The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-29

cay, and become fubie6t to corruption, or TO a
ruling, dcciGvc patronage. This, with other
abufes has 70 perverted elections, that in coun-
try containing eigh. Millions of inhabitants, five
thouiand voters return a majority of the houir
OF commons-nay, more an ,mmenfely rich
and powerful body of about 10 mobiles and 90
commoners, together with the treaGlrv, appoint
three hfths OF that branch of the government,
which therefore, whatever other titles to reips9
it may pofeis, is grofsly mifnamed the peopie'J
sientnt'7'e--Thi great electoral oligsrchy
might exert an unlimited controul over the pre-
negatives ofthe crown and the rights of the na-
ton, but that in their ftruggies for power, they
are always rent into partes--the party in power
for the time being, attach themfelves to the
crown, their defeated a6verfaries look to the
people for fupport. All accounts feem to L.
gree. that the purity ofeleeion in Ireland is fill
more debated, than it is in England.
In the United States an abufe of IN oppolite
kind mott generally prevails, and feeuls admira-
bly, calculated to favor the growth of the oligar-
chic corruption, we have juft defcribed. Not
only do all thofe vote, who claim the privilege
by law, but numbers are frnuegled in to vote
at elections, who are as deftitute of the legal as
of the moral qualifications that are requiite to
the iuft exercife of the privilege.
IF the efential benefits of representative go
vernment depend almoft wholly on the moral
and intellectual qualities of the con fttuent and
the representative, the fecurity, nay the exit
ence of thefe benefits are rendered very precari-
GUS, where thofe neceHary qualities, in either
of them, are very defective and as a very great
proportion of all the people we either do or
have known, have been very defective in the re-
quifite qualities of morals and understanding, it
would fcem, that universal outrage would be
great evil. But how fhal the right of outrage
be limited Is there any practicable fandard,
whereby the reqniite degree of moral and in
tclle6tual competency in the electors can be de-
tcrmined! anfwer no but an imperfect rule
may be eaEy formed on the BATS of property,
which violates natural right, no more than do
| a thoufand other coercive reftraints Of po6tive
law, which the ignorance and pravity of the
bulk of mankind have rendered indifpeniible to
the order and fecurity of civil liberty. Nothing
can render one man more dependent on ano-
| Their, than the wants of neceGary fubfiftence on
the one fide, and on the other, the will as well
as the ability to fatisfy thofe wants-A perfon
thus dtuated cannot properly be fad to have
any elective will ofhis own he is the mere or
gan of him who tenders him fupport. 4 GER
tain amount of property, Especially of real pro-
perty, fecures fubhftence to the owner, and pla-
ces him on the lift of the immediate objects of
| taxation.-By means then of property, he is fhel-
tered from powerful temptation to furrender
| his independence into the hands of another, and
is continually expoied to the only ftimulus, the
exaetion of his money, which pofiioly could
route his torpid ignorance, to beftow any atten-
| ton TO his own rights, or to the conduit of his
rulers. 1t is in vain that we appeal, on this
fubjeet, to the speculative rights of man their
ufe in the abfratt is ineftimable, as they exhibit
the true fources of focal Happiness, and ferve as
beacons to direct our progrcis in attaining it, by
| the improvement of our knowledge and morals.
The farther we proceed in this progrefs, the
| nearer we approach to the point, at which the
oretic truth may be fafely Incorporated into our
| common practice. The great difficulty is to al
certain clearly the time when we have arrived
at that point, and this is excluhvely the function
, Of coniummate wifdom, not of the crude judg-
! ments of felf-intereft, prejudice and paiIion.-
Errors in practice of this kind, are never indif-
feTent premature claims to the exercifc of alb
ftra6 rights, have filed the records of mankind
with melancholy mementos Of their confequen-
ces; even in our own fate, clafs of men exit,
Whole claims for redrefs, derived from abitracf
| right, are far ftronger than thofe of few pau
perS, and the brothers. fons and relatives of ac-
| tuai freeholders. Yet the boldeft reforrner ex-
| cept he be unatic or a knave, mutt lnrink with
horror from the attempt to give activity and eff
feet to thofe claims. Numerous as are the ex-
amples, they are obfcured in the regency and
magnitude otthe warning turniihed ny the pre-
| cipitancy, the mferies and the refults of the
| French revolution.
a vlrtuous and wife reformcr will deem il
his firff duty, not foley to look at the defects
and evils of government, but fcrupulouily to
! examine the fate offociety in which they occur,
| and to decide beforehand, whether their aboli-
ton will be followed by the fubftitution of fome
| pohtive good, will merely make way for
equivalent or greater evils, which the new cur
rent of things may render irremediable. The
conditions neceiiary to the exercfe Of this duty
| apply TO all fchemes of reform, whether they
are metiitated in the extrerneft defpotifn, or in
the mott profperous republic.
more ample profecution Of this fubje6t
would incucate ferrous lefIon TO the friends of
freedom it would teach US that no form of 60
vernment, of itfef, is abfolutely good or bad
all have relation to the condition of the focie-
ties, feverally fubje6ted to their rule. 1t is
highly probable, that the government of the u.
States, fuddeDly transferred to Spain or Tur-
key, would induce consequences more peruici-
Gus than the fudden introduction of their go
vernments would occaion here. In the fira
cafe, rccoil of the WORT pafiions, acting under
an ignorance, nay, an oblivion of the bef rights
of focal man, would produce fcene of ai,ar-
chy and defolation, which would gradually fink
into torpor under regenerated defpotifm; in the
fecond cafe, the fenie and fpirit of the people
might foon demolih government 70 adverfe to
their habits, opinions and interefts. 1t would
alto teach us to judge more modeftly of dittant
nations, among whom liberty has been long ex-