Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-12-03
To The Editor of the stauaton Soee,o,or

10 The Editor Of the Sta,mton Spectator:
In the last number of your paper the COMMITTEE.
appointed by the Saunton Convention of August last
10 rat an Address to the people Of the State are char
gcd with violation of their Instructions and with riv
ractcr. ' OA S"S-
These are grave charges -comiup MS tbcv do fron,
proessed friend of Convention; and singular charges,
Wh;:s as 'hey do, from professcd friend of the
your editorial that il Mat part of the AdJrcs whist
urges Convention ON the White Basis principle which
you are pleased TO characterize as soens;yev section
al Had the criticism proceeded from any oibcr
ter, 1t would hardly have mcritcd a pnssng n1d,;c.
S0ss iro% on one NV who
ms sayings and doings TO place him in d;sran,
company,) will question it, Pray, sir, put your FIN
ger OH the instruction the Committee violated They
were appointed TO address the people of the Stats N
I SUBJECT OF Convention TO amend the Constitution
meet here on The 2nd Of December No duty more
painy dcvolved on them under this appointment than
20 SC, lorh the defects of the present Constitution and
suggcs, Inc remedy. Yon, sir, White Basi, man
VIII admit presume that the Inequality of the nrc
Sent legislative basis results from a defect in the Con
sutution. The Committee, then violated no instruc
ton by advcrting to it such unless in vour cs,o.
uoh, prncple has become much a thing of f,sb;on
mat 1t should be abandoned whc never bv insst;n ~
it, there is danger of giving offence Won :, , ="
r SiHanu our proposition, presume is, that ,Ac
fns;xni violated their instructions and became "of
should be organized on the White Basis and thai the
YVES. should submit to no other organization But thew
them
VII; as lar Us am appriscd, of the opinion and
would nave expressed the views, had they spoken
IL, mas Eastern men had no more conesccnded to
'''c"u INC august Convention, than Eastern Editors
nave condesccnded to notice the Address The Com
mee were appointed with the full knowledge of their
views ON that subject and in the absence of probib
tIon, mad right 10 express them So much for v;o
iaon OF instructions Is the address "oensiyeIy see
hope you will contend that the prnenIes or tbs
Constitution are sectional The Committee endeayored
TO prove, both TO Eastern and Western men, that the
' 'nnSt Itu.ia -. T.
ton oil Convention. Neither your ed oraI rbanso;as
nor those OF your darling Virginia (who having MING
but her capacity in 49,. n demonstrated nothing
,"nth ..p pao'y' IN Jokey phrase, TO pace a whole
men under the shade of ree') have impeachea
iuat argument, or even attempted to do So IF the ar
gumcnt is soundf the Constitution has fixed The b;
on which Convention when called, should be oroan;z
Gu, incn all VIII admit that it is incompetent ior the
legislature 10 change the basis and that no friend Of
ms country, and of the laws could set his face too
ly against the moditatcd usurpaion
VIII here re-satc the argumcnt-apd call pnop yor
wing aside all passion, and all petty appeals 10 nre;
oice' 10 meet and answer it frankly to admit that
you have denounced the Committee os eoaans;r III
sectional merely because they appcolcd n thn W.
INSIST on their Constitutional rights and in firm but
Eespec'iui and even aieconate terms claimed Of the
Fast 10 reraln from violation of the Constitution The
hus Oh me White Basis desire excitement on This
SUBJECT The Committee have cndeavoured TO avoid
~. ana 10 place their claims the foundation of the
~ ~ urging all parties to conform to the pro-
VISIONS OF that instrument. They have right Then 10
@ ier aaversares to convince them Of error, he
lore calling upon them to abandon their posop Won
10 DC par excellence the friend Of the laws and
me enemy OF Dorrism. You arc then more interested
IN showing by calm argument that you are not advising
the abandonmentthc tramping under foot of the Con-
suton-thc foundation stone of the law BIZ the brute
sT h Oh tyranny Address yourself then to the task
1no" us that you are the friends Of the Constitution
MAJ your plea for passive submission is only to its man
datcs-and 10! we by your side But rely on il so
long as the hardy of the West remain under The
convection mat they only contend for privileges accord
ed 10 'hem by the very frame work of their govern
nent no epitets of Dorrsm, Dyisonism or any other
ism, will fright them from their proprietv
But to the argument. Here It is short and simple.
The second annuncation of the Bill of Rpbtsa part
" INC constitutions is, THAT all power is vested in
ana consequently derived from The people, not property
M is there rested Could any, thing be mors Is
to refutc the pretensons of this modern
mixed basis sect sect claiming its paternity from
ihascuiated father, but which yet had acquired
strength enough among Eastern men, so late as
$50 to overthrow this second fundamental principle
aid down by our simple minded, freedom loving ances
ors, for the government Of Virginia
The third annunciaon Of our Bill of Rights is That
hen any government shall be found Inadequate or
ary TO the purposes OF the common benefit protection
md security OF the people, nation or commnn;fv ~
% INC greatest degree OF happiness and safety,
ana the most eectual security against the danger of
nal ADMINISTRATION, ga majority OF the community hath
an nduOitablc unaienablc and indcicasble right to
REFORM alter abolish it, IN such manner no sboJI no
Judged most conductive to the public veal ;, These
o clauses seem TO me, most clearly and beyond con-
b son. 20 Scsgnatc the people, and them alone,
Constitutional repositories of the power TO alter or
.oolIsn 'nc form OF government, Constitution !
1npcity oil popular government, and desiring to en-
new ana aristocratc features upon il lovers not
y INC arIstocracy of talent and wisdom which might
toieTo6te but ofthe aristocracy of wealth the most
ulous OF all, have endcavorcd play upon the mean
w OF INC word Community and insist that in its
onnccion IN the Bill Of Rights, it must be taken to
'ean the people and PROPERTY people and taxation or
onaething besides people.
according TO these gentlemen, how would the two
iauscs OF the Bill Of Rights quoted above and found
! JuXapositon in that instrument, read together
hat strange aud absurd contradiction would tbcv
Insh Of each other. beg you to listen a moment
bile j read you tho second and third clauses Of the
ll of Rights done into plain English in accord,pcc
nth the Interpretation OF those would be Consttt;oo
lawyers. Here they &c an powcr ;s vcstcd
in and consequently derived from the neonIc ,brc
fore, it belongs. not TO the peope nlone bnt ~ The
pic and property combined, or TO tho pconlc md ar-
don combined, TO exercise that b9bcst of ali pow
crs INC alteration or abolition Of their form of govern
ment' Or, more briefly thus g M power is vest
~, ~, I"u consequently derived from the people
isIo'c' INC greatest and important Of all pow
.'S' 70 WI; that OF reforming their government
- "ot vested in, derived from the people,
ny, SIR the sylIogism of the ancient philosophers
as perfect logic compared 10 this. Meeting with
cen antagonist they would say TO him, ntcrrogativc-
> Ticud, You have W hat you have not lost ?" The
nplc- minded would be very apt 10 respond in
affirmative. "Thcn,' says the casuist 'svon ncvcr
st horns therefore, you have horns" The astoun-
NoTE.-T The Bill Of Rights ,cas eJj,6gediobea mart
The oid Constitution IF pirgiuid- Inc decision in the
''Tt Of 3Tpedts, IN the case Of the Slate Eiyer Comma
md Cren$ho,c-6 Rdndoiph's Reports On. 2i5, 216.
nat IL has the same relation 10 The neiy Constitution fnf
mi rf