Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-09-01

tr2rv. unjust anu aOsufd to subJect
them Ia is will I; and such, | conceive
10 be the theory on which our Consti-
tuition rests
That such dissimilariiy of interests
may exist. it is impossible 10 doubt. =
They are to be found in every commu
nifty IN greater ar less degree. how
ever small or homogeneous; and they
constitute. every where. the great DIFF.
iiouity n! forming aud preserving free
institutions. 10 guard against the
unequal action OF the laws, when ap.
piled TO dissimilar and opposing inter
e>,s is, in fact. what mainly renders a
constitution Indispensable; IL over
look which. in reasoning on our Con.
stitution. would be Ia omit the princi-
pal element by which To determine il.
character. Were there no contraric.y
Of interests no,hin. would be more
simple and easy than 10 form and pre-
serve free institutions. The right Of
Suffrage alone would b. a sufficient
guaranty. IL il the conflict of oppos
ing interests which renders il the mos,
difficult work Of man.
Where the diversity of interests ex-
lists in separate and distinct classes Of
the community rs in thc-clsc in Eng.
land, and was formerly the case in
Sparta, Rome, and most Of the free
states at antiquity, the rational con
sttutional provision is, that each should
be represented in the government, as
separate estate. with distinct voice.
al
estates, in order 10 check their en-.
croachments. In England. the con.
stitution has assumed expressly this
form; while in the governments Of
Sparta aud Rome the same thing was
effected under different but not much
less efiicacious forms. The perfectio
OF their organization in this particular.
was that which gave tn the Cons
ton Of these renowned States all Of
their celebrity, which secured their
liberties FOR SO many centuries. and
raised them TO so great height of
power and prosperity. Indeed con
stitutional provision giving to the great
and separate interests of the commu-
mtg the right of self-protection, must
appear To those who will duly reflect
on the subject, not less cssentia! TO the
preservation Of liberty, than the right
of suffrage itself. They in fact have
n common object, to effect which. the
one ia "a necessary as the other; to Sc.
cure, that is. that those who make and
execute The lars should be accountable
10 those on rhom The lars in realify
operate; the only solid and. durable
foundation Of liberty. II. without the
right of suffrage. our rulers would on /.
press us, so, without the right Of self
protection, the major would equally
Cypress the minor interests Of the com
munity. The absence of the former
would make the governed the slaves of
the rulers, and of the latter, the fee =
bier interests the victim Of the stronger.
Happily for Us, we have no artificial
and separate classes Of society. We
have wisely exploded all such distinc
tons, but we are not, on that account.
exempt from all contrariety Of inter.
ests, as the present distracted and dan
gerous condition Of our country unfor.
tunately, but too clearly proves. With
US, they are almost exclusively geo.
graphical. resulting merely from diff
ference OF climate, soil. situation, in
dustry, and production, but are not,
therefore, less necessary TO be protect
ed by an adequate constitutional pro.
vision. than where the distinct inter
ests exist in separate classes. The
necessity Is, IN truth, greater, as such
separate and dissi,nilsr geographical
interests, are more liable to come into
conflict, and more dangerous when in
that state, than those Of any other
description; SO much 30. that ours is
Tie FIRST instance on record. UHere MeY
haze not .jormed IN on erfenSiue terri.
tory, separate and independent commu-
mites. or subjected The whOic 10 despo.
fc stray. That such may not he our
unhappy fate also. must be the sincere
prayer Of every lover of his country.
80 numerous and diversified are the
interests Of our country, that they
could not be fairly represented ia a
single government, organized so rs TO
give to each great and leading interest
separate and distinct voice. as ia the
governments 10 which have referred
A plan was then adopted better suited
20 our situation, bat perfectly novel in
its character. The powers of the
Government were divided, not az here.
tOlOre, in reference 10 classes, but geo.
graphically. One General Govern.
ment was formed foe the whole. TO
which was delegated all the powers
supposed to be necessary to regulate
the interests common to all the States,
leaving others subject 20 the separate
control OF iheStates, being from their 10.
cal < peculiar character. such. that they
could not be subject TO the will Of the
whole Union, without the certain haz-