Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-02-17
To the west,
10 the east,


'o'si' I34
, The actual distribution made, is a.
+ follows:
/ To the west *
q Inc east ~
totAi, l)4
Thus. you perceive. that viewing the
subject as many choose 10 view IL. but
az cannot. tor the reasons | will pre-.
s-n'iv assign.) in the light of struggle
tor power between all the country west
ot the ridge on the one hand, and all
the country east OF the ridge on the
other. We. of the west, have made a
compromise, not being able Ia ,lo bet
ter. bv winch we obtain within four
members, out 81 1914. of the utmost a
mount we claimed, on our own princi-
pie OF the equal representation of the
Tree white people Of the ommonw eal,h.
Now, | think. that when YOU consider
how prodicions an increase this is, Of
The power which you enjoy under the
old constitution how imperfeotly
your numbers were represented i'm the
convention itself; how much more
weight you are allowed in the new 90.
vernment than you had in the con, en-
ton; and lastly. how difficult il was
to convince the eastern. people, having
a majority Of voices 10 the convention.
that the circumstance Of their now nav.
ing hree-fnurths Of the whole taxes of
the state should count for nothing in
=. the appor,ionmcnt of representation {;
YOU VIII incline tn consider this more
favorable compromise than might rea
sonably have been hoped for, under
such a complication Of inauspieious
circumstances.
But we, of the west. are left in the
minority, il is said, in both of the lcgis.
iaiive bodies. 80 should we have heen,
on the white basis itself, If YOU insist
on considering the Blue ridge of moun =
tains as the dividing line bctw cen the
east and the west. But has IL been the
dividing line, even ia the great politi-
cal struggle which is just over: Where
were Loudoun and Fairfax, and Abe
marie, and Nelson, and Amherst, and
Campbell. and Bedford, and Franklin.
and Patrick. ard Henry, and Pitts,i.
vania. at the commencement Of the
struggle IN the convention. Only three
members out OF the twenty from these
districts, were opposed Co US. IL H.
true, that movement of the whole Ia >
lent ami influence Of the east, brought
To bear on the people Of two of these
districts, during tie sitting of the con
yentlon. wrought them up into a panic
Tear about the security OF their slave
property, which caused them 90 ,oun
ler-InstrGct the very men whom the
bad elected. the spring before. as a,uw-
ed white basis men, But, instructed
as they were, they secured TO US, by
their votes, u constitution such as |
have described, aud which We should
have asked III vain from the east, but
Tor their assistance.
But the struggle for power is now
over. The questions which will here
after arise between the d,llcreu. sec
tons at the state will be questions of a
different character. They will relate
To the spirit of our legislation. The
people OF the valley for example, want
good system Of road laws. al home,
which under the old government they
have never been able Ia obtain. They
want paved roads to the mark cts Vi the
east. which under tie old government
they would not have obtained lor tilty.
perhaps a hundred years to come. -
Look al the face 81 the country IN the
tirst range OF Counties east al the ridge,
and the character Ut the country be-
tween them and the sca-ports o. the
east. and then doubt. IL YOU can. that
their Interests ale iden,ical!y With ours
10 begin ~ home. Frederick county
gains. under Tie new constitution, az ojsoi4fe
ihcJeasc Of power, ~ 'hr ho,ise u d~leg-ses.
81 80 per Cent. AID j. Hcrson county 40 30.
solu,e increase ~ a. per cent ~ the house
at delrgsles bal been leit ~ PA, snd repre-
seDia,iOn hzd been distributed a. Il - under
tbe neS Constitution, Frederick woold have
h.d . - or delegates and Jefferson $40 OF
3 dele gates, The valley, taken altogether.
g-ins ~ inofrsse ~ IS per cent ON the
suppCs.tiop. Shicbi dislike 30 make, even nv.
pVlheticslig. that the interests a the tide w..
ser people sfs hostile 20 ours. bat vhicb ~,
nevertheless. SIC only mode BY which the
eAtent ~ ihe transfer Il power can be DIS
noeily sbeWn. the .4io ~ ih~ valley ~ 81 per
cent the - per csI. sdsisd Go the valley
having been tskeb cbaay frsm tlss tds wsieT
country ~ Ike mansrf tbe tide waieF dts
tFsst las sustained 80 abssfisfs loss " - per
cent. and ysiaif1e lnss a ~ per ceni. u -
revolving 20 ay feelings - nIske these calcu.
istions and statements ~ loss ard gem, shlch
.fe fofced upon me b the nature q I've sub
jrct. and b the charges shich have beea
made sgsinst ne, - tsbagiag "a Interests y
lLte lsts. These c.icgisiioas ere unplssssnt
bccsuse they imply. vhst ifusi ssd believe
~iii not BE- true. ~ she future hssfory a VIZ.
gaia, uhsfeSeF q n,sy L-ye been IN the pss
fssi tie csnpon~ esah - fnaie ug n jarfinK
snd hostile iatetesis. trust ,i.-i bts dsy