Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-09

though hc considers submission 10 oa usu,.pcd au
thority a stiN greater ern than cird tear"
l. The proposed constitution, unqucstionably. O.
reefs The urnorty of the FREQ white people OF Vir.
gnla into the ruling power OF the State; ind il is ma
un1ues,ionablc that the ruling minority is not an i'm.
crensng, but decreasing one, compared with the
relative and increasing numbers ofthc cnslavcd ma
iOri,y.
5 & The principle tina, majority of numbers who
represent minority OF population have tho rrht to
secedc, Mr.. Cooke maintained and urged 10 the mi
nority IN tho Assembly OF 1929. The advice there
gwen was 10 sccede and make law for calling a
convention. This law, 1t was supposed, land have
no doubt corrccily,) would have been accepted and
acted upon by majority of the people. They would
nave elected convention IN which mojoity of the
people would bc represented. In the late conven-
ton, such secession would have been much more
practicable. The majority represented BY the 40
VINO voted with us was great, and had the minority
seeded and formed just constitutions they would
"havc done the work for which thoy were sent but
instead oft some of them Yielded to the minor
ity, because that minority would not consent TO bet
ter terms and because some of them thought "a sub
MISSION to uSurpcd authority a much" lesser 0scvil
than civil war;" or they thought the people had ian.
posed on hemsc!ees Obkgdtion 10 abide bv The de-
c'Sioa OF such minority, not having majority but
only an equality of members.
T. The opinion of Mr.. Cooke. that tho dificul,ios
OF seeding and acting separately would be found to
be much less than would Mt first be imagined he
must nave changed at some time during the labors OF
the convention; or
MIR. Gooke must have changed his opinion, and
nave cOmeto the conclusion that civil war would
follow either secession and acting separately or
an adjournment of the convention without doincy
thing and hatit was better to take what the minor
NY would agree to, "bCcause it was the best that
could be got, and because ''our oloa Gurorie pla,
iods t1st' by the cote IF q Uiinority
Thus we see the views held ont, and the princi-
pies maintained by Mr.. Cooke while encoura rinp
the friends OF reform 10 their work. These and the
principles to which he has yielded, arc now matters
OF history. 1t IL great concern to me or NV
countrymcn, when or how the opinions of Mr. Cooke
underwent so strange revolution, or whether his
Judgment was influenced By argument fear, nor
Is II OF much Importance TO inquire at what precise
time his deter minaton was made known 10 our nd.
verSarics. The effect the same. The de,crmi
nation and the knowledge of it, came in time 10 dis
appoint The hopes and wishes the friends of re-
form The situation IN ici the people west of the
AHeGhany are placed, Is inocrable so much So that
those who aided among them, in the call of a con.
venton, may be well supposed, TO feel the effects OF
n painful incemCut,
My own opinion is, that the adoption of the pre-
posed constitution Will ensure the Acknowledgement OF
inc state IL Is well known of me, wherever am
known at all, that my feelings have always been op.
posed 20 dlslncmb irment. That such were my fee
lngs at tie time, was well known in the Convention.
nat Gis'ncmbermcnt must follow is the deliberate
dictate ofmy judgment. Experience has shown me-
hStoEy mad failed 10 do it. that our lust rirhts will
not he yielded 10 us peacefully, and surely the rcfec-
trg part OF the community cannot believe the west
with ITS increasing relative strength either will or
ought long to endure the yoke prepared for it by the
llbou5s Of the late convention.
respectfully, but earnestly, request you-the Ed.
tors Of the Enquirer and all others who have or shall
publish Mr.. Cookies Number to which the FOREGOING
remarks refer, to publish this and at the same time
to DO me the justice TO accompany the publication OF
this, with the extract from Mr.. Cookies No. H.
which was appended TO my circular.
p. DODDRIDGE.
C3I The extract from Mr.. Cookies ID No referred
to, we have not seen. 1t was omitted in the paper
from which we copied Mr.. Doddridgc's Circular, N
consequence of the whole No. having been previous
ly published in that paper, il also in this on
the 9th ult. lfMr. Doddridge will mark out tie de-
sired quotation from Mr. Cookies Cd No it shall he
rc-pubishcd without dclay.l