Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-10-08
THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION or lsss-so
From the Norfolk Beacon

From the Norfolk Beacon.
Five years will this day Oath October, 1S340
elapse, since the Convention, which framed the
present Constitution OF Virginia, commenced
its session in the Capitol. We can scarcely
bring ourselves to believe that so many precious
wears have passed in apparently so short q
time. There are some reflections OF more In
teresting character that such an anniversary
naturally excites. II was about mid-day tnat
Mr. MADISON rose from his seat, AND, IN low
words spoken low and under great embarrass-
ment nominated Mr.. MONROE to the chair. II
il moi uoine too far to assert that the Conven-
tion and the community at large were ready to
assign that honorable station to the sage OF
Montpelier; but his prompt nomination OF Mr..
Monroe, as well as his own feelings, II Is said,
previously ascertained, induced that body 10
pdont his motion without dissent n Mr.. MAD
,soy was embarrassed in nominating MIR. Mon
ROE. the latter was more than embarrassed in
returning his thanks from the chair. Ii was,
however, a time of generous excitement. FRO
badly Virginia had never seen as many OF her
distinguished sons gathered together; and when
the voice of the venerable MADISON broke the
stiffness of the scene-when we saw MADISON
and MARSHALL conduct their compatrot to the
chair, and heard him pronounce In falterlng
tones his votive tribute &c those who had con-
ferred on him the distinguished honor OF presi-
ding over their deliberations; we felt fuiiness
i'm our own bosom, which would induce US to
pardon the feelings of others. Some Of the eld-
or members of the body freely shed tears, It is
said:-from the gallery, where we were, we saw
none ourselves; but the scene was touching to
one of warm feelings and generous sensibilitles.
We may more readily imagine than describe
the feelings of MIR. MADISON, Judge MARSHALL and
Mr.. MONROE. They had sat before in similar
body, and of all those valiant and lofty spirits
that forty years before had assembled near the
same spot where they then sal, with the exception
of two others, not members of the present body,
then alone survived They had not been in any
public body since, and the memory OF GRAYsoN,
WYrHE, PENDLEToN, Mason, LEE, HENRY, and
their other compatriots, fitted across them
And here, by the way, in looking over the names
of those who sat in the Convention Of 1888 and
and 1928, we see exempli6ed the wonderful ef-
fects Of the statute of descents. There are,
with the exception of MIR. MADISON, Judge MAR
SHALL and MIR. MONROE scarcely half dozen
Of the names In the one to be found in the
other;-and those not lineal descendants, and,
for the most part, not related to each other; all
this, too, in the Old Dominion, and in the space
Of forty years. Farther, to give the good old
statute its due praise, We will say, at the hazard
of the imputaton of rashness that If the Con-
vention Of 'Ss could have appeared in proper
person, or by their lineal representatives, We
are quite sure that, in degree and variety of ia
lent and moral worth, they would have acknowl-
edged their equals in the ablest and most elo-
quent members Of the present Convention
This we say in no improper spirit. We revere
almost to idolatry the great and good name and
fame OF our fathers; but We are unwilling to
succumb to that antiquarian spirit that is per-
petually seeking to sacrifice the present at the
shrine of the past.
Ii will be remembered that the elections for
members of the Convention had taken place
early in the summer; and the reputation Of
great number of the successful candidates had
traversed the Union. Public expectation had
fastened itself on the body; and as the ses-
when according to BAIL Hall, half the Ameri-
can people are on the wing, Il was not surpriz-
ing 10 find large number of people from eve
~ section Of the Union congregated at the Ca
pitol. The public had already singled out the
persons of the drama, and assigned to the &C
tors their respective parts. Ii is needless to say
that public expectation was entirely at fault
The great debate on the Basis of Representa-
ton al last began. Then came the splendid de-
but of Judge UPsHUR-a wonderful speech by
whatever test you may try il. Whether We con-
slider the fine action of he speaker, or the happy
eloquence and sound philosophy of the speech,
il was one of the most powerful addresses to
which We ever listened. Notwithstanding one
may guess our surprise, when on visit short
time afterwards to the north, We found copious
extracts from it printed in the northern class
books, and heard them detained in the north
ern colleges.
Cooke, GREEN, Scorr, MoRRrs, BARBOUR LEIGH,
MERCER JoYNEs, STANARD and RANDOLPH, all made
good speeches on this vexed questions; but it was
not for his speech on the basis question, which
wasaa map Of the whole subject, that Mr.. LEIGH
won his great fame on the floor of the Conven-
ton. For years he had meditated on the sub.
iect of Virginia affairs; and his knowledge of
every thing connected with them was so minute,
that no one who was not present or acquainted
with the events of the day, could form IN ade-
Quate idea of the extent and accuracy of his
knowledge. 1t soon appeared that the business
Of leading counsel for the Commonwealth, as
she then was, devolved on him. He performed
his part bravely, nobly, splendidly. The rule in
Syntax runneth, aptus ad docendum-Mr. LEIGH
was aptus ad pugnandum. Be II q question of
the slightest detail, or the weighter matters of
the constitution; be it the specific charge of the
burning of few kegs Of damaged gunpowder,
or the general accusation of misrule alb urbe
condita; he was ever ready to take the field, ut
terly regardless Of time or place. or the weight
of the metal pointed against him. You were
reminded of that seltpossession-that eternal