Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-01-15

that this Constitution, which we ,
should consider as a remedy for all tho ills of the
body polite, may itself 10 amended or modified
at any future time. Sir, am against any such
provision lshould as soon think of introduce
ing into marriage contract provision for
divorce and thus poisoning the greatest bless
ing of the mankind at its very source; at its
fountain head. Ho has seen little, and has
reflected less, who does not know that necessity
is the great, powerful, governing principle of
affairs here Sir, l not going into that
question which puzzled Pandemonium, the
question of liberty and necessity
I" Free will, fixd fate, foyckhov'iedg absolutc;''
but do contend, that necessity is one principal
instssmcnt of all the good that man enjoys.
@sfhe happiness of the connubial union itself
depends greatly on necessity and when YOU
touch this, you touch the arch. the keystone off
the arch, on which the happiness and we'll being
of society is founded.
Look at the relation of master and slave
(that opprobrium, in the opinion Of somc-gentc-
men, 20 all civilized society and all free Co
vornmontD Sir, there are few situations i'm life
whore friendships soatrong and so lasting are
formed, as III that very relation. The slave
knows that he is bound, indi,soiubly, to his mas
ter, and must from necessity, remain always UNI
der his control. The master knows that he is
bound to maintain and provide for his Slave so
long as he retains him in his possession. And
each party accommodate M----lr =" MS siIua-
ton! vi have seen the dissolution of many
friendships such ut least, were called
but have seen that of master and slaves endure
so long as there remained drop of tho blood of
the master to which the slave could cleave. |
Where is the necessity of this. provision in the
Constitution Where is the use of it ID? Sir, what
are we about Have we not been undoing |
what the wiser leads,l must DO permitted to say |
SO yes, sr-what the wiser heads of our ances. |
tors did more than half century ago. Can |
any one believe that we, by any amendment of
ours, by any of our scribbng on that parch-
ment, by any amulet, any cgeflemain, charm,
nbracadabra, of ours, can prevent our sons from
doing the same thing that is, from doing as
they please, just we are doing as we please
1tis impossible. Who can bind postcrity' When
hear gentlemen talk of making a constitution
g for all time" and introducing provisions into
II, tor all time" and yet see men here that ire
older than the constitution are about TO de-
stroy q am ..lder myselfthan the present con-
stitution; IL was established when was 4 bow
1T reminds mo OF the truccs and the peaces in
Europe: They always begin, 90 In the name of
tho most holy and undivided Trinity" and 90 OIL
to declare. 90 there shall be perfect and perpetual
peace and unity between the subjects of such
and such Potcntates, for all time to come" and
in less than seven yeats, they are at war again
Sir, am not prophei or a seer but will
venture TO predict, that your new constitution,
"a .l,uII
And so confident am in this opinion, that if /,
were proper subject for betting, and was
sporting character, believe would take ten
against it,
1t would seem as if VIC were eudeayoring
[God forbid that / should insnuate, that such
was the intention of any hercl if we were
endeavoring to corrupt the People at the foun
tam head Sir, the great opprobrium of popu-
Tor Government, Is its instability. II is this |
which made the people of our Anglo-Saxon |
Stock cling with such pcrtinacity, TO an indie |
pendent Judiciary. as the only means they could
lind to resistthis vice of popular governments.
By such provision as this, we are now nvi-
ting, and in manner prompting the people, to
be dissatisfied with their governments. Sir, there
is no need for this. Dissatisfaction will come
dence surpassed by none ever felt on any occa-
sion that those who have been the most anxious
to destroy the constitution of Virginia, and to
substitute In its place this thing, we'll not be
moro dissatisfied now with the result of our la
bours, than this new constitution will be yerv
shortly opposed by all the people of the State.
speak not at random l aave higk authority
Tor what say now in my eye. Though it was
said that the people called for new state Of
things, yet the gentleman from Brooke himself
(Mr Dodd-idge) who came into the Legislative
Committee armed with an axe to lay at the root
OF the tree, told the convention that he would
sooner go home and 1.-Two under the old cops,itu.
ton Than adopt some of the provisions which
have received the sanction of this body But
am wandering from the point
Sir, see no wisdom in making this provision
for future changes. You must give Govern
rhents time to operate on the people, and give
the people time to become gradually assimilated
to their Institutions Almost any thing is bet
ter than this state of perpetual uncertainty. a
people may have the best form of government
That the VIII OF man ever devised and yet from
ITS uncertainty alone, may, in effect, live under
the worst Government in the world Sir, how
often must repeat that change is not reform
am willing that this new Constitution shall
stand as long as it is possible for it 10 stand and
that believe me, is very short tine. Sir. it is
VAN to deny it. They may say what they
plSose Nbo~t the ola Consiiution--fhe defect il
not there 1t is not in tho form of the old cd;.
nee, neither In the design nor the elevation: il
IS In the material--it is in the people of vroin.
IA 10 my knowledge that People are cl,anoed ,
from what they have been. The 400 men wbo y,
went out to David were in deJt. The ,,r,;z,n.