Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-01-15
Constitutional Reform in Virginia.
ron rnE srlRtr q IsrfERg55s.

. IT.
JAMES w. BELLER, Esq., - Sir rIavin1 now
redeemed the promise which ] made 10 my first
letter TO you, upon the subject OF "G stiiutional
reform in Virginia, under date of july l7tli, uIt.,
peg now u lew concluding reflections. toiake
leave of my interesting theme andiI4 generous
readers who have SO long borue with me, and
done me the honor, to give listening ear to my
humble letters. In the correspondence which
have SO long maintained with you, ppon THIS ab,
<otbing and important subject, have steadily
kept in view the search after truth end the en-
IForcement as it by argument, and appeals 10 the
reason insteas Of tie passions of tiieu. have
tlloked at the tous irnpoI the great
tJscEaad Iie ttnus ies5VeFy .ts5e
EsnEfonnding end aaye - 1iTnessa fMn4s bae4als
most appalIedIfTom its diAcs5ion--k: :invVinr thai
was bringing feebeanery 10 attack a fortress
builtby the hands of the Aarsials. titc Madisuns,
| the MunrOeA, the Darh0urs, tie Ii iglia, &c. oi
Vlrginia,- gent enen of the highcs i.seiIecV, The
purest patriotism and the most lustT nus history.
Es-geniemeu who had filled the highest stations
upon earth,-EX Presidents ul the Ciilted States
I,-t'hieI Justice Gfthe United States, &c, &C.
But thank GNd we live in land, wliete the define
i rights Of Kings do NOT prevail -whe:" there
| no such ignnbe sentiments as the AIng can do
! no wron9''-wlere errur is not COu+e Grated by
authority, aud beyond the complaipts and reform
u the people. All such fallacIcs wests destroyed,
and burnt up by the consuming fires W',Ich spran9
up from the first spark which was stuck by our
fathers lrnLntie flint of the revolution, and now
/
| humbest one amongst US, freely ans: resPectfu
| iy 10 speak out our own honest sentiments; ;npd
To contend fer redress OF whatever grievances
we may feel to nppress US. In this aprit Of !tee-
dom have dared to attack thei ptesant govern
mental system Ol Virginia, believing j. to be vi.
cioua system, and altogether ssnsp(ad to Re-
publican people, aud utterly at war with every
| idea OF a representative Democracy. have la.
| ken Greqment occasion in he progress of myicor
respondeDceito render uIy homage tGlhe intRlleC.
tual grc4tncas, and exalted pstrOIstn Of The Con
| vcntIon o 1899 80. But yet we all know that
their work l.as never been acceptable TO the peo
pie of Vrgiuia-it was adopted by cam paraiively
small vote OF the 9WHiifedvoers ot the State--and
IreJected by large and respectable lnrnnri'y, and
it is we'll known that hundreds of the former took
it reluctantly choice OF eviisz hut with
sworn determination 10 jrn The minority in yvar
ring il dOwri, and procuring the cad Of anoher
iConven,ion. That war has been brewing fnr
years-seVetal skirmi-hcs have takc9 plaCe--thP
elements haze looked angry at tirE:i*, but they
IaVe clearedaway; bal the clouds 1O4t4i pnFfGnOns
nuw--ihey are charged with the ele':trictyOt an
angry aud Idng.sufFering peoples iaHignatnn-
a redress Of grievances must u0w ;.e given.
those " no Unnecessarily and unju~'.y place oh
stacIss in the wa v, must perish beueaih the scah
ing and cnn4mnina fires Of tile p"nrsr's wrath.
/ | am no Observation-Disclosures 80 parsicnur desire
:tesee pulling down, for the Ike nione Of pull
fng down, bnt am for dcm"ion, hScanse, j can
see that new editce is needed ana that lis con
Il
tie constant repairs Of the pre.eni tckeiiy con.
cern The fact is, nearly all nfts i4tnbers in ihe
present edlhcP are worm eaten mni rotten, and
ought To ne s,moved. The buildersiaf the present
house, wilh all of their great lntsa'ect, licked
Gyuh due difference ! say )s thHik!ar reaching
t.--..i.p- u itch suEtr5 have Euvscd them, or
they would have furnished work, y Gov. Floyd
truly rema' ked i'll his message, -tDnE would have
obviaIed tlle necessity ot another Convention for
AT least 90 years. They did not come together
inthe proIirg spirit; they forgot, in tie excitement
OF the mousent, that they were Nir9inians 4-that
they huased common paFeniage-->lh hat their Ia
Il Tiers in Eastern aud Western VirgSnia heard the
ss me roll of iie first revolutionary I'm, andihark-
ened to it's patriotic call--that theF stood shout
der TO shoulder upon the same helt. and yielded
up tleir blood in defence OF a common freedom
: aud popular rights. Yes, they came together
i blinded win their local and disttnctIeengs,-the
bright alluhng, and fateful pen Ct the illnsrious
Leigh, T-tesr, had blinded our generous and Chi
: yarous BRETHREN of the East to SO great an extent
, that they looked upon their brethren OF thelWest
as foes-ther local and distinct interests could not
be made toSyield TO the power ot those greatiun'
LIanental prnciples tor which the west C0htPnd-
ed, and ,wlHchlin my bumhle judgt9eutIie at the
very foundation of all true Republican representa-
: tive government. As was most bfautifullSfsald
> by one OF the most accomplished taenhers from
> the West la the Convention of 1892 80. FiT%o
ulIen IT ha opens, from cIashing interests, that
4 Landj intcrscctcd by a narrow dr1h.
f.,s, Abhor each other, hlountains iftcsposed
!. Make: enemies Of nations, who ha;f:clse
U Like kindred drops, been mingtc3 9nto one.
: These Flushing interests rels ped trunphan'
lhroug@nIi The whole proceedings u the Ce1Nen-
3 ton oi 1929, Beneath their. bpwf The greal Re
publican principle oithe whilehasis !ell-bfneath
SEtheir copttSing Influences the lae hioHd hi Tree
H lenvernne 1t, un versa suflragei was destroyed,
through rteir hindSng prejudtces arose those cur.
ses Vi{gna,T715i'"' 10" he grand 5is.sons, Tide
Il Water, Pisdmont, Valley and 'l:rans-Aliegany
Virginia, aoh! is this tginia Il IS old-ore and
s3 ndisisibe 'YiTgnis--she mntleEo: Washington,
~ Henry Others ofour illnstrioAsf Firest Iemo
a thet 'of STAGES and Sfaiesmen? @ho has bus
Z q1atered her-Whois guilty ot lliis foul aud uli,
"a naintal matticide2 -" Out, out aa1nn'd spot. u 81
g We arese ndeasaring 70 get together again in
III Convention, for a redress ot the evils OF ont gov
and sisiop'' z yitgp. IS yirgipians,
Fi that's Tie question:? II ds got go there as
ID Vifginiaus solic,ous Tor The wei faFe, prosperity
rehasn aud glory OF rgintas' one and llndivi,
"A ble''Wt Had beler stay at hone4 e4-beti er stand
SIN, a nd mournfully and sotrowi i y witness The
. soul oil Freedom departing from. :s;. decayed and
Ii dying body star Of the emfiEei paling before
EtLe bright teHulgence eyeryM heFe rronn1ing' It
{, Would We be great, powe tfnl, we
e must be in Ilaint, INTEREST," cling and desf
Iiny w must ask goserhuIelsl. whirh3,vttte
il does fn, ample, aud even hasase Justice TO all
u u will work lno material injury 70 Fas We must
al have gov inst itutions fch while they
e exact aht comma I'D the services. ions. en-
n ergies, the very hearts ind Z. hands OF lhe
whole ~ tise male popG lation o te State in!peace
and in val. must the sings OF govern
z ment nponf lie rich and the 1tslr.
population must he sused AL 6f their he9 IS ap6
n eneFe tnst be centeIed upon Sd made cling
g around giniaz7.' eommonilp gtsst common
government, and des ting must be pre-
sent man, he who has peril his life
his ali iti3 mon fence must know thatht
has a8yoiee IN dire ion Of rgialans
are a pat and e bearing moi geasily