Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-12-11

amount Of the present year, would have
been brought into the treasury. Should
it be deemed expedIeni, therefore, for the
purpose IN question to re.enact even the
rates Of that law, you would have annual
~ at your disposal, sum not less than
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars /;
one half Of which might be used as an in-
serest- paying fund upon which to raise the
capital required for the execution Of the
works intended, snd the other half as a
sinking fund to aid, If need be, in the ie-
demptIon Of The principal.
State Convention.
The suSjec, Of calling Convention for
the purpose Of revising and amending our
State Constitution. has engaged the pub
lie mind to SO great an extent Tor several
years, and especially for the present one,
aud is itself enforced by SO many consid-
eratIons OF political expectancy and JUS
lice, tina, | should be wanting in due
sense Of official duty, il failed to recon-
mend 1t TO your calm, wise and patriotic
deliberalion. There is no other subject
with which your present legislation is con-
cerned, that puts into issue so wide q
measure OF public anxiety, or in which
the general welfare is more dependan,
upon just and well considered counsels.-
Let such counses only prevail, and be
followed out to their results, and il may
be confidently hoped, that the common
interest and brotherhood Of the State will
be relieved from the discomfort of sections
chahng each other, and the general prin.
ciples Of our political system be better
than ever maintained.
Great as was the ability with which our
frs. Constitution was prepared, and great
also as were the experience, learning and
virtue which were employed in the amend
ed one that was afterwards adopted, there
are, nevertheless, certain, provisions in
both Of them, which have never been sal.
isfactory to large portions Of GU: people,
because, in their judgment, Inconsistent
with those principles OF equality and JUS
tice which il was the main object Of both
to establish. From the first hour of their
appearance in the amended Constitution,
which was expressly sough: for 10 correct
them, up to the present moment, they
have been complained of and resisted and
hence they have again and again been
presented to your own body, as involving
grievances which it was hard to leave and
hazardous to prolong. In all this we see
only the spirit Of a free people resolved
upon removing from their fundamental
law, as far as they can effect it, every re-
al cause of injury and discomfort amongst
them, and of rendering it the revered and
permanent instrument Of the highest wis
dom, justice and benefcence. 1t is to
this equitable and salutary end that their
efforts are directed; and in order to con-
duct them regularly and without objection,
you are now appealed to BY an immense
body of petitioners TO unite with them so
far as to give the sanction Of a law for that
purpose. These, on their part, complain.
that the Constitution is defective; that its
detects are such as to aggrieve them;
that the only full and adequate remedy
which can be had for these defects is In
Convention Of he people; and, so COM
planning, they respectfully request the
passage of law which shall enable the
people themselves to determine, by d.
rect vote, whether in their judgment, the
defects alleged are such as ought, or ought
not 10 be enquIred into, with a view to
ultimate constitutional redress. This is
all they request. One portion of our peo
pie object to the Constitution as i, IS,
whilst another approve it as it is; the OBJ
jectIng portion propose, in this case, to
settle the difference between them by con.
sullaton and vote, and, in order TO do
so, they come to you, who are the COM
mon and confidential agen, of both par.
ties, and desire, on behalf Of both, that
you will supply them with the necessary
means. Can you refuse? Is there any
one principle of representative duty
which will require you to deny an appll-
cation like this Is there any one which
will authorize you to interpose between
the actual parties to the Government and
say 10 them, that they shall not, with
your consent. have any conference what.
soever with each other, nor declare any
direct opinion whatsoever upon subject,
the whole Of which, with one single ex.
ception, they have absolutely reserved
from your action and retained for their
own? Nay, looking TO far lower
ground ofobigation and duty, it may be
emphatically asked, whether there are
any considerations, Of political expedien-
cy even, which can demand of you to
override and repuse this request? Were
it competent for the Legislature to act
finally upon the subject matters to which
this application relates. the case would
be entirely different. Bat as it is not, as
il can do no more than take the initial
step for the people themselves, TO whom
the right OF deciding upon them, with the
exception alluded to, exclusively belongs,
it would not consist with a due respect
for that body to suppose, that this step
will be refused, and an inauspicious and
innamed state of public feeling be there
by needlessly hazarde3. The Constitu-
ton having prescribed no mode by which
its provision generally may be altered or
abolished, has yet declared, in its Bill Of
Rights, that "majority of every com.
muni:y hath an indubitable, unalienabla
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