Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-08-29
A CONVENTION OF ASSENT.

OF the admirable speech delivered BY DAN 4.
D. LUCAS, Esq, at mass meeting at Harper's
Ferry, August 21st, 1871, in favor of Con-
stitutional Convention. Mr.. Lucas discusses
the reasons seriatum for Convention, and
shows that the election which has now taken
place was one of vital importance to all who,
from 4 high sense of duty, took part with
their native State in her last, gallant struggle
to uphold the principles Of our Revolutionary
fOrefathers. After showing the necessity for
\ Convention to equaliEe taxation, properly to
appOrtiOn representation, to secure the inde-
peudeuce of the judiciary, to depose finally,
aud forever liking Registration" and liking
Test Oath"-mOnsters twin, birthed by ReVO.
lutiOn-Mr. Lucas comes to q subject which,
he rightly says, sour politicians and aspirants
for Office either totally ignore, or touch upon
with reluctance and extreme caution" Our
young State has been called the "child of \
pOliticalrape." The stain Ofillegitimacy rests
upon her fair young brow. He thinks there
should be some act of Legitimacy. And why,
we would ask, should there not be! BY the
humane laws of good old Virginia, bastard
is legitimated by the subsequent marriage of
its parents. That marriage, so far as the
bastard is concerned, is given retrospective
action aud he Cor she) is put upon exactly the
same footing with his Cor heT) sisters and
brothers born subsequently according to the
law of God aud man. The State of West
Virginia We suppose is just as much an ac-
cOmplished fact, as the bastard. What is to
be done with her? If there is any ono who
calmly and dispassiOnately considering the
subject-can come to the conclusion that tho
Legislature which gave its consent to the di-
vision of tho State, was tho true Legislature,
surely thirty years hence, when lapse of
time will enable future generations to study,
without bias or prejudice, the history of the
formation of the Federal Government, there
will be few who will entertain 80 wild an
opinion.
After this calm and dispassionate study Of
the formation of our Government, how will
future generations reconcile this violent dis
ruption of the State with the true theory of
the trainers of the Constitution. If the idea
that this Federal Government is the result of
= compact between sovereign parties who sur
rendered only certain designated powers to n
mutual agent for tho advantage Of each prin>
cipal. be the truo theory Gas it undoubtedly
isl then some apologize say the least of it
lis required from this agent to the principal
for the exercise of this excess of power. In
order to render the act Constitutional and
binding it should be ratified by the principal
We think We can see-we arc sorry to say it
many reasons why this State can never be
reunited to Virginia. The bastard having
once come into the world must remain there
until he leaves itin due course of nature but
certainly it would DO n great consolation il,
instead of being fiiWs nliIiWs, he could, with
out . blush, acknowledge his parent aud lay
claim to his glory. We are, therefore, de.
cidedly in favor Of being legitimated. Indeed
il the doctrine that the Federal Government
was made by and for tho States, instead of
rice Uersd, is to become the acknowledged
principle in the administration of the Govern
ment, then there should be some "Couven-
ton of Assent" between our young State and
the Old Mother State if for no other purpose
than to vindicate the right of each State
guaranteed by the Constitution-to give or to
withhold its assent to a partition of its own
territory.
nSr What We have said (soys the Winches.
ter TIn'es) of tho new departure plank in the
resolutions that passed the Ohio democratic
convention by default, aud which in no way
expressed tho convictions of the northern
democrats nor were really intended to pledge
them to the maintenance Of the two latest co.
called Constitutional amendments, is amply
borne out by many published protests from
individual democrats in that and other north.