Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-06-20

4
from the inability of che people ia Populous
| places to select those for homer and tras''
who are properly entitled 20 confidence
iHence in the present day, VIC hear OF per-
sous chosen by the people tor important
/ stations, who are destitute OF common
! qualifications, That persons should be
elected or appointed by the people directly
TO Office, is proper; and that the manner
| of doingthis should be materially changed,
appears equally so. The perfection in the
| manner of doing this, seems sill that is ne
| cessary FOR present government,
| To allow mems inAuence IN iegisatnres
| 70 he equal 20 their wealth would BE most
dangerous practice, Although one of the
ESreat objects Of the laws be coacerning pro-
| perty, aud some men may be more inter
ested in these laws than others, II would
be safer and better, although not more juss.
to diminish instead of INCREASING the ad.
| vantages Of wealth. ltappears TO me- that
flaws should have for their greatest object
| the securing and promoting the happiness
ofshe members of sooiety, by ineTeaslrg
/ the iate!iectual powers SO hat men may
| be The further removed from lower animals
Certainly ,he'goyernraent OF the intelsec,
| tual world mus, be OF more moment than
that of the material; and with equal Ger
,aiptyit mustappesr thai, the intellectual
! world should be represented IN legislatures,
In preference 10 the n,aterial- &c vstle-
" ID the degrees Of miad, OF mental
worth, ia various meD,is 10 less cansIde'
! rabie, than tie variety in ,hrir wealth.
| We; are taught thar il would be ~!atslto 10
| crease the influence of ghe latter, bot no
one ever dyeamt that it would be injurious
| to increase the inRuence Of intellectual
! Qualifications. Common sense viii shew
| some of the advantages CT representing IN
| the national legislatures the minds ln0tesd
OF the property of men; and common noe
/ irons of jusriee will teach ns, that III as
much as one mind is superior to anolher,
SO should that have greater influence in all
the oGices concerned IN common affairs.
! To represent therefore tha' Intellectual
! world in national assemblies, and to give
| each individual the degree of influence to
| which he is entitled by his mind, appears
| to me an innovation on established modes,
! of primary importance. 20 effect this 1
would propose, first to estimate the merhs
| OF every man, asa citizen, member OF
the comnuni,y. For example we will
suppose the degrees CT worth divided 10,
1wen.y.-Ev ry man may BE- COM
sidered as possessed ofthe FIRST C gee, and
sbme of many more. Fer every degree of
worth or mental excellence possessed by an
Individual, he should be entitled to vote
in elections. In the present imperfect state
of society. when no persons are transcend
autIy useful, perhaps few would be qualif-
ed 10 have more than ten OR st iarlhest ht.
teen votes. BY adopting this plan ,nvn cf
talents or merit, in consequence OF the IN
fuence they would acquire, would tTame
all the laws, and of course be the govern
ers Of the people. Suth alone can be cen
,idered as the SAFE guardians OF intellect
and property. 1t is only their decisions
that would be universally and readily abld'
ed by.
The only Disadvantage that could a..
tend the system above proposed, IS the diF-
hculty of ascer,aining the services, or me.
rt of each mee,ber OF society. 10 do this
IN the present imperfect state OF mems
discerning pewers, perfectly correc;, would
perhaps be impossible. This iinposs!bllity
however is no reason forrejecting the plan.
The end may be arrived at with solerabe
accuracy; and indeed if we were 10 Judge
of msn's worth upon mere Eere.sayi we
should have more equal representation Of
their capacities than we have ever had OF
their property in legislatures. Surely no
error would happen equal to that where q
man with few shili,ngs has as much oHu.
cuce as one with an i'm t6eose estate. Sup
pose in every country there were ave men,
| reb7-tsd tobe the tsisrss---meo sworn 10
estimate the worth of every one in rheir