Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-04-28

e. &c whole number OF free persoas,
IN iuding those bound Co service for 4
term of wears. and Including Indian,
not taxed. three ffths Of all other per.
sons
This clause Of the proposed eonsfi.
tution contains that very perpesuation
oi that systematic usurpation Of the
slave holding minority SO strongly
deprecated By Mr.. Cooke. but to which
he scbmitted, although he considers
submission 10 an usurped authority a
still greater era than ciua rar.'
I. The proposed constitution. IN.
questionably, erects the minority Of the
free white people of Virginia into the
ruling power Of the state !; and it 10 as
unquestionable that the ruling minori-
~ IS not an increasing. bat decreas.
ing one. compared with the relative and
increasing numbers Of the enslavcd
majority.
So 6. The principle that a minori
fy ct numbers who represent maiori.
~ Of population, have the right to sc
eede, MIR. Cooke maintained and urged
10 he minority in the assembly Of 1928
and @. The advice there given. was
20 seceds aud make law for calling a
convention. This law. IL was supposed.
land have no doubt correotly,) would
have been accepted and acted upon by
a majority Of the people. They would
have elected a convention in which a
majority Of the people would be repre-.
sented. In the late convention, such
a session would have been much more
practicable. The majority represent.
ed bv the IS who voted with Us, was
great. aud had the minority seeded
and formed a just constitution, they
would have done the work Tor which
they were sent but instead Of this,
some OF them yielded TO the minority.
because that minority would not con
sent to better terms, aud because some
OF them Thought "a submission to
usurped authority q much lesser evil
than civil war; or they thuught the
people had imposed on fkemseires an
obligation 10 abide By the decision OF
such minority, not having a majority,
but only an equality of members.
Z. The opision Of Mr.. Cooke, that
the difficulties Of seeding and acting
separately would be found to be much
less than would at first be imagined.
he must have changed at some time
during the labors Of the convention: az
8. Mr.. Cooke must have changed
his opinion and have come to the con
clusi0n that a civil war would follow
either a secession, and acting separate
n iii al
ton without doing any thing, and thai
II was better 10 take what the minori
~ would agree to, because il was the
best that could be got,' and because
'onr oLcn faroriie plan Uas iosi' by the
rOfe Of a minority.
Thus we see the views held ont. and
che principles maintained by MIR.
Cooke while encouraging the friends Of
reform TO their work. These aud the
principles To which he has yielded, are
now matters ofhistory. II is no great
concern to me or my countrymen, when
or how the opinions of Mr.. Cooke un.
derwent 40 strange a revolution, 81
whsther his judgment was Influenced
by argument or fear, nor is it Of much
importance to inquire at what precis,
time his determination was mad.
known TO our adversarics. The effec
was the same. The determination ant
the knowledge of il. came in time Z,
disappoint the hopes and wishes o.
the friends of reform. The situation
IN which the people west Of the Allie
ghauy arc placed, is intolerable, 8,
much so, that those who aided, amont
them, IN the call of convention, ma
be we'll supposed to feel the effects o
a painiul Indictment.
My own opinion is. that the adoption
ct the proposed constitution will ensur,
the dismemberment of The state. IL i,
we'll known Of me, wherever an
known at all. that my feelings have al
ways been opposed To- disme nberment
That such were my feelings al tina
time, was we'll known in the conven
ton. That dismemberment must fol
low IS the deliberate dictate Of m,
Judgment. Experience has shown me
81 history had failed to do a. that GU,
Just rights will not be Yielded 10 a,
peaceably, and surely the relicctib,
part of the community cannot believe
the west, with H. increasing reIativ,
strength. either will. or ought. long I,
endure the yoke prepared for il Sy III,
labors of the late convention.
respectfully. hat earnestly. re
quest you, the editors Of the Enquirer
and al others who have or shall pub
lish Mr.. Cookies number to which Oh.
foregoing remarks refer. to publish this
and az the same time. 10 do me the ius
tee to accompany the qualifications %
this, with the extract from Mr.. Cooke,
No. 2, which was appended to NY CIR
eular. p. DODDRIDGE.