Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-03-09

nrstocratical provsions that he viii hear the ciank
ing of the chains of bondage. imposed upon the ives
-that ne VIII hear the future groans ofthe present
ana the escendants Of the present nsulted and Cd
pressed white majority OF this Commonwealth-tha
he will feel for the present. and ali future yonera
lions, OF trans mont inhabitants of Virpinatba
he Will taste, and that with loathing too of the bit
terncss thatw now taste, in being deprived of our
/ Pohtical equality, and having the reason assipneo
publicly, lin order excuse the depriyers the
or the world for this palpabe deviation from rennb
mean prlncples that the labour of the west is about
upon par with the labour of the east, in point of
Ih,eiect, tthere6y meaning suppose, that the poor
white lnboring class of this community know no
than the abused, nsued, uneducatod negroes oftbe
east,l strike thatsection from the amended constitu
!lon ne and he will in every sentence the
insurerable pride and the wrongfuy retained power
OF the East, and the obloquy thrown upon the West
the depression of the labor, the intellect the spirits
Its people, and the improvements of that section of
the country; clear and uuclouded will he bis ;udn
nent, and long and loud will be his voices and Main
and copious will be his language to warn Ms of
our danger in accepting the amended constitution.
here some OF the company attempted to interfere,
but he roared in voice like thunder is So and inn
mediatey left the company.
NOW, Mr. Senior Editor, although there were near
~ as many men collected my house as there would
nave been at one of Judge Summerss precinct cleo
tons, and full much whiskey too for have n CON
pie of barrels full in my smokehouse, for the in
formation ofthe eastern members ofthe late Conven-
ton generally, and especially TO quiet the fears of
benJamm atkins Leigh, esq, in the sincerity of my
heart call God to witness the truth of this my de-
claration, that there neither riot rout or unaw
iu assembly, las understand the law nor was there
any treason, murder, rape, any felony DONE ina
gncd' or committed, nor yet was there any conspi-
racy ether medltated or mentioned for the purpose
OF iooslng the bonds that bind the abour of the East
10 those that they labour for; nor vet was the sub
Ject OF excessive taxation of the negroes once men
toned or thought Of SO far as know believes nor
yet was road, canal, any other species of inter-
nal Improvement mentioned, which would REQUIRE
three dollars of eastern to dollar of western mo-
ney, to be levied upon the people of this Common
wealth. But there was mentioned firm determi
nation OF the majority present reject the amended
constitution, because it gives to wealth what it
ought to have given to persons viz. political power
because gives to the same, less number of free
white inhabitants East of the mountains much great
er political power than it gives to the same number,
or more free white inhabitants West of the noun
tains.
Now, Mr.. Editor, the object of this communication
is to extract from you whether these surmses of NV
neighoors be true Let me state the questions in the
manner we should like to hear them answered
flrst-ls 1t true in point of fact, that the improve
mcnts in the amended Constitution so great that
you would yield tie principle of the political equality
of persons, for the sake of those amendments,
Secondly-Do you not believe. that for the sake of
the political equality before mentioned, which we
conceive to be the greater good, that had better
labor while longer, under all the other disadyan-
tages, rather than yield that?
Ihlrdly-Has your change of situation in life ha d
any effect upon you in relation to this matter?
Fourthly-ls it private pique at the West for not
voting Tor you when candidate for the place of
Printer to the Convention that induces YOU to advo
cate the adoption of the amended Constitution, in
opposition to the al votes including nearly everv
Western, and some few of the Eastern votes given
against 1t, when put upon final passage in the Con-
vention, and its acknowledged defects upon the all
important subject of Representations infictng deep
and indelible wound upon the interests of the
Vest?
IlOx oh
of the anti-dueing law, with all the doors of Office
power, ambition and emolunent closed against YOU?
And if so, has your hard and peculiar situation in this
respect, any influence upon your Judgment in this
natter and does the aforesaid 9th section of the Sd
article of the amended Constitution blind your vision
so that you do not clearly the insuperabe obec-
ton to, and gross inequality the subject of repre-
sentation? And if this be your situation do Won not
think that it would be as well for you to continue to
labor under your present acknowledgements than that
by endeavoring to throw off your BURDEN you should
only rid yourself of it, by entailng worse one upon
upwards of four hundred thousand freemen of vour
native State-not only on them, but also upon their
latest posterity?
These surmises are now going the rounds of the
public and private circles of the Western country:
if they true let it be known; if they are not true
contradict them publicly in your paper, and you will
confer a favor upon the community.
Your well wisher, &c.
RUSTICITAS.
u we invite a perusal of the elegant extract
which follows, from an upland correspondent. We
were not ignorant that he had adopted Montesquieu
definition of Liberty and we did not feel better re-
conciled to it that account. If he will reflect
upon this definition he will discover it's imperfectior
in this. that it levels all countries which have xet
and certain laws, to the same standard of freedom
elderly consists in doing without hndrance, what
ever the law permits" But suppose law does no
permit thai which is essential to the enjoyment o
liberty-rationat liberty. Take the case of tas