Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-08-12
12---No. ss.

territory OF a Stale, nor 10 acknowledge any dis
JUNCTION among the PEOPLE who compose il; vel The
Constitution Of Virginia specially divides our
good Old Commonwealth into four grand divi-
siohs, anG gives 10 each 4 separate and nresc,i-
ped representation. rot based upon any rule ci
properly or population, but merely ar5Y,n5u in IL
seh' ne 'WeE'v.s!X counties beyond the Ale
S"ahy are eLtiticd io3! delegates in The House Of
Delegates; The ii counties lying between the Al.
leshany and Blue Ridge, 10 Is: the 30 conn,ies
between The Blue Ridge ana tide water. 10 y. and
tEc counties, cities and ioroushs upon tide water,
10 81. Thus, tholgithc population Yves. of The
Blue Rlc@e should swell . twenty times the mum
ber OF those on The Ea>l. vet the E.isl is entitled
10 a representation far greater Than thai o!
The Wcs,: And, though The slave proper.
" Of the East should lie transferred 10 The
West, and thus they SHOULD have both population
ana properly lar lranscerdinS those in The East.
vet me rule (and The coni,oi in the House Of De-
lcSatssj remains The same. And is this a con-
1lhsrncy 50 enloie rs not 10 deserve consiGera-
ton! Bsl:od The progress OF Abolition from
Maine ard Massachusetts 10 Nlaryland, See
their numerous societies and conventions TEEN.
ing with numbers, te"cr incrcasirg,l and with
vast amount o! lands, See their secret aee,,,s
dispatched Wherever they my venture with safe
", ana her countless thousands Of trac,s ard
pamphlets filled with the mos; false and horrible
accounts ~ the treatment OF slaves, ard scatter
ed TO the iuur winds Of heaven, 10 be bone IL All.
quarters OF the UniGn aud 10 every nation on
EARN. See them swcllin, into 4 party 0f snff-
cieht power 10 seek 10 control even The Presiden-
nal election, See lie facility doubtless devised
by Them Tor The escape ot slaves, by meaua o.
vessels bound from The poli, Of slave STATES
10 The North, in despite oi in.recrion ard
search laws. See lie slaves in MARYLAND
marching OFT in companies 10 their ccstina.
ton OF iaBcicd security ana freedom, See the
frequent eNcares that are almost daily occur
ring from The tide water region ii Virginia, All
Tins IS The work oi' ~l.nafical Aholiliori>m. npon
these reSions OF Tie slave States within lhpir
r"ach, ana us ciiccl Is, hv presenting Ia the slaves
means OF escape, ard thereby Iepreciating ,hci.
value, 10 ;rcuce their owners 10 transfer them 10
regions remote IRON temptation and danger
ANA IN Ibis view, is it not likely that TIC slave
property wi!l continue 10 diminish in The Tide
water section OF our State, and find its '!ne rest.
ing place IN Valley and Trars.Alleg.anv re-
9!ot>l i! 80. The ives. NAV have 20 Gcprecaie
the hand ol taxation, with yet louder and iuslsr
complaints than The East have Gone; bcca use,
under ne apporiicnment Of representation pre-
srribrd in The Constitution. the East. with less oil
10th white and black population, will s,Il have
he power Of taxation in heir own hands. But,
Independently Of his view, which | icltear 10
press farther, i, is certainly unfortunate Tor
The Peace ana harmony Of virginia hat
the CoGs,ituti n should have divided The Sia,c
into ionr grand sections or canlonS, giving to
each a separate and sTecifc epresemtation-Jhu
6eepirg M The very contentious and Je..lonsies
between he different parts, which a good Co
vefnmenl should forever surpre :. The chief
ground Of complain! against The oil Constitution
was, that II gave The East, not c~rpresIV, tut in
cT.d merely, an undue control in the Legislature
over The lransmonlane region of The State; and,
although il recognized no sectional boundaries,
yet we know the East and the West became in
vo!ved in a long and disaereeahlc cohiesf, and
The Blue Ridge was regarded as The natural line
Of separation between Item /, VA, evidently,
therefore, The first duty cf The Convention cal Ell
10 amend The Constitution, 10 remove. il practi
cable, this idea OF 4 liiniiary boundary between
The Eist and The West.-to "iciti TIC PwcnceS,"
ana aTing ihr whole prop,c together a. 0nc and
ihJtTit.I!r. YET, So lat from having accom-
p!:,het this very d~esifallr end, they ahso-
lnicly incorporate 4 provision in Tie new
Constitution 10 divide The STATE into four can
tons, after the Swiss fashion, and - HEY Gta.-
5Hihd the very esd they ,houId Lave civrd.-
These iGGr grand ~cdLloiS, lco, have a rcpftstn-
tatinn appcrliGa"i between Them uion no Ia;io
OF population and property, either separately or
combined, but ly any Grdih0ia rule, 10 endure
forever, whereby distinc ioEs OF territory ard an
unequal distri' n'ion Of political power between
them, are not on: rec9gntSeG hut tnjoirca ~ the
Constitution, tie common government Of The
whole. What could be better calculated 10 10
ment Jca'ousle> and sill mp di.cord and siriir e.
tween these "ariol- sections cf the S;aie? What
better calculated 10 mike "mnic.' a a people
'rL0 Tad Csc iEf &3n@scd G"a tom minc,a into
oae,' Let as then al The East, like generous
and magnan:mon, people. heaiken 10 he wise
counsels and rh;losoph;c reasoning Of our illn>.
iriouS Jefferson n!on Ihis subject. Let us meet
our Western brethren in Convention, and in Il
spirit OF mutual folbearance and stern Justice, re-
concile our differences upon the altar ~ patriot
ism, aud establish u new form II government
con such principles, and organizing its powers III
such form asshall seem most likely 10 of'ecr our
saieiy and happiness In my next number |
shall touch upon other defects in the Constitution
An EASTERN REPUBLICAN.