Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-02
The Men who are Better than Others.

The Men who are Bet,er than Others.
In a sketch OF The Conventions proceedings
or Friday, occurs the f~ollowirs-the bill lot
district;ng the State being under consldcTa-
ton:
Mr.. Norris proposed an amendment 70 the
ordinance reported by.the COMMITTEE, W ~
i. to The discretion OF the General Assembly
to allec the apportionucnt hereafter. NJ.
This was op,osed by MIR. JOHNSON, OF Nich'
mon6. who dccned. it highly ineHped'ent 10
leave il to The discretion OF the Legislature TO
rc.rymandcr the State whenever II chooses.
Tie amendment was rejected.
We think the general judgment will be that
Mr.. johnson, in the above, assumed quito as
much Of superiority for the body Of which be
is a member, as either strict truth o: delicate
lpodestr would allow. 1t would be very de-
lishtful indeed, if the people Of Virginia could
suppose that, in M.. Johnson and his asSo-
cia:es, they had succeeded in converting c buoy
of citizens exempt from the inE7mi:ies and
prcofagainst the temptations that fail 10 the lot OF
ordinary men. Mr.. Johnson's argument seems
to imply this. The two hundred and more Of
Legislators, who have been chosen by the peo-
pie, cannot be trusted to do their own leglti-
mate duty Of districting the State; and a ma
lority Of the eighty or ninety metnotrs hat
are attending the Convention, must, therefore,
not only assume 10 do it for them, but must,
in virtues name, forbid the Legislature even
afterwards to look into tie work. 1t must not
be LETT 70 their discretion 10 gerrytnandcr the
State, we arc told.
Inc unkcsitating assumption By NJ. John.
son, of absolute infallibility, or, a: least, OF
sublime superiority, for himself and associates,
will stand upon the record as an extreme spec
linen of 4 delightful selfconplsisancc, that
mus. make 4 maa happy, If it does not prove
him rise. Either this, O: it will be regarded
bv the world as an attempt to tcrtly :rd
secure an improper advantage, by charging
upon others the very motives an1 aims which
have governed the acc.ser. This, if neither
shrcHd nor sincere, is, st least, audscious;
and It is something to be aud.c!cuS. ie is not
eTe.y one who can, with q perfectly D1lI face,
SEX immunity for himself BY charging his
fault on others.
1t is very certain that the people, ;a looking
into the proceedings Of the Convention, "ail to
see the proofs Of that shining disiRteTeS:2dnes
which Mr.. johnson claims but mary ?rcni-
ue.,s instances to the contrary. They neither
see it nor believe it. 1t is very certain that
this very act Of apportionncat which, contra
~ 10 all right and pltcet.ui't. Mr.. JOHNSON and
the Convention would eNa;t from an ordinary
act of legislation into a Fundamental law Of the
Commonwealth, will not Be regarded as proof
OF it. Nay, the arrangement OF the isic:.sa"Ed
District, itself, in which Mr.. johnson lives, aud
the attempted OF accomplished arrangement o
o.acr districts, which might he Ea.ned, look
very much as il "gcrrylnander" had been in
voked, at least to the extent OF le:riag the for,
tunes Of several aspiring Individuals. TIC Com
mit,>,cn Appcr:;on-cn t could, doubtless, she'd
rluch light on the subject, il they wcCid tell
al! :hey ,:How, and oil that gentlemen did and
attempted in the way Of taking rery good care
ofthemselccs and each ether. The hands Of
the people, End The discretion oftheir agents,
arc to be tied % no such "iain,iJ arrange.
laoat." with whatever saDctiiy it may be at
tempted to invest it. Mr.. johnson must try
again.