Further evidence that the Founding Generation thought warrantless searches were
inherently unreasonable, oppressive, and contrary to liberty can be found in
the 1776 Virginia Bill of Rights and in Virginia's proposed amendments to the
Constitution of 1787. These documents speak for themselves in the face of
the current "conservative" legal sophists who are trying to destroy
our legacy of liberty.
"That general warrants, whereby any officer or messenger may be commanded
to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize
any person or persons not named, or whose offence is not particularly described
and supported by evidence, are grievous and oppressive, and ought not to be
granted." -- Virginia Bill of Rights,
June 12, 1776
"Fourteenth, That every freeman has a right to be secure from all
unreasonable searches and siezures [sic] of his person, his papers and his
property; all warrants, therefore, to search suspected places, or sieze [sic]
any freeman, his papers or property, without information upon Oath (or
affirmation of a person religiously scrupulous of taking an oath) of legal and
sufficient cause, are grievous and oppressive; and all general Warrants to
search suspected places, or to apprehend any suspected person, without
specially naming or describing the place or person, are dangerous and ought not
to be granted." -- Amendments Proposed by the Virginia Convention,
June 27, 1788
