Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-02-09


Tegnty of the country. Ithad also been ascertained
"to be the of majority of this body that our
'unwiedy house Of delegates should be reduced in
number, and the expenses Of the government dirni
"nished Other useful and economical reforms, it
"was known, would receive it's sanction. IL was
'ascer;ained, in Short that although the equal re-
representation of the people could be carried,
great approximation towards 1t was attanabc
Under these circumstances the alternative was
'presented to the friends of reform, the one hand
''of abandoning the contests and cissoving this as
s'senbly without forming any constitutions or the
'other, of endcavorIng to effect something like fair
'compromise. the great and veXed question of the
"5aslS of representations
j contemplated, as was my duty, with steady
I"eye the alternative thus presented. saw, on the
lone hand the coniuuance for an indefinite period
"kep Virginia, Tor thirteen years, in state of tur-
mol and coufusion: saw the hopes of my distran-
"chised fellow-czens blasted, and their passions
''arouse ed and excited. knew that large majority
''of the people of Virginia considered themselves in
"Guitou.iy held in a state OF political bondage |
kucw that threats had been uttered within the last
eighteen nonths--not loud and brawling menaces
lNbut threats, which, by the manner which they
l'swcre uttered, manifested cool, stern, deem aud
l"dctermned purposc--threats that if the non free
t"holders did not obtain justice, in the convention
l"thcn anticipated, they would TO longer submit to
I'the laws and the constituted authortesthat thew
"woud refuse to labor or tile reads. IA rank and
''palpable grievanceIhat they would refuse to pa
county evies and taxes and to perform militia duty
that u: he constituted authorities attempted 10
Snior1c the payment OF the taxes levies, fines and
I p .ua!ties hey would resist force with force
knew by the result of private census, that in the
I"couuty OF Frederick alone there no less than
ttco to''s4a ,,ared o. hose DISTINGUISHED citi
"zens--nen of full lge--aId that trey bore To the
'ttcehoideTs lhe proportion ui nearly nine 80 five
Il shuddefeI az he probable result of conflict.
"begun by Stubborn refusal 10 obey the constitute
"antiIofi Ics--pruceedng next TO an pttenpt by
chose authorities enforce obedience by the posse
'confafas then q tumutuary and successful resIs-
lance, rpening fast into organized nsurrec;on-a
military array for It's supprcssiou-he passions of
1.-THE oppressed and DISTINGUISHED classes at lenwfh
''aroused to frenZy--and then-a civil war with all
ITS coHcomtant horrors-huuses, villages and towns
reduced to ashes and stricken field strevyed
with manged corpses of our citizens and drenched
''UTlih the best blood of Virginia
Relieve ne, sir, this is no rhetorical! war no fancy
picture tell you, sir, for knoD il. that so sure
''ae Cud IN heaven the separation of this assembly
without radreasng, in SOM MEASURE at least, thu
grievances ofthe freehoders will be the senal
''lor resistance, passive at first, to the constituted
authorities. And he has read in vain the history of
past ages and other tinles-and the history of our
'own revolutionary struggle more especially, who
does net see that paSsice resistance must nd
will produce an attempt, the part of the govern
ment, to entorce obedlcncethat that attempt will
arouse the passions of the oppressed and that civil
"war will be he result
This, Air. President of the al ernatiyes
caried out to its results presented by the refusal
"of majority of this assembly to recognize the
eQna! rights Of the PeopSe to representation in the
Legislative bodies. Tie other, as have sasd was
"the abandonment of long cherished hopes--the
sacrifice of great principle principle coeval
with the republic itself and endeared to us by its
assocation with ali those early feelings of enthu
'slasm inspired By the story of the revolution But
"ln abandoning those hopes, we did but bow to the
sup enc law of necessiiy-n sacrificing that prin-
ciple we offered it up the altar of the pub lie
'safetv The choice painful, but not difficult
In conformity with the views expressed in this
extract, the whole western delegation determined to
accept rcas liable compromise basis if sucb co,1d
be Obtained, in lieu Of tie white basis in both
houses OF the legislature will not repeat here in
detail, the history | have given elsewhere Of the
events OF the three weeks which followed this reso-
luton. Suffice it to say, that all the CONFRONT 90
plans, and there were several, offered by the east rn
members, were excessively withdrawn or Rejected
that 1t soon became obvious that the choice must be
made between the plan recommended, in the first
Instance, BIZ Coy Pleasans, which made white popu-
lation the basis of representation in the house of
delegates and federal numbers the basis in the
and that recommended by Gen. Gordon, and formjn
~ p esen; part Of the amended constitution
the at first, considerable difference OF opinion
plans--;lat. oIthe 2Sth of November, all the mem
befs oftheIty nine, residing east ofthe Blue Ridge
(eXcL~Col. Monroe, whose opinion was not knoryIIl
corcurred In formally recommending to the thirty
SIX western members plan of representation essen
ta!iy The ,ame with Gen GordoD'a-hat The west
ern ElHEl5ers generally rejected the reco,nnen- |
daion, and expressed their preference fol Gov |
Pian--that the greater part oil the cast
members, of the |oayaiYe, ,heroupon expressed
their willingness to unite with the west IN support of
hat plan hir Henderson and myself express
'ed our preference for the plan recommended by the
eastern members or Gen. Gordon's but promised to
vote for the other, a compromise plan which we
hoped would unite all part"s--ihat the western plan
was four times offered to tie house. in one -hape or
otter, from the 3Oth of November 10 the 10Th De-
cember nclusive--that it was each time rejected
though Mr. Henderson and myself each time voted
for lt-and las'y, that on the 9th of December, i'm
medateiy aHcr its fourth rejection Mr. Henderson
and myself, Gen Gurdon's plan being then under
consideration, sgni6ed IN the house our individual
preference to the aforementioned plan, explained the
reasons which had till that time induced us to vote
against 1t, and voted for it Il was carried by a !
vote of 90 to Al, and finally became part of the
constitution row subuite ed TO your consideration !
From the 10th of December, till the final vote on the
I4th OF January / zealousIy supported, as / have
already told you, he constitution containing this
compromise plan of representation. |, alone, Of
"