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

"But stia much bad been gained..s The
''ramparts Of the old constitution had been
defended, il is true, With a zeal, an a.
"bihty, and galianiry, that nust extort
"praise even from an enemy. Our ranks had
"besn thinned, and many Of our attacks lad
"bcen rspeled. But we were neitheE routed
"nor dismayed. Thus much. at least we
chad attained. II was giveuup on al hands,
THAT the actual Distribution OF political pow
Ger through the territory, and among the
"people of Virginia, under the existing con-
'stituiion, was too grossly unequal to be
"longer endured. and that more equiial le
''pan Of distribution was indlspeusahly me-
''cessafy. The dislranchiseo class OF the
"non freehcldcrs, too. had found favor In the
"eyes of majority of this assembly; and 10
'was asccrtsined that constitution would
"receise Ifs assent. nv which four additional
"classes. towit: su,sli Ireeholder., rsysrsion-
"ers. and rcmaindermen. Iessees for years,
"nnd heusekeepels paying taxes, should 10
admitted to participation in the sovcrean-
ETY. OF the country. Ii Ind ulso lcen aseer-
"tained TO be tho sense ci q majority of this
body, that our unweAly hons. II dclegatcs
"shouid be reduced 10 number. and the ex.
'penses ofthe government diminished Oth~
Ger useful and economical reforms. il was
"known, would receive its sanction. II Wa
"aseeFtoined, in short that although TIE -
equal representation Of the people could not
''be Carried. great approximation towards
"it was attainable."
"Cnder these circumstances the alternative
twas r--esen,ed to the friends of reform. on
"the one hand, of abandoning the conesf,
sand Gissolying this assembly, without lorna
ling any constitution, or, on the other, OF
"endeavorng to effect something like FAIR
fsN.N a
"uon of the basis of representation.
ii contemplated, as was my duty, with
STEADY eye, the alternative thus presclicd.
81 saw, on the one hand, the continuance. for
''an indefinite period. of that gross inequality
'sof representation which has kept Virginia,
"ior thirteen Year,, 10 state OF turmoil and
confusion: saw the hopes OF my disfrsnchi-
'ssed ieilowreiiizens blasted, and lheir passions
aroused and excited. knew that largo
majority Of the people of Virginia considered
themselves iniquitously held in a state Of
"poliiical bondage. | knew that threats bad
"been uttered. within the last eighteen months
mot loud and crawling menaces. but
"threats, which, by the manner in which they
"were uttered. manifested cool, stern, deep
'and determined purpose--threats that il the
mon freeholders did not obtain Justice, in
"the convention then anticipated, they would
''tuied authorities-that they would refuse to
"labor on the roads, "a rank and palpailo
"grievance)-'thatt they would refuse TO pay
'eonnty icvies and taxes, and to perform mi
"litsry duty; that, il the constituted auttori-
''ties attempted to enforce the payment oil tho
"ta1es, ievies, fines aud penalties. they would
'sresist force with force | knew. by the re-
''sult Of a private census. that in the county of
Frederick alone, there were no less flsn tseu
"tho,sand too hundred OF these disfnlchised
"citizcns men of llege--and that they bore
''to tho fraeholaers the proposition Of nearly
''ninc to FIVE ~
81 shuddered at the probable result OF :
"coRiiict, begun by stubborn refusal to ~
"bey the constituted authorities--procse s'iLg
"next to an attempt, hy those authorities, 10
"eniorce obedience by the posse costsatns--
"then tunultuary and successful resistance.
"rpening fast into organized insurrection-a
military array for its snppression--tho pas
''sions Of the oppressed and disfranfhised
CLASSES ut length aroused to frenzy--and
sithen-a civil war with all its concotnltant
"horrors--houses. villages and towns reduced
''to ashes, and many stricken field sicesTcd
with mangled corpses of our cit,ztns. aud
"drenched with The best blood Of Virginia, !
"Belieye me, sir, this is no rhetorical war,
sino fancy picture. | tell you, sir. for Ljeaos0
"tt, that 50 sure as God is in hcavsa, the 80.
spsration Of this assembly without redressing,
ssin some measure at least the grievances of
''the non freeholders, viii he the signal Tor
'rssistance. passive al fret, to the constituted
"auihorities And hs has read in vain the Liato-
cry ofpast ages and other times-,-spd tine his
story Of our own revolutionary struggle mora
especially, who does not see that even Fe~
e.stDe resistance must and will produce an az.
sstcrnpt, on the part of The government, % en>
"lorce obedience--that that atterapt will A.
Grouse tho passion Of the oppressed. ard tha<
"civl war will be the result
This, Dir. President, was one Of the alter
ssnatiyes, carried out to its results, scented
"by the refusal Of majority Of this assembly
s|to recognise ths equal rights ~ the fsspte To
representation in the legislative bodies. The
ssotLer, as lave said, was the ahandonment
cot long cberished hopes-the sacrifice Of
sgreat principle principle coeyel with the
"repuhhe Itself, and endeaved TO MS by IFS as
..sociaiion with all those early feelings of en~
sth,isasm inspired BY the story Of the revol,i-
..tion. But in aband nins those hopes, We
ssdd but bow to the supreme law of necessity
.--in sacrificing that principle we offered it
sup on the altar OF the public safety. The
sehoice was painful, but not difficult"
ITo BE cosTinuEp MKT WEEK
Experience proves, that TO indulge IN ~has
is fallacicus, though it may please the iniast-