rffscts of tidewatcr misrulc In 1895, our
friends IN l,oudoun proposed meeting at Stanton,
which took place. at this meeting our friends be-
low The ridge, and in the Valley, we're represented
together with The extreme West Certain resolutions
were adopted expressive of the Of The meeting
md published to the word. The leading defects in
the existing Constitution were pointed out These
we're mainly the responsibility of the Executive
the unequal superintendent ofrcprcscnta,ion the re-
strction the right of suffrage, and the of pro-
vision for future amendment. These defects were
proposcdto be remedied by abolishing the Exccu-
tive Council! by apportionng representation both
branches of the General Assembly among the white
population cqusly and by extending the right of suf-
rage to all, whether frceholGcrs not who shave
Of mont ,pfaro t,,,,fh =.
attachment to- the community" The means of re
dress proposed was petition to the Assembly pass
law for taking tho sense the people OH calling
Convention. There were some members of the
Siaunton meeting who would have preferred acting
Mt once, on Society, to appeal to the General As
sepbiy, constituted as it was, aud it s to be regret
ted that that course was not taken then afterwards
The petition of the S.aunton meeting was rejcc:c
nv the Assembly IN the sessions of 1926 and 1896
1t was agreed to in 1927. The law, however, only
authorized frceholders to vote on that question.
This vote was taken at the Spring elections of 323
when 21S99 frecholders voted for and 1877 against
Convention; thus giving majority Of freehoIder,
OF SOIL Ill favor of Convention and of DIVIDING
their power with their non-freeholding brethren
With such majority of freeholders concurring with
the views and individual wishes Of the non-freoho!d
srs, class near y IS numerous themselves scr-i
GUS opposition TO the call of Convention ON such.
principles Us TO give fair expression of the popular
Will was not expected Yet that opposition was made
and sustained by the whole force of the East in tho
",
IN the passage of law organizing u Convention of
90 members four OF whom were TO be chosen by each
Senatorial district. This law was forced on us by
the East, all The Hest coiias against it, ,Fhus the
convention Itself was organized not by those who
sought, but by those who opposed IL not by the friends
but by the enemies Of reform.
7S,e extehto the injury done the West will appear
from the following tacts:
The Senatorial Districts had been formed i'm Fc
bruary, 1917, with view to equal represent alton
OF white poPuiatioD but, at that time, we had no
tables of population later than those furnished by the
fi8lO. In 1910, the white population East
of the Blue Ridge was 338,837 and West of that
mountain, 212,726, and according to this state of
white population the Senators were appertioned be-
tween tie East and the West in 1917
When the COnyeation law was passed. i'll Februa-
1920 the General Assembly, if that body had not
jntended gross outrage the principles OF Justice
could have had recourse the census of 1890 Then
the white population stood thus:-East OF the Rdoo
1873, and West 254,3G3. Had the 96 menbers
ot Convention been divided between the East and The
West, according to the census of 1920 the West
would have had 4o1 members instead of 80 tho mum,
her which the law gave us, and the East 55I mem
bers instcad of go, which the law gave them The
proceedings and votes of the Convention will abun-
dainty show that, but for the w1nton iniustca
Of adopting the tables of 1870 for distributing renrc
srn,ation in the Convention, and even sssrmpino
those OF 1870, the West, with their friends East NJ
the Ridge would have had no difficulty in maxine
and presenting to the people, for adoption, Const
tuition founded on just principles But to have dealt
Justly with US, the Assembly of 1898 ought to have
made reasonable allowance for the change Of popu
lation between 1890 and 1929. The amoi,At nj tia,
change cannot be correctly stated but from an es.i
mate furnished by the Auditor in pursuance of an
order Of Convention It appeared that the white popu
iation in 500 was 682,26 Whereof there resided
East of the Blue Ridge 36a TAG, and West 1886
aud from this II would appear that the West were
OF right, entitled to as members nearly and the East
10 81; giving the East, in the whole body noiorit
OF little more than SIX instead Of twenty-forr.
notwithstanding the injustice done US in giving ms
bot 30 ehihefs, there were mary and amone, then
who believed the ffieBds Of reform would outnunker
their adversaTles IN the Convention This k,J,s
generally entertained in the West and az far as
know, tho expectation was general that should the
great principles ofreform be definitely carried against
us ~ Convention, we would retire in a bod9 and
frame and offer 20 the people, as the representatives
OF majority OF them, Constitution formed on onr
own principles; and this determination appeared IN he
almost universal among the Western members until
the session had progressed several weeks nm nor'
ieely confident that If there had arisen no divisions
among ourselves, and the Western members had 70
aarn1 l.