Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-03-12
From The Ire,isJurg Gazette.
TELLow- G lrIzENs- OF THE. WEST: - 49,

wish could say, felow-cZens of Virginia.
But your Citizenship in Virginia very guestionabe:
Tor the Integrity. the perfect integrity Of Virginia
no more. Not IN Imagination only, but III her amend |
ed Constitution, she is divided into four miniature |
Commonwealth. Each at these is speculative !
3npcrSn inperio, empire within empire. |
There Is projected, if you will sanction it, the Tide
Water Commonwealth, with its 45 luwgiyers; the
Middle Commonwealth, with Its so lawgivers; the
Pdiley Commonwealth, with its 81 lawgivers; and
the CAS- .atcghany Commonwealth, with its 50 law
givers. These, i'll the projected Constitution are
modestly called districts! But they not Delegate
districts, Senatorial districts, Congressional dis
trcts, but sort of Commonwealth districts, having
eacha class OF Homogeneous interests, but heteroge
Gus as respects the others, and With Il mixed AID
immutabe representative government, composed of
the numerical power and relative strength in both
Houses, which the above number of lawgivers ind-
Gates These divisions to be made constitutional
and 50 far the amended Constitution goes they are
made mmutable and perpetual. Two of these Com
nonwealths are supposed to be more homogeneous
than the other two, and constitutional ALI
ance is formed between them Hence the Valley
and the Westers Commonwealth are made allies
and the Middle and Tide-Water are also constituted
friends in peace and enemies in cannot, there
fore, with regard 20 strict propriety, contemplate
Virginia and undivided, when the new Consii-
tuition hns drawn the lines and marked the boundaries
OF four discordant interests, and to each
vernmcnt which, like the laws of the Modes and
Persans, alteret! not
But as you, my fellow-citzens Of the West honor
ed me with your confidence in making me one your
representatives i'll that Conven,io which submitted
TO you this Amended Constitutions and as you are
soon to he called upon to reject ratfy this stru-
mcnt, as the supreme law of the afid, deem it my
duty III further discharge of the responsibilities which
assumed in consenting represent your wishes and
your interests, TO address you the subject of this
new Constitution, on which it will soon be your duty
to vote.
That it is not such n Const ution as republicans
can honor with their support; that is not such a
Constitution accords with the principles of free
government for which Virginia stood forth the
brave and bold, and talented champion; that it is not
such Constitution comports with the Govern
nentS Of the Surrounding Republics; such one
promote the Interests of,the whole Common.
wealth, and especially of the West, | need not en-
ploy much argument TO convince you. This to the
most astutc of our fellow-citizens is plain de-
monstration itself.
Bat necessary to INTERN some of you at least
. who have not had good opportunities to knew as
those which you have bestowed upon me, how and
why this amended Constitution comes so far short oil
reasonable eXpeca ions far short of doing that
justice to us which reason requires, what will be It's
bearings upon you # ratified, and what prospects
may be enertanedupon certain hypothesis of getting
better
All that may submit to your reflection on this
subjecF shall have fer its object the development
those three items. This will also engross the sub
stance of speech which | much desired to have
made The anal passage ofthe Constitution in Con
venon, but from which was prevented by the aver
sion manifest for the last two three weeks ia
have any speeches from either side of the
House, and from general wish expressed by the
friends OF reform that the agt question n,ight be
taken without any debate.
Had compressed my for voting against
the amended Constitution the most general terms
and classified them under the fewest conceivable
items, would have offered but tioo. The first That
the amended Constitution was not Ieeiiiu,ue accord
ing to all standard writer's andxaccording to the
established principles of republican government; be-
it not made by the representatives of the
citizens Of Tirginia or, In other words, is not the
free and unrestraned expression of the sovereign will
of the citizens of this Commonwealth. is the
work of faction, aud not the work of the epfesen-
tativcs Of the sovereign people My second objec-
ton to 1t was and is--that If it had emahated from
the lawful authority, bad IL been the result of the
most full free and unrestrained action of public sem
tment and public WILL by the most equitable repre-
sentaton of the citizens of this community, met IN
FIJI and free convention; II it had been submitted to
she people as the genuine work of their own agents,
still It's details, its bearings, its tendencies, must be
such to retard the prosperity Of this Common
wealth, and to prccptate us farther and farther into
the rear OF all our neighboring States. object to
it, then, account IF todt it Is Itself and on ac-
count Of Its supPosititiouS origin. Ii ever there was
such thing bastard Constitution, this is one.
But for the facts and argumentsth support my first
objection.
Ir IS ILLEcIriMATE. Let ze man smile at such
Objectionable may laugh, put let him hear me-
What, let ask, is tatcfut Constitutions. Is it not
the outline or form OF government which majority
Of The citizens or members Of any community in their
most sovereign and unrestraiaed capacity, by them
selves, their agents. have drawn out and adopted
say, again. Is IL not their luW clearly and ax-
Horativety ezpreSsed2 Such is not the character of
the instrument now submitted to the people of his
Commonwealth. And even should it be adopted by
the people to whot it is submitted, it only be the
Constitution of majority of certain classes of part
ofthc Commonwealth; and never can it be on princ-
pie the Constitution of the whole Commonwealth,
unless the whole Commonwealth of Virginia be the
persons to whom this instrument is submitted. But
on higher authority and upon the best established
principles may affirm that as the adoption of an
Legitimate will never make him real, a natural
or lawful son, the adoption of this Amended
Constitution will never constitute it the awful form
of government of this Commonwealth for the lao of
Constitution, is, that it emanate from the people
and be ratified by them.
But point at time and if shall fail to provo
that the ratification of this Constitution by majority
Oft the persons whom it IS submitted will not make
it, of right, the Constitution Of this Commonwealth
doubt not but that shall be able to prove that it
did not enanaLe fyom The people, and this with me