Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-11-12
roa THE srAuSroS SPECTATOR.
REFORM CONVENTION ADDRESS.
No. Ill.


they have promulgated their doctrines and policy
to the people OF Virginia.
This address comes to us under circumstances
which claim for it the serious consideration of the
public. 1t is not to be consideredsls the mere ex-
preston OF the views of the gentlemen who sign it,
for 1t has all the forms and sanctions Of an official
document published by authority 1t is the produc-
tion ola committee, selected by convention Of the
''Reformcrs," as proper expoundeIs of their doc
trines, and they inform us, that in addressing the
people Of the State they act Gas the organ Of that
convention"
These gentlemen, from their pursuits in lfe and
their experience of public affairs, presumed to
he conversant with the principles Of Constitutional
Law, and acquainted with the force and effect of
language; and the circumstances under which the
address is published assure us that has been ma
tuIey considered.
No injustice, then, can be done to the ssReform-
ers" by holding them responsible, as party, for
all the opinions contained in this address, or by at
tributng to them the aims and objects which may
fairly be deduced from it.
1t is proper that, at the outset, we should disn-
guish clearly between the opinions expressed in the
address, some of which are held in common by all
the friends Of convention, while others are pecu-
liar to our "Reformers." The former must meet
the concurrence of every friend of convention,
whatever he may think Of the object Of their intro
ductOn into this address, or of the strange assoca-
ton IN which he finds them In regard to the lat
ter, viii endeavor to show the correctness of the
description which gave Of them in my introduce
tory number.
Every friend CT convention, and indeed, every
citizen, must be satisfied that the right of suffrage
should be fixed by the Constitution upon some ba-
sis which would secure it from the interference of
the Legislature. How this is TO be done, and what
basis Is BEST are matters about which there great
diversity OF opinion, and III regard TO which the adj
dress cautiously avoids making any suggestion.
That deficiencies do exist in the legislative, ex-
eculve and judicial departments of our Government
Will not pretend to deny none of them are per
feet, and should have been pleased if the commit
tee had suggested some feasible plan for improving
them. Here again, however, they fail to give
even the slightest indication of their policy
agree with the committee in the opinion that it
was an evil hour in which the trainers of our Con
sututlon introduced into that instrument sectional
division OF the commonwealth into four grand dis
tricts. The ''broad rivers and high mountains"
with which nature has divided our State furnish
sufficient causes for sectional rivalry and jealousy
without The aid OF such Constitutional provision
Real, or supposed diversity of interest has, from the
formation OF our Government, been found 4 serious
hindrance TO liberal and impartial legislation and
the difficulty is greatly increased by appor,ioning
representative power according to sectional divi-
slons, and under such restrictions as to prevent
ready correction of any inequality which may arise
That these causes have led to 'humiating discord"
cannot be denied, after the specimen afforded by the
address under consideration.
am not prepared to say in the language of the
committee, that this defect constitutes a foul and
humiliating blot upon the escutcheon of the State
though 1t certainly does in my opinion, furnish one
OF the strongest reasons for Convention. The
committee are greatly mistaken, however, in class
ing this among the grievances which visit only the
citizens OF that portion of the State West of the
Blue Ridge. 1t is felt in all parts of the State and
feel assured, that whenever convention is held
these lines of division will be obliteraed by the es
adjustment Of some basis OF representation which
will apply all over the Commonwealth, thus effec-
tually breaking down, what the committeecal these
"walls of disgaceul rivalry" and restoring, what
they seem much to desire, ''the ancient integrity
of Virginia" This would be effected by the es-
adjustment of either the ''Whe" or the .'MiXed''
basis, and such result would certainly tend very
strongly to satisfy the community with either.
So far, then, there is nothing in the address,
which any friend of q convention, East or West,
might not freely endorse.
Here, however, the agreement ceases, for in i'm
mediate connection with this subject of sectional di-
Visions our "Refomers' assume position different
from that which have heretofore understood
them to occupy, and in direct conflict with well es-
tabshed facts.
No reader of the address can fail to be struck
with the fact that while the committee SO earnestly
deprecatc sectional jealousy "humiliating dis
cord and disgracetul rivalry" they labor through
out the whole address, most gratuitousy and unne-
cessarily to involve the Valley of Virginia in con-
test between Eastern and Western Virginia. for
what is, after all, as they inform u.s. .'but puny
and ingorious sceptre" These gentlemen must
know that III the distribution of power among the
four grand divisions OF the State the Valley has
received more than her share of representation upon
any basis that be adopted, and that if they sue
coed In all their schemes of Reform" the Valley
will have a smaller proportion of the power of the
state than she has now. They cannot be ignorant
OF this undlsputed fact. Why, then, do they so
carefully conceal it? and why will they persist.
with this fact staring them in the face in repre-
senting the whole country West of the Blue Ridge
as suffering in common this grievance OF uneaual
representation? In all their statistics thew insist
upon making common cause with the Trans
Allegheny district, and because we have not dele
gates enough, over and above our Just share to
make up for the deficiencies Of our Western ncich
bors, we gravely informed by these ssRef,rm
ers that we are suffering from the 'petty jealousy
OF the East, that she assumes over us ga proud
supremacy" that she refuses to us sthat equal par
ticpatlon in the Government which God and ma
tuTe had awarded to us" that we are SUFFERING
wrongs which must be removed or resisted. and
that submission to them is base and cowardly'l
The address tells, us of ''Demon of the comino
discord."-Is he among these '.Refomers" in poT.
son, or is his office performed by deputy?
That the people beyond the Allegheny arc onti
tied to all Increase of representation there can be no
question, and it was 10 be expected that the people
Of the Valley would be at all times ready to accedc
to their Just demands-nay more, it would not be
th l. q al Ill