Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/181

Rh were at firſt choſen anew for every particular ſeſſion. But in March 1775 they recommended to the people to chooſe a convention, which ſhould continue in office a year. This was done accordingly in April 1775, and in the July following that convention paſſed an ordinance for the election of delegates in the month of April annually. It is well known, that in July 1775, a ſeparation from Great-Britain and eſtabliſhment of republican government had never yet entered into any perſon's mind. A convention therefore choſen under that ordinance, cannot be ſaid to have been choſen for the purpoſes which certainly did not exiſt in the minds of thoſe who paſſed it. Under this ordinance, at the annual election in April 1776, a convention for the year was choſen. Independence, and the eſtabliſhment of a new form of government, were not even yet the objects of the people at large. One extract from the pamphlet called Common Senſe had appeared in the Virginia papers in February, and copies of the pamphlet itſelf had got into a few hands. But the idea had not been opened to the maſs of the people in April, much leſs can it be ſaid that they had made up their minds in its favor. So that the electors of April 1776, no more than the legiſlators of July 1775, not thinking of independence and a permanent republic, could not mean to veſt in theſe delegates powers of eſtabliſhing them, or any authorities other than thoſe of the ordinary legiſlatu r e. So far as a temporary organization of government was neceſſary to render our oppoſition energetic, ſo far their organization was valid. But they received in their creation no powers but what were given to every legiſlature before and ſince. They