Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-04-22
From the Winchester virginian.
Constitutional Reform.

| form in Virginia" | deem the subject of deep
s commanding importance-one, in which are
| involved our highest interests as citiZens--one
in which are involved the future giowth, pros
perity and renown of our glorious cold Com
| monwealth." If these premises are correct. is
! it not our duty to approach the discussion with
calmness and consideration, and with a deter
mination 10 address the reason and not the pas
! sions of men? | clearly and conscentiollsly
think SO, and therefore in the views which /
may from time to time communicate 10 you,
shall endeavor TO keep these cardinal points (if
may so term tilem) strictly in view.
After the struggle OF many years the Leoisla-
| ture has passed Bin submitting the question
of Convention or no Convention to the qualified
voters of the State at the approaching election,
| and in case of an affirmative answer upon their
part, the Bill provides for the organization of
Convention for the revision Of our organic law,
in the month of October next The question
now is, shall this bill be sanctioned at the polls
on the 25th illstant9 .Ianswer in the affirma-
tive-not that it is Bill which my judgment ap-
proves, or one which the Legislature having a
respect to Ineligible principle and the stern de-
mands of Justice, should have submitted to the
people. Having been member of the House
of Delegates lat the session of 1879 and
taken an active Though humble) part in en-
deavoring to procure the call OF Convention, |
know something Of the determinations of the
Eastern ma lority in the Legislature Following
the dictates and convictions of my Judgment
and the prompting of my feelings, l struggled
for years with my Western brethren for a Bill
founded upon the uhite basis; which, in truth,
is the only Just foundation of representation in a
representative republican government. This
was the basis which the distinguished represent
tatives from this section of the State SO ably
commended for in the Convention of 1S29-'3o.-
Frederick, Hampshire and Morgan were unani-
mously in favor OF that basis then, and sanction.
ed and applauded the views 80 ably expressed
in that distinguished assemblage by COOKE.
PowELz., Nay1oR and others. You will remem-
Der the able and excited debate which occupied
so much of the time of the last Convention up
OH that subject. The debate Went out 10 the
people, and the excitement amongst them be-
came as great as that which pervaled the Con-
vention. III the midst OF the excitement of the
Convention, one of the Delegates from the
Frederick District; the late Major OpIE of Jefer-
son; resigned his seat, and our present disiin-
guished United States Senator, Col JAMES M
Mason, was chosen to fill the vacancy. He
went to the Convention Htresh from the peop]e,'
and carried with him their deliberate and fix
ed sentiments. He addressed the Convention
in short speech to the point, and in favor of
the great republican principle of the white basis.
have no doubt the views he expressed then, &
whicaa received a hearty Amen from the reo-
pie, are the views of the people now, and that
the representatives from the Valley in the next
Convention will be prepared to reassert them.
do not intend to enter fully upon the discus
sion Of the basis in this letter. but perhaps at a.
mother time, during the progress of the discus.
sion in the ensuing summer, may trouble you
with some reflections on the subject, in which,
can successfully maintain the white basis to be
the only true basis of representation and fur
Their, that all sections of the Commonwealth and
every species of property in the Commonwealth
would be more safe under the protextion of the
white basis, than any other. There is no safety
in sectional majority. 1t is to be found alone
M socaety-in the hearts and hands-patrioiism
and loyalty of the whole free wi ite population
standing upon common platiorm-resting
under the broad Egs of common Constitution.
For this contamination we must look to the peo-
pie assembled in Convention. From the Legis
lature we have got the most favorable terms
perhaps that under any circumstances we can
get-then let us accept them-and hope for
justice from the Convention when assembled.
Our friends in the Northwest are holding mass
meetings, & cohnselaing the people to go forward
in body on the 25th instant & vote against the
Bill passed by the Legislature at its last session
Convention Of Delegates from fourteen coun-
ties in the Northwest met at Clarksburg on the
Goth ultimo, and unanimously adopted a strong
preamble and series of resolutions against the
action of the Legislature. They call upon the
retormers OF the Valley to stand by tasem. There
were men OF high character in that Convention
gentlemen known TO the State, and whose
voices are entitled to respect-to wit. Judges
LEE and GIDEON, d. CAMDEN, of Harrison, B. Fl.
SMITH, Esq, of Kanawha, &C., sc. Their
seventh resolution reads thus:
"Resolred, That inasmuch as upon a fnmer oc
casion our brethren of the Valley Of Virginia ap-
pea!ed to the people Of the els Allegheny portion
OF the State tocome to their relief and to aid them
in throwing off the burden Of UNEQUAL representa-
tion in the State councils, of which they so loud.
~ complain, and as that call was promptly re-
81 onded to by the people Of the West, who united
with them in a Convention (which resulted in re-
lieving them Of the grievances Of which they COM
planned, lthoagh in effect transferring it to the
Western people) we cannot permit ourselves to
doubt the fidelity of oar Valley brethren, nor
hesitate TO believe that, as just and honorable
people, they will now in turn rally to or aid,
and unite with us in resisting the attempt to force
upon US a Convention with the representation
therein so distributed as in the present BILL or any
other having for its basis of representation any
other element than free white population.''
ahs is andeniahy strong appeal-it canses
me TO stop and listen to its voice. What is it our
duty to do?-tu heed or not to heed it-that is the
question! Our mind is made up-1lot to heed it
because we can see good to arise from the re-
lection of he Bill, l,ut on the contrary mach mis-
-chief-roiaaps the indefinite pestponemest of re-
form. No man who has been at any tsse in the
Legislature since 1874, or who has been an OBJ
server Of passing events there, but must have come
to the conclusion that bill upon the ,cic basis is
utterly impracticable and unattainabe in The Leg
lslature. The Bill to which this Bill is subst-
tute proposed TO submit the decision Of the BASIS