Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-09
I1Gtf0.


|
a Caapier upon things past.-rhe author of tn,
following has probably been at good deal of pain,
in its composition, and it would be pity to bak hi
fancy of having it published. It has some not very
bad bits, and may amuse the reader. fatigucd will
the dldactic II repeats some charges against our
selves, which we are not sorry to have an opportu
nifty of rcpellins; charges which though wo hat
heard of before, we hardly supposed any man belle
we'd. and which if We neglected noticing, it Nigh
be imagined we were afraid to meet. And it give.
sope information to Mr. Leigh, which will doubtless
be acceptable to gentlcmun of his patriotism ant
! philanthropy.
| The surmises Of Rusticus' neghbors as to tho
motives which have swayed US to advocate the new
Constitution, all ingenious, all wrong, ant
two of them uncharitable We proceed to answer
the fvc questions asked of US, in order
| Is 1t true, that by accepting the new Consttu
ton, we as individuals, yield the principle of tn,
political equality of persons? Another question
which must DO answered afiirmatively, settles the
point. Is there not more political equality of por
sons under the Constitution than the old
Under tho old Constitution, one man in Warwick
was politically equal to fourteen in Shenandoah an,
one in Williamsburg to tan in Richmond. Will
under the new Constitutions. true and perfec
political equality among the frccnen of tho State
is not, we admit, established by the new Consttu
tion but considerable advances are made toward
| it. Who then proves himself most friend to pot
ical equality, Ruslcus who by keeping us under thu
yoke of tho old Constitution would continue til,
equality OF ono MIN in Warwick to fourteen il
Shenandoah, or we VIII, By throwing off that yoke
remove this ridiculous, Inequality Let us conclude
by putting question to him-is not the old Consti
tuition moro unequal in the premises. than the new
and if we by supporting the now Constitution, siei.
the principle of political equality, what does he dc
by supporting the oldP
| In answer to his second question-if he can show
US hotD he manifests his attachment to politica
equality, by udhering to the old Constitution, NOR
than ice do, who prefer the if he can adduc
one single plausible argument to prove that by re
jecting the now Constitution, he is fastening tn
time when perfect equality will be established by
second Conventional lie do either Of thes
things-we will throw down our arms at least if W
do join his sido. This is the point which Rhsti
Gus and all who think with him, s,udiously avoi,
discussing. They will give no reason for rejecting
the Constitution but that it falls short of thei
hopes. They argue as if it followed of course, tina
by rejecting it, they forthwith, to get unothc
Convention and all that they wished Yet the
must and do know that this is not truc-that the,
cannot get another Conventionand that if they did
the same identical causes, would produce the sam
effects. They would 60 home second time, dis
contentcd. The only hop, which they can rationale
have OF another Convention is from the adoption c
that Constitution which they repudiatc.
| Having thus answered tn, Two first interrogato
ries propoundcd to u.s. we have at the same time
answered the three which follow them BY show
ing valid, and get answcred of prefer
ence, for the new Constitution, VIC account for ou
support of it upon principle and repel the persona
and grovchng motives, which Rustcus through tn
mouth of his ideal neighbor, Lumpkin, imputcs t
u.s. We should be well pleased, if Rusticus was a
entirely satisfied upon this matter, in his conscience
as VIC arc-or if he could prove that his motives
opposition were net entirely sectionat-that he doe
not take entirely Allegheny view of thu
question, and because his county and those in it
ncighborhood, lose two or three or four members
Assembly, reckon nothing tho many benefit
which the new Constitution will confer upon ever
part Of the State
1t is invariably true, that by withholding the lai
favor, you give offence, than you obtain thanks
by comforting the ninety and nine. The prcscn
nstanceis new example Of tho truth of this dis
creditablc trait in human nature. Without think
ing ourselves entitled to any peculiar credit or hor
our for it, we affirm, that we were more instrumc
al in the call Of the late Convention, at The time
tcas caHsi-tb1n any citizen of this Commonwealth
two excepted, one Of whom is no morc-wc inca
tho late Robert Douthat. In March, 1921, afto
the question Of Convention had slept from the tim
the soporIlic of a new senatorial arrangement wa
administered, in i8i6-so revived it in this city,
We called meeting, and fell upon that cxpedor
of taking tho vote Of the ITonrico frcoholdcrs wiic
was followed generally through the low countr,
and which by showing in that quarter IF the Stat
largo vote in its favor, electrified the whole Com