Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-30
RIG III Nj OND, VA
Tuesday Morning, April 9Oth, 1850.
REPUBLICAN "REMINISCENCES.

the public meeting on Friday night last, have ex-
cited some remark, as being peculiarly "strong' in
their declarations of the rights and determination
of the people ofthe Southern States. Concurring
entirely in these declarations, we propose to show,
by some very interesting "reminiscences, drawn
from the history of the proceedings of the Virginia
Convention, which ratified the Federal Constitu-
tion that they are but repetition of the principles
which were held by all the republican statesmen
of that remarkable body of men.
Judge RoBERTsoNs third resolution is in these
words
g. RESOLVED, That violation ofthe fundamental ar
cles OF the Union by other States or by Congress
titles the people of any State whose injury or oppres-
sion the powers granted to the General Government
may be perverted in resumng the powers so granted
The plain import of this resolution is to pro-
pound the doctrine, upon which our ancestors
fought the revolutionary war; that every people
has the natural right to resist an oppressive gov
eminent; and surely, it is only in modern days OF
political degeneracy, that men pretending to be re-
pubicans could be found to deny the proposition.
The language of the resolution is happily adopted
from the preamble to the act of ratification, by
which Virginia entered into the Federal compact
and is, therefore, decaraory of the understanding
with which she gave her assent to the Union
This will be seen in the following narrative, for
which our authority is David Robertson's Report
of the debates and other Proceedings Of the Con-
vention of Virgi mia" book which ought to be
Reprinted and made familiar to every young man
of the Commonwealth.
The Convention met at Richmond, on Monday.
the I'd day of June, 1888, and its sessions con-
tinued until Friday, the 9th of the same
month Its manner of proceeding was to cons-
der and discuss the proposed federal constitution.
article by article, in committee of the whole
There was strong party in the Convention, o.
posed to the adoption of the constitution. 1t was
led chiefly by Patrick Henry and George Mason.
The leading men of the party for the ratification
were Mr.. Madison, Judge Pendleton, Mr.. Nicho-
las, Judge Marshall, and Mr. Wythe.
In the progress of the discussions the great is
sue between these parties came to be- whether
certain amendments to the constitution should be
proposed as the condition of ratification or whe-
Their the constitution should be first ratified and the
amendments be recommended for adoption in the
mode which it prescribed.
On Wednesday, the 25th of June, 1885, after
Hon. EDMUND PENDLEToN. President of the Con-
vention resumed the chair, and Mr.. Mathews re-
ported that the committee, havingha the proposed
constitution under consideration, had come to the
following resolutions thereupon:
Whereas the powers granted under the proposed
constitution are the gilt OF the people, and every power
not granted thereby remains with them, and at their
will No right therefore of any denomination can be
cancelled, abridged restrained OF modified by the Con-
gfess, by the Senate or House OF Representatives acting
in any capacity, by the President, any department
or officer OF the United States, except those instances
In which power IS given by the constitution for those
purposes And amuug other essential rights liberty of
conscience and Of the press cannot be cancelled
abridged restrained or modked by any authority OF the
United States:
And achereaS any impertectons which may exist in
the SAID constitution ought rather to be examined the
mode prescribed therein for obtaining amendments
than by delay with hope of obtaining previous
amendments, 10 bring the Union into danger:
heS0I1ed, That It's the opinion OF the committee
that the SAID constitution be ratified
But order to relieve the apprehensions OF those who
may be sollcltous tor amendments,
ReS0LUed, That it is the opinion of the committee
mat whatsoever amendments may be deemed necessary
be recommended to the consideration of the Congress-
which shall lrst assemble under the said constitution to
De acted upon according to the mode prescribed in the
NTH article thereof.
The question being on the first resolution, a
motion was made (Robertson's report does not
state by whom, but we presume it was Mr.. Henry
to substitute in lieu of it the following:
Resolred, That previous to the ratification of the new
constitution OF government recommended by the late te-
deral convention declaration OF rights asserting and
securing from encroachment the great PRINCIPLES ofcv
aud religious liberty, and the unaenabe rights of the
people, together with amendments to the most excep-
uonaoie parts OF the SAID constitution of government
ought TO be referred by this convention TO the other
States IN the American Confederacy for their consde-
ration
The substitute was rejected, ayes 80, noes 49,
Amongst the ayes, we observe the names of Will
liam Cabell, Henry Lee (of Bourbon,) BENJAMIN
Harrison, John Tyler, Trench Strother, Will
liam Watkins, Isaac Coles, George Darlington,
Stephens Thompson Mason, Patrick Henry, The
odorick Bland, Edmund Rufin, William Grayson
James Monroe and George Mason. Amongst the
noes, were the Hon. Edmund Pendleton, Presi-
sldent' George Nicholas, Wilson Nicholas, Arcbi-
bald Stuart, James Taylor (of Caroline,) Paul
Darlington, Humphrey Marshall, His Excellencv
Governor Randolph, John Marshall Robert Brock
enndge, James Taylor (of Norfolk,) James Ma
olson, Henry Lee (of Westmoreland1 Bushrod
Washington, John Blair, George Wythe, and
James lines.
The main question was then taken on the adop-
ton of the resolution, declaring that the consti-
tuition be ratified, and sit was resolved in the af-
firmative, ayes SO, noes 1872 The division was
the same with that on the substitute, the ayes and
noes being reversed, save that Mr.. David Patteson
voted for the substitute, and then voted for the
ratification after the substitute was rejected.
The second resolution Concerning amend
ments) after being amended by striking out the
preamble ('But in order to relieve" &c., was
adopted, without a division, and, we presume,
unanimously.
1t was then, on motion,
Ordered, That committee be appointed to prepare
aud report form of ratification pursuant to the first re-
solution and that his Excellency Governor RANpoI Pr
Mr., NICHOLAS, Mr., MADISON, Mr.. MARSHALL and Mr.
CoRBIN, compose the said committee