Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-08-29
THE LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN.
TOwNLEY. SHIELDS Il co, Projectors
LyNcnRunG. AUGUST 20. 1850
THE CONVENTION VOTE.

1t requires the Transporting of unexpected
events % excite wonder. Therefore II is thai no
man Is surprised IL the result Of the recent cleo
ton. Il announcement will Startle no one. II
Is what was 10 be eXpected and though feared
and dreaded it was not expected that the result
would be materially different from what it is.
| The Constitution from the call of a convention to
the present time, has been sealed and delivered
to the desroyerss and the great and wise proYi-
SONS Of that instrument, together with the un-
wise and inefficient, must be ;otered into ruins.
Virginia, may, now rejoice in anticipating The
| coming fruits Of this Convention; but if indeed
our reason is not sadly derangcd the time will
come, Yea is now coming when NirginianS, Ike
unto the disconsolate and faithful followers of the
Wise One, will cease 10 sing loud notes OF
praise and join in mighty and general wall.
The Commonwealth of Virginia is doomed.
The greatness of Virginia is soon to depart. Her
wise and salutary laws which create so whole.
some and beneficial an influence upon her peo-
pie, morally as well as politically, must all be
food for the destroyer, and Virginia stripped of
her beauty, Of her grandeur, of her greatness,
must submit TO be ovrrrun with bad laws and
crushed beneath her own mlSrule. We cannot
avert the pending doom, we can only prepare to
meet ii, with the hope that the Old Dominion
may survive the shock.
The Convention will assemble. Assemble in
its full foce. And when the entire body shall
be before us we will look in vain for the intel
lect of our Randolph, our Giles, our Leigh and
our host of great men. A weaker body than the
Convention, that will assemble In October,
never convened IN this State. weaker body
could scarcely be formed ont OF the material in the
State. II the Reports of this Convention live
ten years after its session, no Nirglnan will read
them without blush The friends of radical
ism seem 10 have wagcd a general war against
all talents all learning, and all of the other high
distinctions which mark men Of greatness. The
Convention is 10 be n leveling body. The spirit Of
the French Republicans seems to peryade the PEG
pie OF Virginia and blind 10 the danger before them
and deaf 10 the voice of reason, they have rush
ed headlong to meet the destruction which awaits
them
The Convention is to undo the work of the
greatest men, Virginia ever produced. The wise,
the salutary system, which they planned is 10 be
indlscrmnaely destroyed. Reason cannot be
expected to predominant, for the men, who are
capable OF reasoning upon questions of this high
import have not been elected members of the
body But re CARELESS offeason, the Constitution
IS to be altered, Change there must be, yea, for
the sake oi change. The spirit of innovation will
prevail, and Unfortunately the hand Of change
will be ylsiby traced throughout the whole ope-
ration. The whole system will be thrown INTO
ruins. And the members of the approaching
Coartntion are then to make a better consdtu-
ton than did the Virginia patriarchs OF 1928 and
80. Pshaw! The material is 50 we'll adapted
10 the purpose There is 10 be SO much oftaIent
and learning there SO much Of sound sense and
so many high gifts of reason The Convention
of 1850 Virginia will ever remember this Con
vention and her decaying energies her wan
ing greatness will over be reminding her that the
fault is her own.
The Convention will give us lis work. Then
will commence the howlingS for the spoils
Thousands of little incllects full of aspirations
will spring up, and claim the picayune Offices
I placed by the new Constitution within the gift OF
the people. Busy will be the whole popalace
with the responsible task of governing them
selves. lntligues and demagoguism will com
mence, le public morals will become corrupt
the greai body of the public acts will be feeble
the adm i.raton of the law weak and corrupt
Virginia Ill then degenerate. The spirit of hel
greatness will then have flown. The glory oil
Israel will have departed and the strength of H.
on will be gone. The hand ofthe dellverer mus
save us. We regret that Virginia has decreeo
this evil, and though we deplore the result, VT
still hope, Though il may seem to be hope agalns
hope, that the few great men sent to form ou
fundamental law will prove loayen with which
TO leayen the whole lump.