Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-10-29

out disturbing your ability TO legislaie upon
your own State afaIrs-which are of quite as
much importance TO you IN every respect, and
far more likely to affect your permanent and
future welfare. prosperity end happiness.
We call upon you, Reformers OF Berkeley,
to come up now to your cause. Keep your
/ flag hying-as yos were the first TO raise the
standard of resistance TO your present Anti
/ Republican Institutions, be the last 10 strike
the colorS. BE assured of one thing, that
there is no subject occupying the public mind
Of the State in which the general welfare sf
the people is so much involved. Do you
want a sound, healthy, conservative and Re-
publican Constitution ? If 50 YOU viii act
now--you win meet together and cosnsel
wisely together, and under auspices more IA
vourable than have been presented TO you Tor
before-when was there time in the past
fifteen years, when the two great parties Of
the State were SO little excHed against each
other as now? When time when the pub
tic mind was so much engaged and deeply
interested in Virginia legislation and Virginia
prosperity? At no time. The discordant
and cha6ng elements now at work in Virginia
are not between Wing and Democrat, but be-
tween the people Of enc section Of the State
and the other. We are divided Common
xealth-when we should be one common
brofLarbnnd .ha can,a ,,.arn, Mood Of c,,,,
mon interest, common destiny and common
prosperity warming and exhilirating our
hearts. This must always be the case as long
as the present Constitution exists-it is written,
prescribed and fixed there. Unjust be stricken
out-if the people are ever expected to be con-
tented--the State TO become prosperous and
great. We wish the Staunton Convention TO
meet by order Of the people, aud there consult
together upon the best plan TO bring the wishes
of the people before the Legislature. The
people ask the privilege Of deciding at the
Polls the question of CONVENTION OF No CoY-
vENTIoN. Who can or will deny them this
right, when properly approached upon the
subject-a Legislative body Of Virginians2
No, we do not believe it Then let us send
up our united petition, and we viii be answer
ed. If the Convention question be lost at the
pos-then we surrender-but we fear not the
result before the tribunal of the people.
That pure. distinguished and eloquent
Statesman, the late Elk Gov. JAMES Mellow
ELL, thus addressed the Legislature of last
winter upon this subject, in his last Annual
Message. We should be glad to see the
Staun,on Convention adopt his language
Here is what Re!ormers want-",s all they
ask" of the Legislature. Gov. McDowELL
says -
Great as was the ability with which our
first Constitution was prepared, and great
also as were the experience, learning and
virtue which were employed in the amend.
ed one that was afterwards adopted, there
are, nevertheless, certain, provisions in
both Of them, which have never been sat-
isfactory to large portions of our people.
because. in their judgment, inconsistent
with those principles Of equality and JUS
tice which it was the main object of both
10 establish. From the first hour of their
appearance in The amended Constitution,
which was expressly sought for 10 correct
them, up 10 the present moment, they
have been complained of and resisted, and
hence they have again and again been
presented TO your own body, as involving
grievances which it was hard to leave and
hazardous 10 prolong In all this we see
no rf 10
upon removing from their fundamental
law, as far as they can effect it, every re-
al Nuse Of Injury and discomfort amongst
them and Of rendering it the revered and
permanent instrument Of the highest wis
dom, justice and beni6cencc. 1t is to
this equitable and salulary end tina. their
efforts are directed; and in order TO con.
duct hem regularly and without objection,
you are now appealed to by an immense
body of petitioners to unite with them so
far as 10 give the sanction of law for that
purpose. These, on their part, complain,
tha, the Constitution is detective; that its
defects are such as to aggreve them
that the only full and adequate remedy
which can be had for these defects is in
Convention ofthe people and. SO COM
planning, they respectfully request the
passage of law which shall enable the
people themselves to determine, by d.
rect vote, whether in their judgment, the
defects alleged are such as ought, or ought
not TO be enquired into, with view TO
ultimate constitutional! redress. This is
all they request. One portion Of our peo-
pie object TO the Constitution as il is,
whilst another approve it as il is; the OBJ
jecting portion propose, in this case, TO
settle the difference between them by con-
sultation and vote, and. in order 10 do
so, they come to you, who are the COM
mon aud confidential agent of both par
ties and desire, on behalf OF both, that
you will supply them with the necessary
means. Can you refuse' Is there any
one principle of representative duty
which win require you to deny an appl-
cation like this' Is there any one which
will authorize you 10 interpose between
the actual parties of the Government, and
say to them, fiat they shall not, with
your consent, have any conference what
soever with each other, nor declare any
direct opinion whatsoever upon subject,