Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-10-09
TaE cosvEnTIox.


aaifafion and bTlneHg ABOUT e4I61eS tfansht
Isth The most momenious consequences 10
yourselves and yoar Postefi,y.
You hare sxciied tide Of public obinidn lhat
runs strongly against your present ceaslitulioa;
and il IS evident that Il cannot stand, 5utsmust
Be borne doup, uiththe eksnee OF hel:et ia is
stead, unless t6eEe IS . refax Of lie popular
current
Have you thought well Of this Il Have Won
weighed i'm The Just balance Of ysuI 1ubiased
iadgmenti Of. have you yieldec 10 TIA, wiling
esf, Which ever catches 50 an1iousiy si The pro-
m1Igaled opinion that you are Oppressed Thai
yoa need change trust il Is the sorner-i
trust you have considered his qpestitn gel, for
il demands iof yoUein tie name ff,Ihs living,
and The Nesifl 81 @ yet unbofpl the most
careful and fsflund Elibera,ion.
You know that ftom the vefy earliest history
Of man, when The cfy has been raisei that the
goreInmeHtis defsciise, or lhalthe Consultation
II State IS unequal in i,s provisions, thb sound
has been caught up in The vailies rsvelhersted
among The hills, ant echoed from The mountain
cayeins. as though borne by the genius Of the
mi1d, OF brsaihed BY The spifil Of lrbihaify, as
uhqaeslioned ifnih. Everyshere is il fgyosably
received, add every where does lis impression up
on the general mind preclude Hedselidn, until,
Isalas. TOO late. When Athens 10 the pride OF
Eher sloIy-Mhsn she was the nufSety DC arts
abe home Of scehce-l he temple of liberty and her
lcitizers vefe free and prosperous, suspicious of
uneQqsl gorefnmeB,, engendefed fanclful op.
Ipfessions in The too susceptible minds Of lie
| multitude, and they songhi change, and change,
whose ulIitnalum was heir ruin. And when
lRone-the Niobe Of nations be apilful in her
! srandenr, sublime 10 her msgfi6cenee, solitary
apid her contemporaries, 10 sidpeodoas great.
1 ness-When 10 be hercitizen was esteemed a
high prerogative when her wisdom SHE'D lighi,
and her institutions an influence, over earth
when the world trembIed benealh.b Der shock Of
arms, and she stood strapped ina radiant halo
Of transcendant glory-still were her people not
content, bat the inconstanI mass raised constant
clamor sgainst her constitution anl her laws,
bringing about revolution after revelation in
| her elective franchise-from property 10 ceuiu-
1 ries, and then TO tribes until, in thsaeyolving
cycle, The sun Of her freedom weni down, and a
j night Of anarchy and confusion sneefeded. And
when the morning cane-Nhen the light of rea.
son returned, TyrarnY had usufped Inc day, and
! CHsar aud Pompey, Marius and Sylls, reigned,
until liberty WAS Iememlered only as sweet
dream, never to-be recalled
Her. wise men predicted Ibis ! her sages 10 O.
racuiar voice foretold il; bal as was written BY
| Taciius, who was profoundly yersed in the
Springs of human action and the science Of hu.
man govern ment, tFasofittiidiis roea5uiim osten-
di ab lis, gGi primaim degeneTss, IN pabticum tEi
iioa nih sp,, nis pr diseondias habesnt. - The
name Of hSeriy is basely prostiiuied 20 The ends
Of those, who, Of prodisal lives and desperate
fortunes, have no hope, but in revolution and
they ever preach deyolulion 10 the people, who,
If they are persuaded Iha,.thsy are not so well
governed as they ought TO be, will even be IA
vo,ab!e hearers and devoted followers. Thus
was il in AlheDs--Ihus was IL il Rome-aGd
/ thus let il not be with us.
Now, ifs the spirit of revolution, the desire
for change, abroad among you, and in its in
j ceplion, as one who has done you some service,
and who has your interests deeply at heart, |
j invoke your deliberate consideration Of The ne
cessities Tor and the ccnseape1ces Of, The aci
4 which you are about TO consummAte-tov vii
The calling State Convention 70 amend your
Constitution.
Yourelectige basis, il is true, is objectionable
land does injustice TO Western Virgins
but you are ali Of one State, allf llow.ciizens
With, really, no conflicting interests, and, with 9
Esprit Of compromise, instead Of the antagonists
cal one, engendered by the exctarion Of such
questions as this, you might gel on harmonious
ly aud prosperousy. Then, ,hisg certainly, is n o
a sufficient reason a; all events, not necessity
to change your constitution. Ii is said, ION thi:
subject, BY one learned in the Holiiy Of govern,
meni, t'oefore any serious experiment. is made
we ought 10 be convinced, BY little less thar
y maIhetnalical Demonstration that we shall no
poets. NUw5-s- nassessloas for future pros
basis, there is no COED reason ufgtd;- pnt-Atiar
automatically clear rha, We. will be placed OF
that Question in better position than ,rs ase? o
{ So, that other changes may not be made, tina
4 will be oil sresier Inconvenience and disadyan
tsge 10 US, than if that and al other features o
the constitution were 10 remain as they are
II Whealhe conyention5is me ,ze alpus in reform
Who can predict the changes they will make, o
where slcp' TIE question Il eleetion, The rerl
one that paved the way fbr ihe downfall o
Rome and who can foreSee with !maihematic lea
certainly, that, when making provisions for th,
election Of Governor and eeElion Of Sheriff., theJ
may pot also make the jadieRy titctirel lsay
who can foresee ibis, No bpe. Already has i
been spoken Of; but even tbonghIit should no
be whispered or dfea med olat present, is this al
assurance that il will not bes Yoh may say yol
would reject il, butz tell ypp, it might be toe
late When feeling has Heen excited in favor
OF any organization. and especially with he pre-
le1r Of popular right, il is stronger than reason
and will support he measures OF that org sniza
| tiop, despite the warnings q The vsest. There
fa;e,you shoudconsider bJsre Z is Too tate. :
| You know there is possibility, that the conven
lion will make the judiciary elective, and you
know, il they dos Sc, its Independence is destroy,
e1, and thar your personal liberty is gone.
4 Y5u may want your freedom as you please
bui, as Sir William, Blackstone truly said, ''Ih,
only tue bulwsrk Of perscnpl Liberty is an indie
pendent Judiciary" Destroy that aud You may
embrace The corpse OF freedem-ais cold form
and hug il to youE bosom. Its spirit is gone.
Il has been but fifteen yeats si9ce you had a
ccnyention and shah you haze a}oiher, SO soon,
for such a reason as the one Urged even without
considering The evils, in possibility above allud.
ed 10? lf 50, when will you hsge smother ard an
other, IL IA more serious nalet than one would
impressed with al first view. Il Is The breaking
down your preseni form Il knvernmentto eTecl
better in lis stead. Nili 4 be- better 10 ma
the rnaticafcerainty- for IL B TOD serious thing
1 10 be lightly experimenting sithi II Is The gra.
vest and most responsible aciof your lives there
| fore, weigh it well.
These reflections have suggested the mselves ic
my mind aud hope you N yEduiy consider the m
Il Remembering, that, though hhete is an Eastern
and Western portion Il Vitginis, still il is al
Virginia, and should be an unity in feeling and
IN ihtefss'. There is. nofhite so peruicious 70
The we'll being &c Siste as teciional differences
Il IS Ike creating discord inls family that oughi
to, and might be, pesceful, Prosperous and hap
py- The present election bbsisdoes moi give the
Western part of Virginia al equal representa-.
zion With the Eastern, aniltherefore, | sheald
/ Ike 10 see that feature in oh constitution chang
e5, IL il could be done wiihSa risk, aud without
; violation OF thai principle tkat q Constitution
skoa NOT se changed uniess sreTe mafhematies al,
deatoai,atis ih4l il treuld Be 3er he bssisr
i Thea, as Western mani II think The risk ina
re shah run loo Create b josiftd By The OBJ
jeet; and the principle we Ehall violate, 100 sa
4 cred 70 be infEinged, eEenlfor an accomplish
ment ofihai objeci, wiihoutsan attendant evil.
PUBLiCUS.
HunsoN. Ny. SEN. 10 1915.