Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/188

174 their repreſentatives, while yet they have honeſt repreſentatives, will adviſe them to ſay, that they will not acknowledge as laws any acts not conſidered and aſſented to by the major part of their delegates.

In enumerating the defects of the conſtitution, it would be wrong to count among them what is only the error of particular perſons. In December 1776, our circumſtances being much diſtreſſed, it was propoſed in the houſe of delegates to create a dictator, inveſted with every power legiſlative, executive and judiciary, civil and military, of life and of death, over our perſons and over our properties: and in June 1781, again under calamity, the ſame propoſition was repeated, and wanted a few votes only of being paſſed.—One who entered into this conteſt from a pure love of liberty, and a ſenſe of injured rights, who determined to make every ſacrifice and to meet every danger, for the re-eſtabliſhment of thoſe rights on a firm baſis, who did not mean to expend his blood and ſubſtance for the wretched purpoſe of changing this maſter for that, but to place the powers of governing him in a plurality of hands of his own choice, ſo that the corrupt will of no one man might in future oppreſs him, muſt ſtand confounded and diſmayed when he is told, that a conſiderable portion of that plurality had meditated the ſurrender of them into a ſingle hand, and, in lieu of a limited monarchy, to deliver him over to a deſpotic one! How muſt we find his efforts and ſacrifices abuſed and baffled, if he may ſtill by a ſingle vote be laid proſtrate at the feet of one man? In God's name from whence have they derived this power? Is it from our ancient laws? None