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


Sooner or later, must in this conform the Con
S;ituun I" The preamble, tl declaration Ia tie witt lbe
raj constitutional principles have been obsfieiions long
enough. Preanb,> very pretty places Tor tc 'Npr,a
s!l =" c'hi'ce in lnc people hut tc sections ana articles
ot e Constitution should not lc destitute o lliic :" that
confidence which our Constitution makers pretend Ia bel ior
ichi Under thc c&hub,raut foliage al The ieanl' va
should vastly Ike t" lind small proportion ot n""sln
fruit.
We must introduce til. suggested by Thomas JET
rson seventy ago. II universally conceded that he
understood iic wants, the wishes and The caalty u III
people Tor self government ben, oi his and
every day sccnIs 10 make the truth apparent.
our readers charge with rIdcisin and issEt that
We roiuS" Ia carry constitutional reforms TOO iar. We
answer that We do not want Ia 20 farther than The anioy
"i Thomas Jefferson will authorize in going Why it
that cach !ar oi our existence adds grateful tribute 10 the
memory al the great relomer Why does the people
renee his name beyond that of any OF his time, not
ccpDg Washington! Hi. name upon basis rnIn-
ring as time Yet there little his 10 attract
ihr app muse and admiration al the thoughti>s wo-llpr-
o military ren"wn Their" fell from his lips no words ul
burning eoucncc suc hos, which Henry uttered No,
hs greatness his popularity, his cntcna fame, his
Htm by The MASSES al proceed rom the influence oi the
lmuiahlc eternal truths written by him in vindirllon ot
constitutional liberty and reform.
When denounced Tor opposition 10 the old onsiiiu
lion "t 6 and lhat abortion Of 1890 recucc with
ietaarc thai I" the rst Thomas Jefferson was constantly
opposed and IL has been said that the enemies = reform
postponed The last Convention until after his death il:
very purpose o avoiding his influence in behalf of lir people.
A. early ISL it is evident from his writings that ho
took grounds against the Constitution Of li6-dcnouncng
III unnrasured terms thusc arisocratic features which
carefully defended and preserved by the members Vi the
Convention oi 1870.
1t the $nsc o Monticello who raised that magic cry
Of "ltsorn which is ringing through The State from
the Chesapeake the Ohio. The advocates Ul reform have
been Sicd msrepresenc and abused by the admirers and
friends Of many constitutional abomnaons But 10 the
i.a mlndrd the honest the contentious reorncr, the
name o JieIsun has always been tower oi strength His
lie perpetual struggle in this State, wei
wide sphere action for what he considered 10 he tile rights
II tie people In moving steadily Tor the accomplish
mcnt nt tie measures "i REFORM which shall hereafter
fully advocate he permitted docai Ia lntnldaic
him. With the sturdy Tcuonc pluck of old Cromwell thu
philosophy ol ;entllam and the purity "f Wushinston he
struggled against what ho called ",hc abuses Of colonial
times, in every form and shape The friends VI ostab-
-hrd church and Of the right Of pmogcniture fought as
hard against him, we'll the friends of restricted suffrage
aud irresponsible magsiracy fought against the reoricrs o
tiic present day.
IL person witt, eye The u!crous there is nothing
rtsistihy comic than The perfect gravity with which
constantly in the habit al telling ne hbnrs, that
W. have in Virginia, in almost the concentrated
strength of the principles of honls Jefferson. Now this
boast lar Constitution is concerned IS one oi The
!est icons in the wordnn absurdity, shame perfect
rnbig false allegation of the very badcs; character
This declaration will doubtless bc startling very many
respectable old gentlemen who, not having troubled tcl!
trains particularly about CONSTITUTIONS have lived tor
Ity Yeas under the impression that Jefferson wrote not
unly the Declaration Of independence, but the Cnnstu-
ton itself Hut when Ia give tietn Jciersons
language about county courts thu lite tenure :" Judges
iiir right o suffrage, S. view ol the mistakes ol
lifetime will BE- opened 10 their spcciaced vision Wen
Virginia. have some how or the other coninnnde 'c votes
Jefferson with his constitutional principles the fs' We nave
ia olr midst but The last have tkcn much deeper root III
Iowa and Texas, than in The Od Dominion Like many o
best citizens, they have gone West leaving us t"h-
sutionn rednn al very pleasant character sillciihs
horribly Of the impurities al Colonial times Instead oi
putting hi, theory ri government IN practice we nave been
aon;cnie with hostns his preamble rs is, over large
cargo of cxccptiouhhc constitutional rcsofat"ns-
lc people o virginia. blush say, have been the very
last 10 incorporate into Tie Constitution ol 'e state Tue
views and principles III her greatest statesman
New States, the creatures o Yesterday, carved OUT ~ ih
wild territories n the South and Wcs sparsrly pcolrd WIN
unsettled and often awleSs Adventures have trusted ie
miscellaneous rabble country win great c"hstitu-
;ivnal privileges which afraid Ia give 10 ic
rtus conservative an intelligent citizens oi the o Do
uniun And with all their disadvantages arising from tc
unsettled habits oi the people the new states nave nor SUI
,rcd from their confidence III the people lct us uc Io
longer lag behind sister States Let " give la The peo
ul tlal control which thrv should have irr agents
rt MS by exciting his ambition ami prie MAKE every GU
x interested III The bnut box in the prosperity o IN. Sale
The idea o Amending the present Constitution Should pc
.co;cd Pull down, scatter ht fragments o III" patc
rl Old thing the winds and give the people new anu
good Constitution Ihe Constitution IN lis PLAIN c'ncep
lion and structure, regard as radically detective u Is
destitute ot hearty usefulness and straightforward "hsF
II ii is redeemed in il. general ugnesS by any tins
by The clopus preamble a" Thomas Jefferson, which
contains The eternal clements of truth and justice
Let people 20 for thorough and Democratic reoru
We do not use the word democratic in its narrow party
sense but in lis bronest and most liberal eanns-so hh
mcn of all parties can rally tho cry OF Domucratlc re-
form
l. Alteration in The official tenure of nnr Judges.
=. Extension of the right of Suffrage.
T. Election of agistralrs and other otlcors oy Tie pee"
T. Limitations and upon chartered corporations.
ir the protection OF the property and rights q" the private
citizen.
). Requiring all appropriations o money ior purposes
internal improvement 10 rscre the direct sanction o INC
people.
6 The Introduction into The constitution Of clause
Guarding against the burden Of unnecessary pubic nIo