Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-06-11

Whist John Randolph alnI lungcd IL iiay
'ei"r" the laws OF pmoscn!tuc, Watkins Leigh s,vo. b
irresponsible county courts, and turned pale c bare
non universal suffrage Ds~usin. from The F.,nc
! il,t"ul'"n were constantly hc,rc their eyes.
we would not ol i!c world wcrl of reptoacl
upon sie Sa"cs who controlled the Convention o l2g %
None can Doubt thu their greatest desire Ia aiI
isliin"n, calculated Ia give the people happiness an,
osle;iiy None doub, That they believed her Cnlsii
Ih.on admirably suited L. the State Virginia Ea.elicnc.
aa r".'d mat WIN all 'hcir wisdom thcy we're p"i',
ignorant nj Tie reforms mpcii"Gsy demanded y the people
ci"fi;s demanded by their ansand Snicn.s Tie .fca
incentives every where ri popular outbreaks and revolutions
Inc people wanted the Constitution oi l7u broken town
"l liEii purpose they determined ulon Convention
~ aes.aies and To their surprise, The delegates deyotcc
.c 'ic ana talents /" defending aud curgzina The very
Constitution which they expected remodel. lh>
WAS carrying out The WISHES o hc people with vengeance
lhe people sick horribly na,scied with the repeated
ah iHcair land coiins o praise with which Cons
lion :" 100 had been iastcd for i;iy years p,r
Nlods 10 the Convention. Tie great names associated with
IT, could not hide from hcn its defects 1l. pco
pie have always had sIranac knick ookin. things
they aud not oHerS woad persuade He,n hat Asy
was. Therefore, rather cImrl in the ncmcrs
Constitution ri 1870 NOT only Ia permit the Constitution l
lf5 I" - back unlmprovcd but tack 10 six hundred
octave page, "i inflated cuoay. This adding insult
injury. Wc - not wish 10 !c understood calling The
lI'6 Constitninna IN outrageous, unnigatcd ab"mnaon
Sy means ior regard hat of lSiU as hundred times
worse and that might be made than is by put
nng in it the right =" prlinsnrc hereditary governors,
Judges shcrs and c0nsiabl$ oi the poor and
coroncr- Indeed, considering the time a which il WAS
made The Constitution OF l11G be- considered i far
nnd very ingenious specimen Of elriy
foS snninC, the modern ones, pretty mach Noa!
Ark Chinese Junk, stand al the splendid
bringing Europe uulc. very noses Improve
w! take place h1ris printing PRESSES spin
III. Jcnnics mlls bellows. churnS house budn. and
church huiIin, and hear o vcncilinn u, tc o.i-
-lnal principles and specimens, preventing cncrpsns
n;cn from making all the improvements that they think
ui Any CunScr, ati,t III The boat line, who. from
deviation 10 Robert Fultun's memory, should upon
hr Hudson with boat 81 tie original build would find his
enthusiasm AMI devotion To iirs principles. making
| tyr al him III Il very f-w weeks.
The Constitution ol 100 like The creative and original
| =,
spirit o aHnan progress, winch has since isons"d the
world with lis rssG.;. EGl Fulton i'll hi- iisi oNpci-
mcuts with sioin lofnr! exaggerated opinion -! IL,
,awcr, and di lc enough upon III" strength ." hs
ta boilers, d The trainers oI the Constitution II -,
whilst believing in tie virtue ui lhc lcopi bind them iae
closely with p,uol= constitutional restrictions.
The l!lipGlitn, wonderfully sIuck with the size
aud magnificent appearance nl l..nnc Cullyc bur II the
lrr, they tied him down for ilr he migH do harm.
tidias ant i. he roa n, they rticasta hia. Can you
not readers, understand thu application
The trainers Of our first Constitution had unfortunately
bur ittlc experience in the capacity Of the people 10 govern
lh,m,.l,r>. mighty nation, ilh seventy odd yca,
people, had mol Nctc, the and the aniTa' o
th civilized world Reared and educated in colonial times
rIy had been li ty 'nig fathers Respect and ppS Tor
sovereignty elseslrp than the Z" ie people
The crushing influence - En md in Virginia an The rier
co!onies had kept tnr learned as We'll - he Ignorant, n.y.
tir.a> -! treason sllI ction 10 the hc.'cn aud icsased
baths ." thought. Nln consider the disadvantages un
,.f which c iianicr tho Constitution n 1i5 laburd
feel surprised their having accomplished what cy did.
|
jait amt, u,r happier auspices, ai" 'o curry o Metr
Jriucip.. The time which Tie first Constitution (wc
cri! i, in distinction from l ot l-3O) mns
sn-usar unpr"pliions nr M calm and DELIBERATE discus
s"n questions of constitutional tcoim With The excite
:i,nt- amd allrms 81 san..i.nary w.r around t'i,
aiid the din ani terror :" tfo scNn'n and tc hrtIi-
lar The enemy almost sounding III tier ears, 't"F"
Mason and hi as-prlics formed aud promulgated tlci
Constitution The ctare,. ana discussed the principles
nf Constitutional laws, has Observed with
l,t,s around . neck, aud iniin ir"opcrs hard las HE
hall =" the Convention. When sensible u'cn ec"Icc low
rii! III, anlhi-js Of the members al the extra session
Richmond, .shvn ihr cioela officially annoanced
III that city, ant with what uaariniiy thcy declared ic
proximity The enemy incoman!c with canness ani de
liberation faint ij. bc formed =" the condition
ul a.cs when the Constitution nj no born IL was
literally "onpiizcd in the blood nt the revolution great
recommendation ,y In" way ". do not wis.
that Tn venerable gentlemen ol III ghtcncd not Tor
ilotlrut; hui their attention very nanray divided
between The Constitution and The marauing troops a"un!
! them.
There wcrc many highly respectable in Virginia Al
ha time. who much willing tn cni lo"~" rom
the ,4dn. strings III colonial yassaagc, tan I" Introduce
into the Constitution many elements al Democracy
The wcaly and influential dreaded Then, as they often
do now al innovations and rnlcoi-m Ia have offended
ci-, hy striking d"wn their constitutions" hobbies
would have endangered tir cause oi independence.
Indeed Thomas Jefferson remarks in al hla lrite.
that whilst the III the constitution Of lao, were excel
lent and patriotic men, strongly inbe win iDcra' s'n'i
ncnts their desire Ia secure The wealthy and 'ui'a
induced them CRAFTY that class lay permitting the sh oi
suffrage Ia, been. from the time {" charles
the second md the magistrates. IN England ~ pe ""e
pendeat nj the people, aud 10 held their offices or nc
Hence il was that whatever The ramcrs oi constitution
mi ht have thought Of The caparity and virtues III the pee"
PIE BY their trmporizng policy, they permitted several :"
the monarchal relies :" co'nai 'imrs ~
remain in free and sovereign STATE, rhtre "''h M S!
aneraiiolS far the dsi!er. they rc,adin fotbis dty
In these violations oi the principles ot our government
there oi superior intellect and penetration
whn early l16, detected in lcn he iilc sources :"
future discomfort. lie felt convinced that orr Intelligent ana
cct;nm people conscious II their capacity 10 govern tci
selves ard elect with pr"priety their own officers Wn
never quietly submit 10 the constitutions! restrictions o
| IIrIn
convention he presented pFo oi constitution contain
iug The leading principles o The best constitutions oi Int" "y
the principles embraced in the Constitution presented by
Thomas Jefferson the people {" all III" STATES "i ie uh
with i,y exceptions have broken down their old c"n@tu
tans in this State they will have convention after con-
y.ution unlil irv succc,d in securing them
The wisdom ani political foresight o Jefferson ars be-
coming and more apparent Win earn year 81 ' P
hiiu existence. Nothing, Ia tho mimi ri ilmi great man.
was more oios Than the pollution 81 The fountains "l '
ors.nic ny:, by mln@lns with the clements n 'c"''s
ih hit ter ingredients of colonial oppression I" hi "''n
inc was more with the rights ol tr cole l'h ''
urrlrsci rcnnnnt o federal vi'!niny and vlIn-' ' ec
hold suffrage which, the ballot box placed HE owner " are"
,,liry acres land the professional man 'ho ,cf
liant and the mechanic. lie familiar enough WIN ''
culnial history oi Virginia 10 know that the essihsS
freehold suiagc(s in almost impl"i- nocAcry 'i'y nave
Lccn cu,tD--wcrc forced unwilling people ny III.
.Ir and snon. influence n NO regiments oil l'r!iish
liors backed by mandatory letter from the ost corrupt
and progatc Of crowned sr"undreIs. lie saw ',, ma
stracy utterly independent ol the people, clothed win M
mn nsc powers legislative, judicial and executive would IN
M ro,s. Of time employ those powers "r purposes utterly
| ,t variance with the cnds "i justice. 49,
| In thc Constitution which lie Submitted To the ielnhcrs
or committee of The convention "f mo- he provided iuy
far the reforms which Tie people now demanding iad
that Constitution been adopted We hazard Itle IN Saylhs'
hn it womid have been the popular organic Ia" o l5'o
Ecornsiug iarioatiy and irrePonsbihy as nc c'd'af-
ristics ct he monarcha iorm o .ortrnmenf ~ As pa"
of Constitution jefferson expressly recognized he Pf' ~
c Of complete and entire responsibility TO me Pfope {" n'
eir aceais ,id paccrS, he ic ground 81 o1s'.n M
@ for Democratic people. Jefferson thus describes INC
di.nosilion which was made of his Constitution: .,
Il was then during the session ni The ConVentohJ WIN
Congress nj Philadelphia and knowing that the
o Virginia wns cngancd in forming plan d e"V'ti' H.
urnrd my mind the subject ana niew S"'' ~ "
,nflinc of Il Constitution, with rFe;lhr "h'h 'l ~ "
Mr. prndctun the President Of ac Convention, on 'c ,
sibility that il nishi suggest something worthy OF c's"e
rtion lie informed afterwards. 10y lccr, ha1 Nv ~
,ryrd il On the ,av which the committee oil c "ioiI
lad rcmrtcd la ti House the plan they had agreed 10 anu
,,t had been So long hand and disputed men oy .
,,t they were worried with the contentious IL hiu po""
m and could not from aSsittie have been nu"cI" -
uen the instrument again but that being pacca Hn Hs
rtnlie Ia miuc they adopted il in The house py Wv! "
amendment o the report of the committee, ana n"N ny
nrtnmbic beone hc.ai 10 Gcorge k''oaS CONSTITUTIONS"
/ !.ciiey In ii'i.e Iloo'ilrG .;;,, III.
And inns hc noble Preamble Of Jefferson, conaloi'. @ m
,n, beautiful summary of human rights ever pelheu, w
ns N this very hour ornament thc very slightly ae''u
not improved constitution of l'6 1T must nave s.lur'