Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-12-27
VIRGINIA DORRISM.
No.

power OF inc governing person class the consent
OF the governed In the former ease governed never
having consented to the government Is obviously merely
question Of expedieney with hem OF any portion Of
WHEELER they Will obey it. endeavor to form another
Such governments sometimes become Legitimate. bv IN.
subsequent aeqossesnee OF the governed and when thu,
aeq0ieseenee indubablc and general they are obvious.
y on the same footing relation TO the governed =. ,b.e
| originating In their consent
But, when men, previously not uuocr any sovrrumsn,
or ess, under another than that with which they unite
or which they subsequently form, for
themselves IL 10 obvious that each constituent psr, of m.
new government vously In bound only in
Tar ss has bound itself To change without the con-
sent OF each party abuse the particular form of govern
ment To which they have uiei ia in fact to force
upon them, or ct ihem government 10 which
they have not agreed and which their consent
Justly be impied-for be implied from the ma
TACT that men ''havc united themselves into a community"
OF particular kind that they willing TO unite then or
thereafter, IN one OF dersat kind consequently they
are not bound by such ch,nge, may lawfully resist it, or
| separate from the community.
But nnutable constitutions (such q the fundsen-
ai Jaws o. tbs Mede' and Pen'sns actually wereJ
very ineonvenient. most communities have prescribed in
their fundamental laws mode Of changing In. form of
eovenmsnt 10 which ALL in entering into the soesl com
:, 800 oesoa'as %emSe" OF the eommaay. have openly
governed, as In the Of the Danish Monarchy all pow
erhas been vesed In single man. change effect
&C oy MS eurrenderng he When power 10 divided
among the different classes in England they may re-
adjust their relative shares Aud there may DO
an express provisioa in the constitution Fundamental
law ihs determining The mode OF change. consti-
tuition OF the United States and those of the
oil this uaion change also be effected by rcvou-
| ton, usurpaiion, foreign interference.
But since, unless the right and mode OF changing the
form OF government originally established has been part
OF the contract originally entered by
Psrs OF the community. cannot be deduced implied
any such change, 10 be legitimate. be effected
mode and by ths persons having the right that
| original conusct.
In the above remarks Ihave not taken into con.idera
n nge bv Tbov T,rp,
exceptions TO the rule which governs the night and mod.
OF changing the form OF and therefore only
question with regard to them H. whether they us6a.
Bile or not sanctioned by time and general aequescence
Afterwards, They cannot be considered in dis>
CUSHING the right OF pacific eonsfi:utionai change.
A commonly has indU babe right determine, q
its inception, constitution, form government who
shall be mbers ot and what share in government
each member shall have. All the parts at its
inception, consent Directly TO ali who become member
oil afterwards by that very act tacidy consent the
particular constitution existing when they become
bers, and can have night change il in any other
ner than that which its fundamental law prescrbes To
do otheTwiss, would be revolution attempt it, rebel
lion,
The RlsHT 10 is inherent in man. and oon.e.
quenty in no body OF men for what fy thousand
do not possess singy they obviously BY
uniting their pretensons Government the property
Of any class majority is INSTITUTION which all
have AGREED establish, that this that body
maory should govern but that the separate rights
OF and the comBon rights OF all may bs protected
In the words Ci the Virginia Till of Rights government
H. ought 10 be. instituted for the RENEFTr
FICTION SECURITY OF the teops, nation
y" Government not right which one portion o: the
community has another but Of all an agent
| OF each, for the and benefit Of each aud all.
necessary deduction from this 10 drawn by the Virginia
Bill OF Rights, when "Of all the various modes
and forms OF government, that is pEsr which capable Of
producing the srsattst degree Of koppnsss and safety
and is most ettcuay secured against the danger Of NAL
standardization" Government not being a privilege Of
class number to be exercised changed abolish.
ed their whim interest may dictate, but .st for
sdeh OF the governed, the object Of that trust viz the
"best government is to be the OF the expedency
| Of a change.
The Virginia Bill Of Rights draws from those premises,
moi hs legitimate conliqs.on that Ehen any government
shall be found inadequate contrary these Purposes
the community IA the prescribed by its eOasu
on has ndubitabe, inaiensbe and indefeasbe right
10 reform, alter or abolish IT, IN such shall be
judged most conducive the public weal" but that
majority Of the community hath chat greai power With
all my yeneraion Tor the OF George Mason,
neither the OF this conclusion the sound
OF the docune. IL be deduced from the
cial compact, the nature OF community. unless that
eonpAei expressly rgh, rn.jori,y or come
other portion body-for how absurd suppose that
man in forming particular compscr ugrees wi,ou
his CONSENT sIall We changed ia ano.hcs unless
pressy stipulated that may he changed by other par
| ties to III
have confined myself simply to combating the general
positions Of Zone Of the People" IL may be argued that
at least here in Virginia. the Constitution has given 10
"a maory OF the people," right alter go
venment and all having directly tacty acquiesced in
the Constitution the majority has that right incontes
aby. But who compose the msority7 What constitutes
MAJORITY Is il numerical msority of the population
OF the white population, the voters,
each COUNTY with as resdenI yotei a concurrent ma
oriiy OF each OF the great sections OF the State or ma
Joiy OF the political strength Of the community, deter
mined by its present representation And even ma
ory will change have they right make any change
before the present government by general consent Of the
community. and not merely OF particular section Of IT,
is adJudged inadequate contrary the purposes for
which 1t is Created Or, who is TO Judge whether the
new Constitution when proposed, is most conducive to
the public weal" The former The future possessors of
powers majority Of l9iers, Concurrent msJoryn Of
sec'onsl All these are grave questions which hope
| Zone of tho People" will answer, that may see his
doctrine clearly.
The object Of government being give 70 the
he greatest degree Of hsppiness and safety and the
most eiectusl security against NAL and the
m1hner IN which government fuhls that object being he
measure OF the expedeney Of and right change would
form Of government be good which left one class or
section at the mercy Of another State being composed
OF persons and property have the property holders be-
fore conserving 10 change, right have in the form of
a"concurreni majority" veto, proe ton against NAL
ADMINISTRATION uugRt numbers, or political power, or
political numbers 10 be the measure OF shares the ad-
mlnisratioD OF government for the common benefit of
| ALL and not for that Of a class a ssciion7
These are questions which should be answered. before
the People" OF Virginia ought TO consent their
form OF government, and establish only different one
| but on different "fund 9mentaI principies.H
have thrown out thcse few reflections, with the hope
ihstone OF the People" may fully develop his sys-
tenn and apply 70 our own condition IN Yirgais He ha.
written til candouT him 20 o. and for one will rad
with patience and without prejudice am no respecer Of
usages and tme-honoured Institutions because thew are
SUCH respect names and suthory, Masons and JefIe-
sons much: but respect ruth and und doctrine more
think the present form Of Government Virginia rotten
and lie admni.tation mbeeile. AN A CONVENTION
20 ALTER IT. but cannot with my opinions. DON
sent that 1t should be made the instrument by which the
divine right Of numbers, the DespOtism Of the Maor,ty
upon any and oil questions" shall be proclaimed am
open 10 conviction; persuaded that majority s lawful
the absolute many.hesded Sultan Of tins fair Domain
shall esndidy confess my n not and that majority
nsgp' the soyselgoy Of the people the VhOle people.
Pedency will be the measure Of my resistance for 10 me-
tyranny" tyranny whether exercised by q British Psris-
pen' 10 stamp Act aCongess Of the U. s. in Sedition
Law, by fifty thousand voters calling themselves ms,
Joriy Of the people Of Virginia.
sic sEMPER TYRANNIs.
To the EditOvsef hs Whigs
Genemen;-You will please state in your pape, ,b,,