Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-09-10
THE WHITE BASIS ISSUE

Inc wheeling Argus Ga LOcofoco paper, } speak
ing OF the peremptory demand made for q Conven-
ton organized on the White Basis, by set of .sU1
TRAIsrs" In the West, whom it divides into two
classes, "DoRRITEs" and "DvIsIoNIsrs, ;" saws:
we nave no desire to be placed, more than once
In our lifetime, In the position of pitt p,orty
we have no wish to make an inconsiderate de
mand which we cannot exact we have no notion
oil the good sense, decency or policy of demanding
VIA, which we cannot get. There is tolerable
apology FOR placing ourselves on an extreme which
we must ABANDON or cannot hold. Isit probable. is
II possible that we can get the extreme demands
made by, as we sincerely believe, the policy of men
who wish to strangle Reform, and by rash impet,l
Gus young men, who know so little Of Virginia cha
racter as to know that it will never yield to threat
or msolence2 Rise in rebellion, then. these Hot
spurs would exclaim! But the organized Govern
mcnt OF the State can require the military power of
the General Government to suppress insurrec-
uon." Divide the State then; dismember old Vir-
ginla! viii Virginia herself agree to the dismem
bermentf Will the Congress of the United States
agree, when such act will invite the discontents
OF every section? viii the Democratic party in
Congress agree, when the effect of it would. in all
probability, make one Wing State, and subject the
balance OF 1t to Inconvenience and misrue and in
creased taxation? What sympathies and what
Deneht could we expect from division? Are we in
closer proximity! have we greater interests, in
common with the South West or the Middle. than
we have with the North East, with Winchester.
Harper's Ferry and Alexandria Divide the State.
and place the Capitol at Parkersburg or Kanawha.
Qthe reflection Is pleasant y and then tax the ex .
treme of our Western State, to make roads and ca
nails parallel with the Ohio through mountain
ranges, or over boiling rivers-or, what is still more
pleasant, from the .NeD Capitol to -- Cum
berland, or to Lynchburg Our young gentlemen
and our old politicians managing very prettily-
very"
The Democrat will see from the foregoing what
we meant by asking why it was, if uncompromis-
ing adherence to the White Basis principle in the
organization Of Convention is to be made test Of
trendiiness to Constitutional Reform here, in Au-
gus'a, that 1t was not even mentioned in the pro-
ceedngs of the Convention lately held in this place
and which in fact was little more than County
meetlngE If it be a proper test to be instituted
amongst us, we should like to know what excuse
they have for the omission? Was it because they
did not wish to keep our Eastern friends away from
the December Conventon2 Then it was either
frivolous OF uncandid Or was it that they knew
'iro s.i~.'''~ % Dcs in the yves; ...ora divided
as to the policy and expedency Of urging the Basis
Question in connexion with the call Of Con-
vention? Then why push it here, to the division
and distraction Of the friends of ReRorm2 There is
certainly something not little singular in this !
Perhaps before all is over, the course Of the Spec
tator last Spring will be found much nearer right
than some people imagined Even the Rocking
ham Register, (atfough it has joined in the recent
cry against us, as one or two others have, doubt
less from misapprehension, objects to the issue
1t says:
cit is possible the Spectator aIudes, in the
remark about our talking Gone way and writing
another" TO a conversation we had in his office in
which there seemed TO be no conflict of opinion be-
tween us on the subject of Convention There
was none, we know, on the subject Of the basis
question, and if the editor is what he was then
there is none now. We were then, are now, and
have always been, ardent friends of the Convention
movement, and so expressed ourselR We agreed
with the "Specator" that thought it was i'm
proper to lug in this "vexed question" in connex-
ion with the call ola Convention, as we believed
and still believe, that it is impossible ever to sue
coed, without mutual compromise between the
East and the West. And we defy the editor of
the "Spectator" to point to a solitary paragraph in
the columns of the Register which tends 10 an aei-
taton of the basis question. Our advice always
has been TO the friends Of Constitutional reforrn TO
let this question rest, and agitate the naked ques