Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-08-26
F.or ;hc E,ng1tircy'
" TIT IsHINHt'
CONVENTiON-[No. 3.

Co.N Ely 4 lo.N-l
Iftheye be any occasion in The affairs of State.
which, more than any other, demands The super
intending genius Of patriotism, and The spirit Of
moderation and justice, ii is the movement of
sovereign people 10 revise ana amend the whole
fabric Of their organic law. The object Of 90
vernneul is TO protect The people in The full en-
joymcnt Of life, liberty, property, and The pursuit
Of happiness; and, SO long as itremains adequate
10 these ends, dispensing It's blessings freely and
equally ~ ali, lhlre can be no necessity or dispn
sion 10 alter or abolish il. But The best and
most deliberate institutions, oi the Tia,Sk men, are
impcrfcct-"hHmdnnm est cyrarc'-and small dc-
lccls, which DO not seriously involve the great
ends Of civil government, Shoult, rather be tole-
rated. as the unavoidable accompaniment Of
every human invention, than become the cause
OF ayuuSing spiritof revolution intent upon the
destruction Of goal sysiem, under The vain idea
of attaining another without the bemsh of i'm
perfection or mixture Of evil. When, however,
these defects are pal pable and grievous, and impede
the great ends of its de- igns or when The fabric o.
Government weighs heavily upon The people, until
they arc taught tn !e.a.u ia, an engine of ppIes
sion, rather than means to promote their good
q" IS ne riehh Of Tie pcopie 10 alter ~ 10 nboi&t IT,
and 10 institute n ncr Gocc'nn,c:;,,, .aytn2 is
Eou,ldationS on such iTlnei1es, Gnd organising lis
powe1S IN sE.h tof2l, as 10 Mcm shall scem mnd
H6eiy 70 fyett ttea safely and happiness" In this
enlightened age, and may not add in his en-
Iishlened Stale, there can be no danger III The
great movement al the people, 10 resolve Them
selves ino their original elements, for the pun pose
of devisng The structure Of 4 new Government
for themselves and The generations 10 come after
them. New York has done 1t once, and is about
10 Try il again. louisiana has inst emerged
from lie experiment, with renewed energy, i'm
proved principles, and with every prospect OF de
cided a vantage. Missouri loo, is abont 10 eyhi-
biz her capacity for a similar underlakins-and
The people OF Texas have recently met, by depu-
lies, in Convention, and accepting with bnl
single dissent, the offer OF our Government
to receive them as 4 sovereign S;ais OF The Fede-
raj Union, they have, doubtless, ere this time,
framed new constitution preparatory 10 the in
tended change al their political relations. Shall
il be said, then, Of The enlightened, The patriotic,
the ch.valronS and magnanimous people ol The
glorious Cannon veal OF Virginia whose very
name Is veneratcll bv the sons oil freedom through
ont the civilized world that we are either ntraM
or int0pabke of undertaking the sovereign act oil
removing acknowledged dciecis in our Constilu-
ton. and of providing new and safer guards for
or rights aud liberty! No-forbii it, ye spirits
OF Washington and Jefferson forbid it Patriot
ism forbid it Truth and calmly scout the
"scanlg!u.u naagnGigm,h my c1untrymen! The
very charge implies The incapaciiy OF the people
for self-soyeInment, and deserves 10 be hushed
no everlasting shame Ivy practical demonslra-
lion Of The popular supremacy Is il not notify
ing 10 the pride of every Virginaa 10 think, that,
whilst ours is The eldest Stale in the Union-was
the first ID start The ball OF the Revolulicn-the
founder and architect, in the birth and herosm OF
Washington, Of a monument 10 The cause of free
III 49, Jcft
rouud rrioM summit eternity s.ast play"-he re-
nowned mother Of States, OF Statesmen and Presi-
dents in The hearts OF whose people, religion and
patriotism have blended their ennobling and e1alt-
ed influences, until The certain passport OF conf
dence and respect even 10 the remolrst hounds of
Christendom may be found under The proud tile
of"a VuSinia Chi@en' lis il not, repeat under
these circuu.s!aaces mortiiyng 10 think, that
among all the new States which cluster around
US, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Missouri, Florida and Texas, no! one OF them
has made our Constitution The mode; OF lis own,
but they have all ou,strif1ec Us so far IN The prin-
cipes OF Democracy and freedom, that while we
stand upon the ramparts of our Constitution, We
can scarcely see them in The distance before us.
Ave but Ille consolation is, that whilst our Con-
stituiion is a half century behind the spirit Of
The age, our people are fully up 10 il; and it is a
source Of real qualification, that whilst the Reso
lu,ions and Report Of our own Legislature in 1913
and 80, furnish The creed of Republican faith TO
line people of our sister States, in matters Of Fe-
derai politics the Constitution OF every Stale
in the Union, believe, except those of Virginia
and South Carolina, and the Charter OF Rhode
Island, is based upon the avnsed principles OF
our own immor a Jefferson. Whilst We are seek.
Ing, therefore, 10 bring up The Constitution OF
Virginia alongside OF those OF our sister States,
in the march of improvement and the progress
Of free principles, we are denounced BY some OF
the heated devolees OF esta blished forms as Ieck
loss disorganizefs and revolulinnists. ! submit
that these panic epthcts imply The rant Of argu'