Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-02-11
ros rnt nAalsssuEs sAssE.E.

short months yeu wIll most probably ne eau
ed upon to give yoT votes for OF agau'st TN
new form of Government, which alter 81
much labour. so much debate, so much con
fict, has been prepared for your approval o.
objection.
We'll may it be Subtitle long agony y
over.'-That il has been long, thc expcrlene'
OF forteen wears can testify. That the Body
Polite has been agosized-T'he fierce section
al &C. .Iings in every quarter Of the Common
wealth-The open talk Of a division OF th'
oil state-The undisguised proclamation o
political views as extreme as the North anC
South Poies-as conflicting as two wand
meeting from those points, too abundantll
has shown.
That this struggle is over for time. the re
cult of their labour shc'Ts That 1t IS oy.
for good. win depend upon your reception OF u
In venturing TO address you upon THIS SUB
iect. feel as every man Of the least mode3tl
must feei-some hesitation arising from We
nv natural dstrust Of my ABILITY to handle th.
subiect-none from any doubt as to The cor
rectness of my opinions, or the propnety o.
pressing them upon the people. he subject
for their consideration Is important enough
certainly. to raise this feeling IA more con
fident bosom than nine. let the same I'm
preston of its importance induce every one
This is not one law But a body OF ianda-
mental and paramount laws. every sentence,
almost, holding principle. which has been
forming for centuries now stands the con
centrated experience of ages.
The course TO be taken now. that the Con
stitu.ion is made admits of no middle or tenn
PORTING plan Of action.
The time for consideration IS short.
The decision, when made, involves and de-
tervnine. the great political rights ri cur pos
terity to the latest ages The subject may be
above nv pen, but il is thus important and
pressing-many of the people ! know have
not vet seen the instrumental many. espe-
ciallv ofthe fe,c poters its provisions and Ian
guagc would require explanation have
thought Mach upon this n,a''ef. tho cannot
cav to any advantage only ask TO be heard,
as one who wishes to discuss question, IN
which his rights and his chldrcns' rights are
involved, in common ;sisn those OF ali Of his
fellow citizens.
The only question for the people to decide
nor is whethe. they will by voting against the
new Constitution, consent to live under the
old one; or whether they viii adopt the new
form of Government The question is not
shall we take this one. or make better
because the majority Of the people will not
consent to try another Conventions, they will
say IA answer to such demand, we have al
ready tried it-with the wisest and the best
men Of the land. the experiment. has been
fearful one,--by the conflict, the State has
been shaken to IFS centre: and we will not a
gain hazard every thing that is precious, when
you can give no reason for supposlng. that a
nv better Constitution would be made, If you
were to try il again.
The question is rot whether the New Con
stitution is in erery respect, Just such an one.
as we would wish, bat, whether it is better
one than the old ones whether any Of the c
wills have been remedied that we complained
of whether under the ne,c one we shall stand
a better chance hereafter Of getting our rights,
if we have not cot them. than we would If
we go back to the old state Of things?
Now, Fellow Citizens, let us compare them:
and If If can be proved co,,clusipely, 1st that
most of the evils complained of by the peo-
pie Of the upper country have been redrcssed,
everv one. TO a certain extent, and with one
single erceDttop, al 10 the fullest extent
2ndlv That we shall be in a better situation
under the new Constitution, to carry any a
mendlnent hereafter, that we may consider
due to our section of country--there can
then be no doubt left in the minds Of reason
able men as to the prapriety OF gladly voting
for the new Constitution, unless indeed, we
choose to spite ourselves. like the child who
will not eat his bread and butter because thcXe
is no sugar upon 1t, which apprehend would
be the act rather of unreasonable men. The
great subjects OF diScontent among the Wes-
tern people, who were the principal agents in
bringing about a Convention, were
!. The inequality ef representation
Q. The limited right of suffrage;
8. The burden d an useless executive
council,
The defects in our Judiciary system.
These were the cisief, and the first was the
most greivous. Let as first see what has
been done here
There are one hundred and fire counties in
the State, each seniIn5 two delegates 10 the
lever house under the old Constitution and
fe1r boroughs each sending one.
Twenty-slx of these counties are beyond
the Allegheny.
Fourteen in the Valley,
Twenty nine between the Blue Ridge and
ri1e-wa ter, and
Thirty six below tide-waser, and the four
,oroaghs.
We complained (aud with great JUSTICE
hat although when the old Constitution was
made at the cominencem 3nt OF the revolution,
t might have made u fair distrioation Of pow
n in the State, inasmuca as nearly all the
wealth and population was IN the small coun
les below tide-water; yet that fifty edd years :
ii made wonderful change, and that 1t was :,
reasonable TO say that Frederick. Shenan
u .-A