Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-02-10


We were neither routed nor d,smsyed Thu.
much, at least. we had attained q vas CIV
en- up ON eli banda. that ihe scfusI disir,bu
ton OF political power through the Territory,
and among the people Of vuxsnis, wsder the
existing constitutions, was tho grossly unequal
tn be longer endured. and that more rqu's
bic plan Of distribution was indispenssbsy ne
c~s.sry. TIE j,,frsnehised class of the non
freehoijers, too. had found favor in the eyes
Of . najor,ty Ut this assembly aud :, WAS as
certsine,I, that constitution would receive
its assent, by which four additional classes, to
wi,, small freehoIj-rs. reversiooers and re-
maindermcn, leases Tor years, and hotsekee-
pcrs paying taxes, should be admitted To .
participation in the sovereignty of the coun-
TRY. II had also been aseertsined To be the
sense Of m.jorty Of this body, that our IN
wieldy house OF delegates should be reduced
IN number. and the expenses OF the govern
| ment diminished. Other useful and econo-
micai reforms. IL was known, would receive
although the equal representation Of the peo-
pie could not be carried. great approxims-
ton towards il was attainable.
"Undcr these circumstances the alternative
MAS presented TO the friends Of reform, on the
one hand. OF abandoning the contest, snd d..
solving this assembly, without forming arr
constitution. or, on the other. of endcavoring
60 effect something like fair compromise
on the grea, question Of the basis Of represen.
! tation.
81 contemplated. rs was my duty, with n
steady eve. the alternative thus presented. .
saw. on the one hand, the continuance, for
an 'ndehn',c period. of that gross inequality
at representation which has kept Virginia.
Tor thirteen years. IN state ef turmoil and
confusion ! saw the hopes Of my d,,franchis.
l ed iellow.c citizens blasted, aud their passions
aroused and excited knew that \ large
majority Of the people OF Virginia considered
themselves iniqui'ously held in a state Of po.
hticaI bondage knew that threats had been
uttered. within the last eighteen mon,hs--not
loud and bra~lhng mensccs. bat threats. " hict,
/ by the manner IN which they were uttered,
manifested cool. stern, deep and deterinn-
ed purpose--threats shat IL the non free hol-
ders DID not obtain Justice, in the conve n,ion
then anticipated. they would no longer sub.
1 mt 10 the laws and the constituted authorities
that they would refuse 70 labor IN the roads
Ga rank and paipable grievance -',bat they
! would refuse 10 pay county levies and taxes,
and TO perform militia duty that, if the con.
stituted authorities attempted 10 enforce the
payment OF the taxes. levies. fines and penal
/ ties, they would resist force with force !
know, by the result of 4 private census, that
/ ~ the county of Frederick alone, there were
no less than TACO thousand taco hundred Of these
disfrsnehised ci,lzens-men of tull agc-and
that they bore to the frceholders the proper.
/ ton OF nearly nine TO FIVE.
~ shuddcred at the probable result, Of con.
hict, begun by stubborn refusal 10 obey the
| constituted acknowledgements ng next to
an attempt, by those authorities, to enforce
! obedience by the posse coiaifGfus-ihcn a tn
MILITARY and successful resistance, ripennC
fast into organized insurrec,ion-a military
array for its suppression-tbe passions OF the
oppressed and disfrsnchised classes at length
aroused TO frenzy-and them civil war with
all its concomitant horrors--houses, villages
anil towns reduced TO ashes, and many a
stricken field strewed With manglcd corpses
Of our citizens. and drenched with the best
blood Of Virginia.
I" Believe me, sir. this is no rhetorical war,
no fancy picture. Iteli you, sir, for kno,s II,
that so sure ss God IS in heaven, the sep.ra-
ton OF this assembly without rcdres,ing, IN
some measure at least. the grievances of the
non-freeholders, will DC tho signal tor resist.
ancr. passive at INST. TO the constituted All.
,horities. And he has read in vain the history
of pas, ages and other times-and the history
OF our own revolutionary struggle more espe.
cisliy -who does not see tha, even bassire re.
sis,ance must and will produce an attic mpi on
the part OF the government. Ia enforce obcdi
cnce that that attempt will arouse tho Das.
sious of the oppressed. and that civil war will
be the result.
This, Mr.. President, was one of the alter.
natives, carried out to its results, presented
by the refusal of ma iority &C this assembly
1 TO recognize the equal rights IF me peobit 80
representation in the Legislative bodies The
other. as have said, was the abandonment Of
long cherished hopes-the sacrifice Of great
principles principle coevsl with the rcpub-
lic itself, and endesred to us by its association
with all those early feelings Of enthusiasm in
spired BY the story of the revolution But in
abandoning those hopes, we did but bow TO
. the supreme law of necessiy--in sacrificing
that principle, we offered II up on the altar
Of the public safety The choice was pain.
ful. but no, difficult"
In conformity with the views ex.
pressed ia this extract, the whole ives
tern delegation determined TO accept
reasonable compromise basis, If such
could be obtained, in lieu Of the ''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 follow.
ell this resolution. Suffice il 10 say.
that all tie compromise plans. and
there were several, Offered by the cas-
tern members. were successfully with
drawn or rcjeoted-thst il soon became
obvious that the choice must b. made
between the plan recommended. IN the
first instance, by Governor Peasants.
which made white population the basis
of representation IN the house of dele.
gates. and federal numbers the basis in
the senate, and that recommended by
Gen. Gordon, aud forming at present
part OF the amended constitution
that there was, az 6rst. considerable
difference ol op'nion among fhe |orIy-
nlnf. "A 10 the rclnfiNn lncrlt. IL H..