Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-04-20

4 chequered by trumphs and reverses. And II
each party shall. when IN power. aim To op.
pres the other by depsising its followers of
ihoir just rights. what Is our boosted govern
mentl what are our Wanted libertiesl what
the advantages we enjoyi bat The pleasure of
depressing our brethren when we happen To
be waited before the popular breeze, or the
privilege OF being oppressed by them when
they happen 10 be IN ASCENDANT Sir, both
parties are equally interested in maintaining
the just rights of each; for no people and no
party ever preserved its liberties whilst engag-
ed IN treading down and violating the rights
and the Liberties of others. The day of resc
ton and of retrbution will inevitably come, to
stay the onward march Of injustice and az
erosion. The party oppressed will make re-
prsals and indulge in similar excuses. u.nli2
the government becomes a most odous .des
potlsm, by whatever name 1t may be Gu lied
and whichever patty may be in power.
| presume, sir it will not he denied, that lf,e
scheme under consideration is a gerryTa der
that Is, thai II Is designed To give as n any
Congressional Districts TO the Democrats, and
as few 10 the Wings as possible; aud that the
arrangement IS made without any regard Tor
and in perfect contempt of the voice fthe
| Wing party. well OF portion of the | be-
mocrats. The dominant party have beef re-
qured by their presses to make such an ar.
rangement: and party caucuses have b cen
held over and over again, TO effect the OF ect
Notwithstanding the opposition of re 81 pee
table minority of the Democrats in the .,gis
ature the deed will doubtless be done an this
Legislature will stand forth in the histo ry of
the State as the first that openly proclt Il med
gerrynandering to be legitimate mo 1e Of
party warfare.
| Heretofore the party contests Of Vi RUN
bave been waged to some extent upon rinci-
| pie, and fairness in tho arrangement and di strl
button OF political power has had at least ome
influence IN directing the action OF our S tate
Legislature. IL is true that the bill OF the ses-
SION az and d3' was, in N.Y. opinion, NOT pre-
clsely just and equal, but it certainly had some
regard, at least, to tho rights the NH 'rity;
ind those who were then occupying our places
here did not openly avow. but. on the contra
ry, expressly dsclaimed and denied all inien
zion Of deprlving the Wings of their is infu
ence in tho Congressional representa- tion.-
They at least shrink from the open av.oyaI
a gerrymander, and doubtless many of them
thought the apportionment fair and just one
In the same year (42. and '430 the Der nocrat,
obtained a majority in the Legslstu res
North Carolina and Ohio, and in dist ric,ing
those States, which were generally Wing. they
gave IN North Carolina, three to the w bigs.
and SIX TO the Democrats; whilst in Ohio
en- OF the Districts were Wing and fou rteer
| Democratic. AT the Presidential election o,
lS44, tie neIt year, Henry Clay carried No nth
Carolina 10y majority of 1000. and Ohio by
6000 yet he only carried three districts in the
former State and seven in the latter. In tn csc
two Instances, we observe practical exam plo
which demonstrates that the practice of cry
Wandering can be- and has been so far abused
by the Democratic party, as to give the lnor-
ity two-thlrds of the representation. Is there
a member here who will say that a system
which leads to such results is right or republi-
can, or truly Democratic, according TO tho
common sense, though not the party meaning
Of the word Democreticl Can there be a more
crying evil, than that the party which happens
to have the ascendancy in the Legislature at
the session when an superintendent is to be
made, shall lay off districts for ten years-not
with the view to public conveniences or pol
icy, nor with regard TO the rights or polica al
opinions OF the minority or majority of the
people, but with reference sngly to the self,h
, and party ends of a ma ority of the members
of the Legislature-whether that majority
SHALL in its political complexion, represent the
State or not3 | have given two examples of
betuoCTdtIC ndDlt IN tniS respect IN ~ and '43
NOT because they were the only but because
f they were the most striking examples that pre-,
scented themselves to my mino. In each of
. those States the Wings soon came into power,
. and after violent commotion, re.dstrcted the.
} to the satisfaction of both parties | trust it
may be so here; and for one proclaim, that
1t ever have any voice in the decision of the
{ question II shall be raised in favor Of repeal
OF this bill, should it become the law of the
land.
t The Democratic Legislatures, however, of
Ohio, North Carolina, and Vire inia, in 1912
and '45'had far more latitude ofconduct touch
ing the subject ofgerry'nanders, than this Leg
isature now enjoys. They were not forbid.
| den by any constitutional mandate from pursu.
!, ing that path Of Legislation, whilst the plain
obvious requirements Of our anne nded Consi.
tuition proclaim. in the most iunm istakeable Ian.
, guage, to us and to those who may succeedus,
that we shall not gerrymander