Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-03-05


these purposes, a majority Of the community
hath an indubitable, inalienable, and indeiea
. sible right to reform, alter. or abolish 1t, III
. such manner as shall be adiudged most CON
s. ducive TO the public veal"
| Upon these principles. am willing to test
the question under consideration, Where does
! the powerr reside, according 70 these doctrines
[ to reform. alter or abolish the Constitution =
1t is answered, in the mymfty Ct The comma
! Mtg. Who are the community thus entrusted
! with the power 10 refi.sm, alter or abolish the
| Constitution Certainly not every man, wo-
man ard child in The community; but it is that
portion Of the community spoken Of in the sixth
article CT the Bill Of Rights, entitled to the
right of suffrage that class of the community
who have sufficient evidence OF permanent
! common interest with, and attachment to, the
i community. In them, and none other, does
power reside.
! must not be understood to contend, that
! Convention elected and organised IN compliance
| with the Bill of Rights, delegated upon the prin
/! cipIes of equality, by majority ct the coinmu-
! nity. has not the power to distribute the powers
! Of the Government as to them, under all the
circumstances, shall seem most conducive to
the public veal but what contend for is this,
that nothing less than a majority Of the com
n,unity, having evidence of permanent common
Interest with, and attachment to. the commu-
! nifty. have the right to delegate this authority.
! Alter this authority is thus delegated, by the
exercise Of that power the delegations are pre-
sumed to speak the voice Of their constituents,
and the maxim CT qu' facit ai;'un, facit per Sc,
fully applies, and the constituents are bound.
because they have spoken by themselves, in all
matters except such Inherent rights tina: pertain
to man in state of nature, which he cannot
be deprived of by any conventional obligation
resting upon them.
admit, that when Convention is elected
and organised upon this principle of equality,
tina: if they should think it most conducive to
the public veal. to dispense the powers Of the
Government with view to the protection of
sume particular interest-property, if you please
that they have the power to do SO
because the subjects OF their deliberations
become the legitimate offspring Of Cancellation
and compromise. But the primary pos!ulaie
that majority Of the community, having sut
, ficient evidence Of permanent common interest
with, and attach nent to. the community, alone
have the powe. to delegate that authority. is a
fundamental principle so inseparabe with a
Republican Government that | for one. will
the slightest innovation upon it, If an assem-
bled Convention. with delegated powers in
conformity with this fundamental doctrine,
should, in their wisdom, conceive it necessary,
for the protection and security of the slave pro-
perty in Eastern Virginia, TO give to the Eas-
tern division of the State seventy eight dele
gates to fifty six in the Western division, in
/ the House of Delegates, and nineteen TO thir-
teen in the Senate, will venture to affirm, that
no one word Of complaint will ever be heard
from them, because if their power and duty to
protect property and persons. But will I'M
dertake further to affirm, that if this apparent
inequality and injustice is fixed upon the West,
in defiance of these principles, by power del
esaled by a large majority of that class Of citi-
zens having sufficient evidence Of common in
,efest with, aud attachment to, the community
that it will utterly fail to allay the universal
satisfaction which now rervades the entire
/ Western division Of The State.
/ The bill which you hold in your hand, and
which propose to amend. proposes to submit
| TO the qualified voters CT TIE Commonwealth
! the question whether they desire to have a
/ Convention TO amend the Constitution of the
! State; ard if majority of the qualified voters
Ct the Commonwealth are ascertalned to be in
favor OF Convention, then in order to the for-
! ing ard assembling Of Convention, the same
Writer'S are to elect the members to the said
Convention, in the same numbers and from the
same places as the present House of Delegates
now are elected
| A Convention thus elected, contend, would
mot possess the power, according to the Bill OF
Rights, 10 to reform, alter or abolis, the Con
stltuton; and if they did possess the power,
they would not be likely to exercise it 81 as to
remedy the existing evils in the Constitution
will proceed to examine these two questions
in the order stated, and then endeayor to show
that, by the adoption Of the Substitute which
have offered as an amendment To the bill. the
power will be conferred. and THAI it will be ST.
exercised as most probably to remedy the exis-
| ing evils in the Constitution.
| First-Wouli hcdy. elected upon the prin
ciples above stated, possess the power TO reform,
alter or abolish the Constitution. according io
The rule prescribed in the Bill Of Rights2
( To test this question fairly, it is necessary
to ascertain whether shey would be likely to
represent truly the wishes Of majority Of thu
i rommus,ity. And this brings me TO an exami-
nation of the question upon what basis would
the members to the Convention be elected and
wha. relation would they sustain to that class
J q he community entitled TO the right OF suf-
irage. spoken CT in the sixth article Of the Bill
! lot Rights.
I've present House of Delegates consists OF
! one hundred and thirty four members, elected
from 'sc four grand Districts of the State. as
i9liows.viz: from the first District. including
All me oo,nlies lying West of the Allegheny
n Ia thirty ne Delegates; from the Sc
conc ps',,s, including all the counties lying
Rns R;ar .'' ca Mleghany mountains and the
legaes; from the 'hird District including all
; the COMMITTEES lying batw,a, ~ hssd of Tide.
Gu a,' M, Inc eth ANage. frty-:wo Delegates;
ana from e ehs soa,'a onsstrc including all the
5. time water, thirty sixOe,e"'eu s"s' ..ns ="
St two great divisions Of ~ Sat- y. ao.. sne
J. taion stands as follows, wit ,o .hi vs.
l. tern DIVISION. including sl,hc ION .ne ~ %
. Of the Blue Ridge, fifty Dslsaa ,,ss 'ss ~