Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1837-01-16
Lyn chburg. January 1G. 1887
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. DOC
TRINES.

| oil winch we copy ilis inoihi"S i''"' wv '''S"
ingon Telegraph, involves. principles OF he
d'oepest interest.
The history of this case is briefly this AT
tho i..st session of Congress law was passed
aamtt;n, Michigan into the Union, on the
,ood3jsu II, 1t she should, in Convention, assent
IN the boundary lines therein defined, and by
,,I.;ch her co,tro,erSY with Ohio would be IL
nally adjusted In conformity win ms ac', 'he
LEGISLATURE Of Michigan ct'nYohed oonseh-
ton, which, BY LARGE n,.loti'y, reused lis
assent to the prescribed condition --ahd Michi,
gan, OF coursc, by her own choice, rc'ia'neo d
TERRITORY But the Submission pttFty, las
those in favor Of asserting to the law oil
Congress were dubbed in Wayne county, sub
sequently conyoked another Convention, inde
pendent Of the State authorities, - in the cleo
ton of the members of which i, appears the op.
ponents Of the Congressional condition took 10
part; in some of the counties no polls being O.
pened, and in others, where they were, the votes
being taken, not by the constituted authorities,
but by rrc~ ponsible and interested persons, who
received the sullfa.es of boys children and a.
ien,--an finally, that the number of votes
Michigan can give
Those who opposed the bill, 1t will be seen.
contendrd, that the action Of the first ConVen-
ton ,cacdb y the State authority, and organized a
arecab!y to law, should be regarded as binding;
and that the action Of the last Convention
should be disregarded, as the illegal and sEu-
rious decision Of a band of self-constuted
of f,c;i MI
nerity, aud not the wishes of the great body Of
the community.
We do rot intend TO dispute the right of a ma
iolity of the people to assemble in Convention,
without the previous assent of the legislative
body-hut, whenever they do thus resolve the
body polite into its primary elements, we
! Should REQUIRE the most satisfactory evidence
of their numerical supremacy before we would
sanction their proceedings. No such evidence,
il is ALLEGED. was adduced on this occasion !;
while the decision ofthe first Convention, against
! the condition prescribed by the act of Congress.
| Is primd jdcie testimony, Of the strongest cha
racler that the members of the subsequent Con
yention did not represent the great body ofthe
! ppopIe AMI that their assent 10 the terms of
the act ofadmi,sion was no, in accordance with
the views of majority OF the people OF that
State If, however, the people OF Michigan be
satisfied. Of course complaints from other quar-.
ters, 50 far as she is concerned, will be rather
| impairment.
Blu, the doctrines avowed, in this debate, by
" the government party" are Of general con-
Germ, and are of the most alarming characier.-
| b,V -, he =
>umed by the Mary land Anarchists aud the
Pennsylvania Jacobins- that hing Num5ers IS
the only authority in the State, and that, al bis
omnipotent Voice constitutional guarantees legal
sanctions, and vested rights are so much waste
paper.-a doctrine, the more dangerous, be-
cause, in its abstract form, it appeals directly to
the pride Of the ropnlace, and has just enough
of truth in it to enable demagogues TO veil its
designating tendency, and to win converts
from the ranks Of Ignorance. We, too, are the
liege subjects of King Numbers--not as an alb
solute monarch,-a dcspot limited emily by his
own capriciou5 vii, but as a constitutional
sovereign, chained down to the observance OF
his own seli-imposed restrctions-not as a
blind, angry and obstinate giant, destroying
whatever he may not be able to bend to his pur
poses but as a strong man, gifted with sagaoity
TO discern the true interests of the country and
with the power to Vance them, while he is
checked and cuIbed By Il stronger arm than his
own. whenever he attempts TO shoot from the
orbit prescribed by the charter of that counry'S
rights and liberties In other words, we are
not the advocates Of revival of that q fierce
Democracy" which kept the ancient Repub-
lies IN perpetual state Instrumentation and civ
| il broils, pcrpltXiug themselves and the world
with the continual fear Of change" but of
that constitutional representative government,
which protects the civil rights and personal
liberties Of the citizen, as well against the out
breaks of popular fury as against the aggres.
sions and usurpaons of the peoples agents.
The contrary doctrine lays the axe at the root
Of our institutions, and will soon PROSTATE them
in the dust.
Truly did Mr.. Calhoun declare that the last
year was the most remarkable era in our po-
litical existencc-as marking period of more
violent innovation upon established principles
and wider departure from the spirit of our in
situations, than has ever before been known
As truly did he declare that the day was rapid
! ~ approaching, when men must take sides as
Conservatives or Destructires. In view of the
ultra jacobnical principles openly promulged,
not in the bar-rooms of drinking houses, or in
the balls OF sans eulote clubs, alone; but in
legislative chambers, by men of reputa,ion,-
we cannot but look forward with the most I'M
easy torebodlngs, to the conflict Of passion rs
well as OF interest, which will test the ability Of
our institutions to encounter the dangers of a
long peace and unparalleled prosperity, as
smcce ssinllY rs ihev harc surmnnnied The no