Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-05-06

half million of the free white inhabitants of
this commonwealth 1t is too late sir it
! cannot now be done
hen, sir, what was the result of the Sc
cond great contest upon this question 1t is
( well known that the Convention of 1890
| ~, was so organized as to give to the East,
IN that body, majority Of twenty -four
members. And yet upon the first trial of
| strength it was ascertained that the white
basis principle was In the asceudency.-
But that majority was eventually rendered
| powerlcss, not by producing change or con-
yicticn upon The minds OF the delegates.
bit by passionate and infammatory APP
| peais TO the constituent body. For weeks
the lofty aud impetuous passions of Leigh
! the si,s.ic reasoning Of Upshur, and the
electric eloquence Of Randolph. were in
requisition to couture up phantoms of a.
lafni, and to agitate the. masses in the
East with unfouDded apprehensious of dan
| ger to their interests. The system Of in
struetions was restored to and under its
| operations General Taylor, delegate from
the Norfolk district, yielded his seat; and
I the delegation from some of the Piedmont
districts became paralyzed in its action
Weeks passed over in considering propo-
sitions of compromise with every prospect
at times of DO other result but one fatal to
the integrity of the commonwealth. 1t
| was under these circumstances that Gen.
Gordon Of Albemarle, on the 18th Of De-
| cember, 1929, sustained his proposition
for the apportionment of representation,
which proposition with slight alterations
not affecting the principle upon which it
was based, was adopted by vote of fifty
to forty five, and became incorporated into
the constitution.
| Now, let US learn from General Gordon.
the author and proposer of the compromise,
the grounds upon which he placed it, and
upon which he asked Ger it the sanction of
that body.
This proposition is the result Of an es-
innate OF the lrhite population Of 1920
tue Gully authentic document of population
In our power One great objection ] al
ways had to bringing tie federal number,
! or mixed basis uncr discussion, was an an
ticipation of the heat and unbappiness it
would engender, and strong objection to
fixing it in the constitution, was that it
would be an element of faction, seed
discord fatal to the permanence of the
constitution. Sir, no constitution you can
form, situated as Virginia is, can endure
with such provision. We ought to meet
on this middle ground of the census Of
1920 although the West sets up high
or claim"
Mr. Leigh, following in the debate, OBJ
jected to Gen, Gordon's proposition:
1.-The gentleman from .Albemarle assigns
to the West very nearly the exact proper
ton to which it would be entitled on the
I principles of the white basis, according to
the census of 1920 probably not varying,
as to the number of representation, more
than unit in either of the four divisions
of the commonwealth. New this was his
principal objection to that arrangement.
And yet, submitted as this proposition
was, avowedly upon the ground that it was
based upon the last authentic census of
white population--opposed by Mr.. Leigh,
because it recognized that principle of the
white population--t nevertheless ultimate
ly received the sanction of every delegate
from Eastern Virginia, and became incor-
porated into our existing constitution.
If it recognized the principle of white
population. why did not the West vote for
its adoption? Simply because it madeno
provision tor the future apportonment of
representation upon the same principle
1t made no provision to adapt the repre-
sentation to the rapidly growing and in
creasing population of the West. 1t tied
the Yves. in permanent subsection to the
East, so long as that constitution lasted
The white basis, as aprinciplc of govern
ment, had nothing in it Objectionable to
Eastern statesmen, so long as its opera
ton was to leave power East Of the Ridge.
The principle only became vicious when it
transferred the sceptre of power from East
to West.
Sir, it is impossible for any man to read,
with attention. the proceedings of the Con-
vention of 1S29-'30, and more especially
those which led to the existing apportion-
ment of representation, without reaching
the conclusion that those distinguished adj
vocates of the mixed basis looked upon
that, as the last struggle that could ever
be successfully made in this Common
wealth for the retention of power East of
the Ridge, They were content, then, to
take their last lease of power, upon the
principle Of white populations majority
of which was East of the mouutain--and
retain that power SO long as they could
preserve the existing constitution. The
idea that in any future convention ever to
assemble in Virginia--when large major
ity Of the white population of the State
would be found West of the Blue Ridge
monntains-that any effort would be seri-
ously made to overthrow this great princi
pie of popular government, imagine, new
er occurred to the most sanguine Of them.
They were content to rest their power up
on the principle Of white population---re-
jccting all plans for future superintendent,
and trusting to all the difficulties and de-
lays whict might thereafter thwart the call
Of another convention Of the people. And
to secure the adoption of this renewed lease
of power, in the expected struggle between
East and West, they admitted to the right
| of voting unon its adoption those who had