Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-08-19

been already purchased with the blood Of oul
common ancestry and from them handet
! down to us as the richest heritage that could
pass from sire to son. submit, sir, that
remarks ike these arc iu.ollcrable. and not
to be borne by men, who have even the small
lest share of self-respeet-wh are worthy
the name Of tirginians.
No one Tho has been an attentive listener
to the protracted debate in which VIC arc
sIl, engaged, can have failed to remark the
scnsc Of superiority SO frequently eyinced BY
opponents from the East side Of the noun
tains. This is greatly to be regretted Ii
BODIES no good The West can never APP
pear as suppliapts for equal political rights
elf-respcct requires tibet their language
should be that of respectful demand VIC
say to our Eastern friends, that while We dep
rocate all idea Of ACKNOWLEDGMENT of this no
Die old State, yet the contest shall never
cease. 1t is vain to reproach the West as
clamoteg externally for the purse strings Of
4 the East. Such is not the case. This beau
tiful process of iog-rolling that has grown up
under the auspices of the Eastern majority,
gives them now every thing they ask, and q
great deal more than they ought to have
Such a rcproach at all events is wholly map
plicaile to the people whom have the honor
in part 70 represent. They at least are re-
| plel,ishefs, not exhausters Of the public
treasury. But, sir, it is not question of in
tcrest, but one Of principle whether justly
so or tlerwise, certain it is the West re-
nards as an iusuls. this partial disfrancbise-
/ inctt Of them o., account of their poverty,
! and 10 e,o II Il . IL.
/ brethren and lie hns studied human nature
to little purpose, who has not learned that
me- universally. viii resent to far greater ex
.:emcs personal insult, or attempt to hu-
/ initiate bin. than mere pecuniary wrong
! Looking alone to the constitution Of human
nature, the latter may sometimes be forgiven,
the former never
The question then arises, even if We sup
pose that the West is wholly mistaken in re-
garding this mixed basis scheme Of represen
| tation as humiliating to them, is it not better
to defer so far to what may be deemed their
mistaken notions and prejudices as to come
forward in the spirit of Cancellation and con-
cesson and attempt to devise some rcasona-
BILE and fair compromise of this yexatious and
dangerous question? am aware how great
y even to this extent our Eastern friends are
embarrassed by their unfortunate way bills
and pledges Yet to say nothing of the self
sacrificing spirit, which the present exigency
demands, plan has been suggested which
will at once do justice and in my judgement,
prove satisfactory to any reasonable constit-
uency in the Commonwealth allude to the |
proposition for submitting to the qualified vo
tiers both plans of basing the representation
in the legislature. The mixed basis on the
enc hand as it may be perfected by its friends,
and on the ether land the suffrage basis as
it has been reported.
Who that believes Ia the fundamental prin
eiple Of our government, that all power re-
sides in the people and flows from them
that whenever form of government fails to
answer the purpose fer which it was formed
"a majority Of the community hath an iudu
5itable, unalienable aud indefeasible right to
reform, alter, or abolish it; who in word,
that recognizes the great principle of popular
sovereignty which constitutes the corner
stone Of our whole system, and distinguishes
it so gloriously from every other government
on earth will hesitate to submit this great
and exciting question to our masters, the SOW
ereign people themselves? Who that calls
himself democrat, will hesitate upon such
an issue as this Has any one of our East
ern friends pledged himself against such
proposition as this? | apprehend nome
ct it is resisted, and upon what ground p
Because as gcntlement alledge it is well
known a large majority of the good people of
the Commonwealth are prepared to cast their
votes in favor Of the free and equal suffrage
basis And what is ;!iis but distinct ac-
acknowledgement Of the anti -ropublican and
revolving doctrine that the minority having
gotten the governmental power in their hands,
no matter whether by fair or unfair means,
whether by chance or otherwise, are deter
mined under the pretence of protecting prop
erty, to rule and govern the majority in all
time to come?
You say the mixed basis embodcs the
true republican principle. We on the other
hand contend that it is anti republican, and
aristocratic, and moreover distasteful and alb
solutely odious to a large majority of the true
community the people. The issue being
then joined between us, who so proper to be-
come the arbiters in this great controversy
as our common masters the people?
My friend from the County of Loudoun
(Nlr- Janney) in answer to these appeals, as
sumcs the singular postion--and in this he
is backed by the gentleman from Richmond
citv, (Alr. Stannard that this course con-
not properly be pursued, because the people
sent us here to prepare and propose to them
a Constitution, and not two Constitutions
Here, then, plan of proceedings founded
upon great republican principle, and de-
signed to restore harmony and good feeling
amorg an excited and angry people, is to be
determined by technical regard to the sup
posed difference between singular and plural
The rules Of grammer, in the estimation of
our intelligent and astute friends, ought to
override the spirit Of the Bill of Rigbts-and
that too, when this body has no power to
decree or enact anything, its only function
being TO recommend to the people plan of
government Tor their adoption or rejection
But, sir, | deny that the plan we propose in
volycs the supposed departure from the COM
mission given as By our constituents. 1t is
incorrect 10 say that We propose to submit to
them two Constitutions. There will be but
a single Constitution presented, with an al
tcreatc proposition rs 10 one, aud one only of