Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-06-02
The Basis Question in this Dis
triCt.

The Basis Question in this DIS
trict.
The people in this District arc at leng,l
becoming thoroughly aroused ,ifnot intense
ly excited, on the all absorbing question O
"the 6asis." 1t will be seen from to-day
paper that, meeting was held at Bedfor,
Court on Tuesday last, and that commits
sioners were appointed throughout tn
county to procure written instructions from
the voters to their representatives, TO @,
against the "compromise" report of Ia
Committee Of Eight, and to sustain I'd
Mtrcd Basis. A meeting on this subied
Is called for Lynchburg to night, and Al
other for Campbell county, at the Cou
House, tomorrow; and we presume thcs
will be followed up throughout the count
by neighbourhood meetings or by an ad
tive circulation of instructions" for signI
lures. This probably would be the saf
plan for getting the sense of the vot> !s.-
That the District is overwhelmingly !
tached to the "Mixed Basis" and will I.
cept flat only, we have never cntcrtainl
the shadow of doubt; and, if anythg
like a fair expression of a majority of,e
voters can be had, that they will so instict
their delegates, we are equally certai-
And the same may be said Of the Albenrlc
District which Mr.. JEFF. Randolph h, so
cruelty misrepresentcd. Indeed he h; al
ready been instructed to that effect, al. he
has intimated willingness to obey lose
instructions by moving Reconstruction
OF the vote adopting the "compromis" or
surrender Of the East, on 1Ith June. Col.
Wingfeld, in his speech at Bedfor, sig
nified his willingness, likewise, to oey in
structons, If he could have any asirance
they were given by majority of he vo-
tiers Of the District, and we presumAIessrs
Arthur and Saunders will also bo to the
will Of their constituents. SO tit for a
week to come there is likely to b consid-
cradle excitement among the pcple of the
two counties, but we trust no npleasant
feeling, growing out Of personl attach
ment to the gentlemen whom its the OBJ
ject of a dissatisfied constituency instruct
1t Is clearly the right ofthe continents to
instruct their representatives, eoecially or
question involving such immnse conse.
quences to them and it is otiously, we
think, the duty ofthe Representative to obey
those instructions, not mcchanally, stub
bornly, or in the manner of anautomaton
that moves according to given ules, or af-
ter prescribed formula, but lilly, faith
fully, cordially, and in such pirit as to
reflect the will of his people. promise
to obey instructions in any cher spirit
than this is valucless, as it is impossible
for the people, in giving thcrn,t to antici-
pate the different phases the question may
assume, or the collateral issues springing
from it. We hope therefore iht, willis,
instructions may be ivonin goodfaith, they
will be SO obeycd.
With this number of the paper, our rea.
ders in the counties of Campbell nd Bed
ford will receive the address Of Co. Wing
field to his constituents, explaining his
course on the basis question. Whilst he
has entirely failed to convince us, ether Of
the necessity Of a compromise in tic first
place, or of the wisdom and policyof his
course in seeking to effect it, yet it IS due
to him, to the magnitude ofthe subject, and
to his constituents, to bespeak, as wenow
invoke, their calm and dispassionate con-
sideration Of the views and motives h. has
presented, as his reasons for adopting the
report of the Committee of Eight.
1t will be seen that Col. Wingfdd's
fears had been excited that, if the "unniti-
gated mixed basis" had been imposed ID
on the West, the members from that SEC
ton would have Withdrawn from the Cu-
vention, and the West itself probably from
the East In these fears, we confess, we
have seen no cause to participate, but on
the contrary, abundant reason to rejec.
them, not only as idle and ill-founded in
themselves, but as positively unjust to the
patriotism Of our Western brethren. VIVA,
greater grievance would the West sustain
from the rc-adoption Of the mixed basis
than it already cndurcs And if its i'm.
patience under existing restraints has not
been so great as to lead to a remuneration
OF the present government, why have we
reason to fear worse result in the future
Now let it be remembered that, according
to Col. Wing6eld's argument-which,
by thcway, Is not susceptible Of satisfac-
Il