Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-02
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! treasury Should IL ne ueeiheu eAPeu'sl -,
fore, lnr the purposes III question 10 'eau'
eve Il The rates Of that law, you would nave dn-
nually at your disposal sum not less liian IVY
hundred and fly thousand dollars; one nan q
which NIGHT lie used as an inte!e>t-paylhS iunu
unon which 10 raise the capital required ioi INC
execution Of the works intended, ana liie o'nel
half Is a sinking fund 10 aid, il need ne, IN lEc
redemption Of the principal
STATE Contention.
The subject of calling Convention loI 'ne
purpose of revising and amending our o'de oon.
situ,ion has engaged The public mlhd 10 50 sitd'
an extent for several years and especially or lhe
present one. and is itself enforced by SO many
considerations OF political expediency anu JUS,
tce. that should be wanting IN due sense Vi
Official duty. il failed 10 recommend !! 10 your
calm. wise and patriotic deliberalion. lheie .
no other subject with which your present iesi>d-
ton is concerned that puts into issue SO w'ae
measure OF public anxiety, or in which Inc gene,
raj welfare is more dependant upon lusl ana "In
considered counsels. Let such counssls OILY
prevail, and he followed out their results, ana
il may be confidently hoped, that The common IN
,ere.l ard brotherhood of the State will be re-
lieved from the discomfort Of sections chalns
each other. and the general principles oi our po-
litical system be better than ever maintained
Great as was the ability with which our first
Constitution was pref ared, and great also a.
were the experience, learning and virtue when
were employed in the amended one that was al
forwards adopted, there are, nevertheless certain
provisions in both OF them, which nave never
been satisfactory 10 large portions OF our peoPie,
because. in their judgement, inconsistent with
those principles OF equality and justice which II
was The main object OF both 10 establish FROM
the first hour Of their appearance in The amenuea
Constitution which was expressly sousht lot 10
corrcc. them, upo The present momenl, lhey nave
been complained OF and resisted and hence they
have again and again been presented 10 your
own body, as involving grievances winch II was
hard TO leave and hazardous To prolong In all
this We see only the spirit o. Tree people re,
solved uron removing from their fundamental
law as far as they can effect il, every Ieal cause
OF injury and discomfort amongst them, and OF rem
derins il The revercd and permanent INSTRUMENT
OF the highest WISDOM justice and oenencehet.-
Ii is 10 this equitable and saluary end that thelr
efforts are directed; and in order 10 conduct Them
regularly and without objection, you are now ap-
pcaed TO BY an immense body OF petihoneisl 70 unile
with them so far as 10 give the sanction OF a law
FIR that purpose These, on their par, complain,
that the Constitution is defective; that lis detects are
such as 10 agsrieve them; that the only full and
adequate remedy which can be had Tor these de-
iects is in a Convention of the people, and, so
complaining they respectfully request Inc pas
sage of law which shall enable The people
themselves 10 determine, by direct vote, Wheher
in their Judgment, the defects alleged are sucD as
ought, or ought not Ia be enquiied into, With
view 10 Ultimate constitutional redress. his IS
all they request One portion of our people OBJ
,cct TO the Constitution as il is, willis, another ap
prove ii as il is; The directing portion propose in
this case, TO settle the difference between them by
consultation and vote, and, in order 10 90 SO,
they come 10 you, who are The common anu con-
fidenia agent OF both parties, and desire, on oe-
half OIL both, that you will supply them WIN Tue
necessary means. Can you refuse! IS mere
any one principle OF representative duty wnicn
will require you 10 deny an application Ike ms
Is there any one which will authorize you 10 IN
lerpose between the actual parties TO Inc Govern
ment, and say 10 them, that they shall mol, WIN
your consent, have any conference whatsoever
with each other, nor declare any direct opinion
whatsoever upon subject the whole oil wnich,
with one single exception, they have apsoluteiv
reserved from your action and retained ior lheir
own4 Nav looking 10 a far lower ground Oh
obligation and duly, il may be emphaticaliy ASK
ed whether there are any considerations, Oi poll
cal expediency even which can demand OF you
10 override and repulse this request were II
competent for the Legislature 10 act fnaily upori
| the subject matters 10 which tins application re-
ates. the case would be entirely different. but
as il is not, as il can do no more than take The
| initial step for he people themselves, 10 whom
the right of deciding upon them, with the excep-
ton alluded 10, exclusively belongs, 1t would not
| consist with due respect Tor that body 10 sup
pose that this step will be refused, and an inaus-
! picous and infamed state OF public feeling De
| thereby needlcssly hazarded. The CONSTITUTION
| having prescribed no mode by winch us pfoV'-
| sons generally may I've altered or abolished, has
set declared, in It's Bill OF Rights, that MAORI
| ~ OF every community hath an indubitable, IN
;pin ihp roht n REFORM alter or
abolish" lis Government, lin such manner rs
shal be Judged most conducive 10 the public veal.
/ Here ;hcn. the whole subject, by express re-
~-..tv. :. hf-he,t authority, = coir"if''cu
10 the people and made their own. IL IS one,
therefore, which the Legislature cannot ulti-
mately control and which it should have no de-
sire 10 control, nor even 10 delay by any inJudi-
cious denial Of legal facilities, when the pub
| lie mind is as ready 10 consider il and decide
| upon il as il is now For these reasons and Tor
others which f,rbear 10 Introduce, recon-
mend 10 the Legislature the passage OF law
! authorising vote OF tie people oil THIS state
| To he taken at the next general election, upon
the subject Of calling Convention TO revise
| and amend the Constitution, and the passage
also Of provisional law, regulating The or
Plantation and other matters incident 10 such
Convention, should j, I've the will OF majority
of The people 10 require one.
Without going at all into the various objects
of Constitutional amendment, for which Con-
yention is wanted, being forbidden 10 do 50 BY
the necessary limits OF this communication, II
| is admissible, al least, 10 express tha ardent
hope that the principal one in view, rear
ranged and amended basis Of representation,
NAV be 81 accomplished as 10 obilterate, ioT-
ever, the political divisions which the present
| Constitution has fixed upon The STATE ana 10
consolidate our people, in all quarters, by Teia-
a nn. al, uuHo
| government, kindier and stronger than nave
ever distins ui,hed Them before. And this,
| doubt not can be done. unless there IS an IN
wise adherence 10 extreme demands, and done
too 10 the benefit and salty of all without the
violation on the one hand of any rights OF per-
sons or Of property, or III. surrender on lhe othef
Of any cherished principle Of government
But 10 this end, the Commonwealth must oe
treated as whole, and whole incapable oil being
divided into separate interests ana separate Pd.'
by any Cons tuition whatever, which can be ex-
pecte,i TO endure Pacfcation and union are The
| only basis upori which Il Constitution can Sc
curely and firmly stand. One oil The greatest
evils which Virginia has ever encountered IN her
| internal government, which has done much 10
impede her progress, 10 humble her fortunes and
TO control The early and suspicious promise OF her
destiny, has been the want Of ielt and absolute
unity amongst her people. She has long. ID ma
nv particulars Of government and legislation,
been divided Commonwealth struggling WIN
the jealousies Of contending, instead OF triumph
ing in The achievements and power Of harmo-
Nous and united family. Let her be so no more;
AMI let il not be at This hour, when all her hopes
demand that she should he thoroughly, cordially
and indivisibly one, that some new element OF
discord is 10 be fastened upon her; some new
line Of separation TO be struck through her terrific
ry. and thus through her peace, and The iuture
history of her government be painfully marked Dy
the tears OF The patriot and the scorn OF Inc wise
Trrds.
Since your adjournment, the grea. national
measure, which was then pending for The Annex
alton Of the Republic of Texas, and The admls-
sion OF il as one of The States of this Union, has