Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-09

LIE TIERS FROM J. r. Cooks TO MS CONSTITUENTS.
LETTER Ill.


FELLOW CT rIzESs:-in tue predatory letter which
lately addressed to you, reserved myself the pri
vilese, valuable To who is uncertain whether he
will have leisure discuss all the TOPICS before him
and ANXIOUS to make of the most importantly oil
treating my subjec, dcsultory manner. shall make
liberal use OF the privilege in this and IN my future
communications If iadced. there shall be any future.
ismy present purpose, after disposng Of some pre-
hmnary matters, to discuss the important Question,
how far rigt respected, and your interest, Sc
cared, by the apPoronment OF representation made IN
tn constitutional
What your rights in regard to representation, is,
tins side of the mountain, and between you and me,
quc st,on which needs no discussion. say 10 YOU,
SAID the floor OF the convention, in the very
OF expressing determination to support the plan Of
representation since adopted, that entertain" lin
nnon with you,) "a political creed, which all the
cloquencc OF its opponents has not shaken, and which
will continue TO be my creed long life and consci
IL is, that freenen the sole cle-
rnents OF which republic should be formed, and
that q"ry is the only just rule for the distribution of
power among them
his say is your creed, and it is mine, H. regard TO
our political rights. Bat. had 1t been your fortune
il minc scn,for weeks together, to the spien
did eusions OF eastern eluqucnce you might rhaps
have been led to doubt whether yon had any rihtsat
oil. Hou night have been half persuaded to believe
that the noble and elevatng theory of the natural
rights of men, promulgated in the i'm century by
Locke and his enlightened contemporaries, adopted IN
Virginia at the OF the revolution, and consecrated
by the blood OF fathers poured out in its defence
fer all, gorgeous fabric of the imagination. n
endd illusion, winch having lived TO its lated day
destined now to DC spelled by the efulgence of
the lights OF the 18Th century. In convention
At Virginia statesmen, we're found men of undoubted
pa rioism and distinguished ability, who dazzied and
~ sled by the brililancy of their thoughts, and
vii Tered in the of their ingenuity On He'd
question all the principles which have been consd.
cred, fer century and hail. the very axoms Of po-
nlicl sciencr. Making tsbuIa Of tho political
chart by which We steered through, and weathered,
the storm of he revolution they contended that
There are NJ original principles of government
whatever;
That the Original and natural freedom and equality
of men "A mere abstraction;
rhat the doctrine of tie right of the majority 10
govern is q vulgar fallacy;
That government controlled by "mere numbers"
other words by the people, is system of legal
lied rapine; md,
That every question al nut the distribution of rolit-
cal power, in the organic law Of a country must be
decided by IAN enlarged eS 'edeucy," and without
reference TO prnSpes supposed natural rights;
where, or III whou the power ughtfuy existed,
whether rightuly existed any where of deciding
how much power 1T was expedient to 6estov on this
or that section ct the commonwealth, how many
classes of the community expedient nat to
a share the government, they did undertake to
inform BY failing to DO which, taey ,ac,,ly admit
ted, humOiy conceive the necessity OF resortnp
to some original principle without which the new pa.
tent engine, "cXped ency," could be set in motion
And if I might be permitted wit, all Difference to
hazard the idea would say their argument forci.
lily reminded me u the Supposed -utai tleory that
tIe world the back of pusr turtle; the said
theory x silent 80 tfe Question. on what DIES
he turtle rsst
AMI mere will take occasion TO say, hat Nhrevet
doubts may have hereto!o,- entertained abo ut the
exPedency of anneS'ng 'decLsra,on Of rghts' o
every organic law founded IN tue idea tnat the ex.
preston of some rights mIgt BE- misconstrued into
the negaion OF others not expressed; am now tho.
roughly convinced of the great practical ut,, of such
solemn declarations. For | now know by cxpcrence
that such is the aud3city the human intellect riot
ing in its strength, and impatient of the restraint of
established principles, that delights to call in ques-
ton all established truths human and divine The fun
damental and essential principles of all free instiu.
tons might iIave received their deah-wound in the
convention OF Virginia, from the hands of daring nno-
yators but for Tie Fictitious aid they derived from the
solemn annunciation that was made of those princi
Piles in the 'aecaration of rights" an instrument en-
deared to the people of Virginia by its association
with all their glowing recolectIons of revolutionary
glory. No candid man, who a member Of that
body, will deny that the declaration of rights was
stumbling block in he way of the real innovaors to
whom have alluded. They could not openly assaii
IT, because 1t emb9lmed in the affections of the
people; neither could they the other hand entirely
conceal the-wlIst shall 1 say?-almost contempt
with which they regarded It. II was undenably an
admirable instrumental very able paper, containing
very correct principles-very. But, after all they
were abstract rinciples-mere distractions -requi-
ring great MODIFICATION when applied to the actual
concerns of men.-Al which means, IN plain English
that they OF sort of earth but To furnish
fine sentiments for fourth of July orations
seek not, fellow citizens, by this statement of facts
to excite or to foster, 10 your minds feelings of sec
tpns dislike, already strong the welfare of our
common country. And therefore accompany the
statement have made with tine strong asseveration of
my belief, that the gentlemen alluded misrepresep-
ted in these points, the opinions and the feelings of
their constituents. Neither do that the here,
sizes have DESCRIBED prevailed generally among the
eastern and southern members. And while am ON
this part OF the subject my feelings impe to saw
that if the eastern and southern members generally
were tair sample OF the eastern and southern PEG.
pie, they are people whom may be proud to call
our countrymen and fellow citizens.
Do you ask me how it happened that l. so deerly
impressed with the deformny of these antrepnbliean
doctrines, and so thoroughly persuaded of the truth
OF the great revolutionary principle. the equality Of
men voted for constitution which does not proDose
precisely equal distribution of power among the
ifeemen OF the StTte' answer you in the language
winch used on the hoor Of the convention, when on
the 18th OF December, first announced, In concert
with my friend Mr.. Henderson, of I.oudoun our de.
termination to support the compromise plan Of repre-
senlaloH proposed by Gen Gordon, and assigned our
reasons Tor the course intended to pursue
i chung to the hope thlt constitution would no
"fofmcd by which the equal representation of the
people OF Virginia IN both If the legislative bodIes
would be- carried into full effect t,li my reason told
nc to despair gifts accomplishments ACor pro-