Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-02-24
When the question wss taken on The gss-
sage Of the Bill, and it prevailed by the
following yo,e-ayes I39, noes SO.
From the WeHsbrg Gazette.
No. I.
.L1ow.CIr1zENs on LIE VS.:

wish could say fellow-citizens oil
Virginia; but your citizenship in Virginia
is very questionable; Cor the integrity, the
perfect integrity of Virginia is no more. !
Not in Imagination only, but in her amend. !
ed Constitution, she is divided into four
miniature Commonwealth. Each Of these
is a speculative imperian IN imperis, an i
empire within an empire. There is pro.
iected, if you will sanction il, the Tide
Water Commonwealth with its 40 law
givers; the Middle Commonwealth with its
50 lawgIvers; the Valley Commonwealth !
with its 81 lawgiyers, and the Cis..4Hc.
o60nv Commonwealth with It's 50 law
glvers. These inthe projected Constitution
are modcstly called distrjcts' But they
are not Delegate districts, Senatorial dis
tricts, nor Congressional districts, but a
sort Of Commonwealth Districts, having
each class Of homogeneous interests,
but heterogeneous as respects the others,
and with fixed aud immutable respresen-
tanve government, composed OF the nu-
merical power and relative strength in
both houses. which 1he above number of
lawovers indicates. These divisions are
to be made Constitutional, and so far as
the amended Constitution goes they are
made mmulable and perpetual. Two Of
these Commonweallhs are supposed TO be
more homogeneous than the other two, and
a sort Unconstitutional alliance is formed
between item. Hence the Valley and the
Western Commonwealth are made allies,
aud the Middle and Tide Water are also
constituted friends in peace and enemies
IN war cannot, therefore, with regard
to strict propuety, contemplate Virginia as
one and undivided. when the new Consu-
tuition has drawn the lines, and marked lhe
boundaries of four discOidant interests,
and given to each a government, which,
like the laws Of the Medes and Pefsians,
altere.h not.
But as YOU, my fellow citizens Of the
West, honored me with your confidence IN
making me one Of your representatives in
that Convention which submitted to you
;his Amended Constitution, and you are
soon to be called upon TO reject or rahiy
this instrument, as the supreme law of the
land. | deem it my duty, in further dis.
charge Of the responsibilities, which | as
sumed in cOnsentIng TO represent your
wishes and your interests, TO address you
on the subject of this new Constitution,
on which ii viii soon be your duty to vote.
That il IS not such a Constitution as
republicans can honor with their support;
that it is not such a Constitution as ac-
cords, with the principles Of free govern
ments. for which Virginia once stood forth
the brave, and bold, & talented champions
that it is not such a Constitution as com
ports with the governments OF the sur
rounding Republics; nor such a one as can
promote the interests ofthe whole common
wealth, and especially Of the West, | need
not employ much argument to convince
you. This to the most obtuse Of our fel'
low-citlzeus is as plain as demonstration
itself.
But It is necessary to inform some of
you at least, who have not had so good op.
portunty TO know as those you have
bestowed upon me, lst. How, and why, this
Amended Constitution comes so far short
Of our reasonable expectations; so far short
of doing that Justice to us which reason re
uuires; ID. What will be its bearings upon
Won IF ratified. and Bird. What prospects
may be entertained upon certain hyPo-
theses, of getting a better one.
All that may submit to your reflection
on this subject, shall have for It's object
the development of these three items.
This will also eugross the substance Of a
speech which much desired to have made
on the final passage OF the Constitution IN
Convention; but from which ] was prevent
ed by the aversion manifested for the last
two or three weeks to have any more
speeches from either side Of the house, and
from a general wish expressed by the
friends of reform, that the final question
might be taken without any debate.
Had I compressed my reasons tor vot'
inc against the Amended Constitution INTO
the most general terms, end classified them
under the fewest conceivable items, 1
would have offered but t'co. The first,
that the amended Constitution was not
legitimate, according TO all standard wri-
ters. and according to the established Prln-
ciples OF republican government; because
= t7qs not made 6V the representatives CT
the citt-ens Of Virginia, or, IN other words,
1t Is not the free and 1vestrGiRed express
sion ofthe sovereign will of the citizens Of
this Commonwealth.-lt Is the work OF
faction, and not the work Of the rePresen-
tatiyes Of the sovereign people. My Sc.
cond objection to il was, and ls-ihat if It