Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-04-08
JOHN r. COOKE s


10 the People y Frederick S'Je3rsoa co,Aafies.
FELLow CiiizENs:-Te the predatory letter
which lately addressed to Won, reserved
to myself the privilege valuable to one who
IL uncertain whether he will have leisure TO
discuss ali the TOPIC, before him, and anxious
tomake sure otthe most important,) Of treat
ing nv subject IN de.uliory manner.
shall make liberal use OF the privilege in this,
and IN my future communications Iii, indeed,
there shall be agay future
rs my present purpose, after dsposing of
some preliminary matters, h. discuss the inn
nortant question, how far YOUR rights are re.
spected and your interests are secured. by
the apportionmcnt Of representation made in
the new constitution.
What your rights are, in regard to repre-
sentatIon, is, on this side Of the mountain aud
between you and me, q question which needs
no discussion. | say 10 you, AS said on the
floor oil the convention, in the very act of ex-
pressing my determination TO support the
plan Of representation sihCe adopted, ''that
entertain" Gn common with YOU "a political
"creed. which all the eloqlence of It's oppo-
"nents has not shaken, aud which viii con-
"tinue TO DO my creed 50 long as life and
CONSCIOUSNESS remain. Ii is, that freealsa
care the sole elements out Of which rspub-
sic should he formed, and that equality is the
'oaiy just rule for the distribution Of power
"ameng them
IaIs, say. is your creed. and il is niue, in
regard to our political rights. But, had it
been your fortune, rs II was mine, to listen,
for weeks together, 10 tic splendid illusions
OF eastern eloqaence, yol might perhaps have
been led TO doubt whether you had a,ay rights
at al. You might have been half persuaded
to believe tat the noble and elevatins theory
OF the natural rights Of men, promulgated in
the 18th century by Ioeke and his enlight-
ened contemporaries, adopted in Virginia at
the era Of the revolution and consecrated by
the blood of our fathers poured out in its de-
fence. was. after all, gorgeous fabric of the
imagination, splendid illusion, which, hav-
ing lived TO IFS fated day, was destined now
to be di.peiled by the cifulgfn nee the new
lights OF the i9th century. In conversion
OF Virginia statesmen, were found men Of un-
doubted PATRIOTISM and distinguished ability.
who, dazzled aud misled 10y tho ht.lliancy of
their own thoughts. and bewidered in the
mszes OF their own Ingenuity. called in ques
ton all the principles which have been con-
sidsred, for Gentry and a half, the very ak
IONS of political science. Making rasa tab
ula the political chart by which we steered
through and weathered the storm OF tha rev
olution; they contend6d that
Thee are no Original principles of govern
ment whatever,
That the original snd natural freedom and
equality OF men IS a mere abstraction;
That the doctrine OF the right of the ma
jority TO govern is a vulgar fallaey,
That government controlled by "mere
numbers,' Or. in other words, by the people,
| a'a system Of lesalized rapine; and,
That every question about the distribution
of political power, in the organic law OF a
country, must be decided by ian enlarged
expectancy" and without any reference to
principles or supposed natural rights
Where. or in whom, the power rightfuIly
existed, or whether it rightfully existed any
where, Of deciding ho,c mueh power il was
expectiert to bestosc on this or that section OF
| the commonwealth, or how many classes OF
| the community il was erpedient 30 admit to a
share in the government, they did not un-
dertake TO inform US. By falling to do which,
they taeitly admitted, as humbly conceive.
the necessity of resorting TO some original
principle, without which the new patent en-.
| CINE, "expediency," could not be set in mo
ton. And II might be permitted, with all
difference, to hazard the idea, would say
| that their argument forcibly reminded me oi
| the supposed oriental theory that the world
rests On the back ola huge turtle; the said