Palladium Of Virginia And The Pacific Monitor

To the counter memorialists who oppose the Petition for the proposed new County.

The citizens within the bounds of the proposed new County, having laboured under many and great inconveniences for a long period of time, thought proper for various reasons to represent their situation by way of petition to the next Legislature of Virginia, for the "establishment of a new County;" which reason and justice entitles them to, the principal objects in view was to remove the difficulties under which they daily laboured encourage the settlement of the country-enlighten its inhabitants by creating greater opportunities of educating the young--encourage the making of good roads--& facilitate the administration of justice according to law; and honour Lafayette by establishing a County to bear his name. Those objects are certainly laudable, liberal, and generous; no intention thereby to injure any person or persons whatever.

But strange it is, that there are always some persons ready and willing to oppose what is right, and advocate what is wrong and ungenerous. A counter petition has been gotten up by some persons. I presume from interested motives alone.

These persons to which I allude must be the ex deputy Sheriffs of this County, who shortly again expect to be the Sheriffs, and have, it is believed, purchased the office for a number of years in advance; and their motive in opposing the proposed new County is that they will lose the terms of office which Mr. Tyree and Mr. C. Anderson will be entitled to which has been purchased by them, to prevent this, they have taken this ungrateful course to the great injury (if they succeed) of a large population; and in making this violent opposition, they scarcely appear in the matter, but have skulked behind the curtain and set their understrappers or servants to work as leaders in the business, who play an active game and appear to be loyal and true to their royal masters. Those active servant leaders it will be recollected are old bachelors--misers--penurious in their course of life, and living in the bounds of the proposed county, willing at all times to confront any expense, no matter how small it is, if to be taken from their pockets--it's like drawing their heart's blood; no matter how laudable the objects in view are, they cannot consent to pay any thing willingly-- nothing has prevented those old bachelors from marrying long previous to this, but the immense expense of obtaining license for that purpose, and they rather defer it with a hope that some act of the legislature would take place that would relieve them from the aforesaid expense, and that some liberal parson might by chance pass their way and perform the marriage ceremony without compensation, else they will always remain bachelors.

For a moment think of the great exertion that was made at Bathannon muster in the Meadows, when the whole strength of their minds and that of their royal masters was called into action--when they got up the counter memorial, without heading--a mere blank (indeed none of them able to head it) telling them that then, was the time to oppose the New County! That if they did not, they would be eternally ruined! A few pence about to be drawn from their pockets for public buildings, would of course be terrifying to old bachelor misers, and strengthen their opposition--the paying of a little money for such purposes, they never could consent to! Terrible! terrible! terrible! Indeed the very mention would make them shudder, flinch, recede, and even faint or catch quick breath like a man plunged into an icy cold river. At this matter they were coming and roving about to and fro, in an awkward, rough, ungracious manner, with loud, noisy grumbling, that no Indian war dances, yellings or whoops equalled.

No rational liberal man would oppose the establishment of the New County under circumstances if they do, that prove they had rather live in a state of savage like ignorance, and secluded from moral society in cabins that a cat could jump through the wall cracks at any point, and prefer travelling a deer path, rather than a good road: or travel like a bear rolling down from the summit of the highest mountains to the bottom.

Now for the future. I think it would be best for those noisy grumbling band of misers and their lordly masters the ex deputy sheriffs, the chief jugglers behind the bush, to abandon their opposition, and to consign their counter petition to the flames, and adopt liberal principles; perhaps they are yet in the reach of public mercy and may be forgiven. If they will not refrain, and still persist in their course, I hope they may for a while be stuffed under the mud sill of old Apollyon's possessions for illiberal principles.

Many who signed the counter petition have since signed the other. Sheriff's influence should never prevail on free people; & their servants should never again be drawn into such a snare--it is an unworthy cause.

JUSTICE.