Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-04-07
THE yv1,iac Is,,sae.

nc bcWispurg SHroncte coH{o1hB the
proceedings Of meeting Of citizens Of
Grecnbricr county, in which they not only
ayow themselves in favour Of tho White
Basis. but declare a preference for divis.
ION Of tho State if that principle Of repre-
sentation should not be recognised ard
adopted in the new Constitution. In Ka-
nawha county too, there has been SINH
lar meeting, and though it did not, in terms,
present the alternative OF ,clite basis or d;s-
solution, it declared that under no circum-
stances would it support or acouicscc in a
Constitution that contains material dcpar-
ture from this cherished Western doctrine.
Indeed all the western counties seem TO be
alive upon this subject, some indicating
much more warmth than others, but none
of them failing to dcprccate the adoption
OF the mixed basis as an odious and unjust
discrimination against the west
Now, we cannot but regard these in
temperate resolves Of Grccnbricr, as well
as those ofkanawha which, we cannot sec,
differ from them at all, in substance, as a
most unfortunate indication of Western i'm
patience. No similar threat has been made
IN the East, and we cannot bring ourself
to the belief that the Great West Of Virgin
ia will ever consent to occupy such dis
advantageous and unpatrio,ic POSITION
~ IN VA II.
principle involved in this proposition. for
thatis needless, the arguments exhausted
and the public mind has pronounced judy
ment; but we do say that the principles
advanced by the meetings referred to, is
downright, unmitigatcd, unadulteratcd Dor
rism, whose presence in this law abiding
state we sincerely deprccatc. The only
way by which the Constitution can be alter.
ed is fixed by the organic law il, elf and
that way has been followed, in the hope
that II would lead TO new and satisfactory
system Of government which would be ac-
ccptablc to all but if one half of those who
are to be governed by it, ny the track and
| "talNe a short cut" to the attainment of their
object, declaring in advance that the Con
stitntion shall be just as they want it, or
they viii not abide b. il or submit to it,
why there is an end az once Of all further
necessity for the Convention. The East
must either rclinqush the West the right
to declare what the law shall be, and pre-
pare to submit to its dictation, or it must
stand by and witness the resolution orthc
state into its original elements, and quietly
allow chaos and anarchy to usrrp the
place of order and law This IL the alter
native which the meetings referred to pre-
sent, andu dreadful one it is. Now are our
Western brethren prepared for such rash
EXTREMIST To crafty mere political sen
umcnt for we do not understand them "a
complaining oiopprcssion tyranny would
they see ''thc glorious old mother Of rs all,
topple to pieces, and the fragments thrown
into unutterable confusion and disrnayl
What would become of us, or "wherc
should we goa' We couldn't go out of
the Union well, and yet NC couldn't stay
in ut. The Free Soilers would hardly take
in Western Virginia as State, unless
Western Virginia declared for Free Soil
too! And will it do ihntl We cannot
think so and lift did, the South might
have something to say against it. The
truth is, the meetings referred to, cannot
have deliberately weighed the consequent
ccs ofthcir alternative; they cannot havo
seen the difficulties to which their course
leads, and we hope they will rctracc the
steps to ruin, which they have already la
ken.
We respect their sentiments and make
due allowances for their prcjudiccs but
1t must be remembered the East has rights
too; and instead of forncnting discord be-
tween the two sections, and intoxicating the
doctrine that there is an antagonism Of in
tcrcsts wholly irrcconcilablc and incom-
paliblc in its nature, let US all cultivate a
spirit ofconciliaion and harmony, by mnk
ing as liberal concessions on both sides, as
we can consistently with right.