Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-02-07

VINO tears To trust the people with So
Vereignty, or who refuses 10 a,,Dw them 20
7 retouch the principles OF their political Va
ofic. For my own part, I have no ob-
lection to their remodelling The cDnstitu-
on, whenever they may deem Il expedi.
ent' and so ff,r from ayoiding investigate
on, should consider it an admra bic trait
~ government, which should enjoin a
inll, Tree and frequent discussion os the
principles upon which il was established.
Most OF the objections urged against
the present constitution meet my concur
renee. iodced it seems to me TO have
been framed in slireel violation Of all the
pohncat truths, contained in the Bill of
Rights. can scarcely admit, and pos
terry viii never believe that The men who
drafted The one, establshsd.he other. The
serp principles too. against which we were
lighting, were with daring elfrontery en-
grated on that instrument. We COM
planned that we were taxed without being
represented. Virgipia called upon her
sons 10 grid on their armour and oppose
this iniqmtous principle. The people o.
heyed htr call; they fought and trinin2h.
ed over her fues: Yet did the trainers Of
ms constitution with en- ingralitude the
most fragrant, apply the same daEfrine To
me very men, who had been called up
on 10 oppose IT. Yes .aaga;nst the very
men who had fought for the principle Of
equal n hts, was th;s doGtt;ne OF incaua-
NY exeaed. Shau the soldier OF the re
volunon be tuld when coming ia the
po!l,-'hst lie has no vote, becau,e he has
not so acres Of land !? re points to The
wounds he received in fsh,ins The bat
Ties OF his county; he tells Of The blood
he spill IN The cause OF repabiicanism be
ID rudelYand 'nhumanlY rejected, because
nc can give no eUid;ace OF Permanent az
foeh'aenf 20 his county
We eul9gse the heofiLs. We speak Of
ti'e government Of the people. We toast
the peopls. The Bill Of Rights aciSnow.
edges the people. Way il j, mat ise word
IS treated with 20 much resrea and the
people themselves with SO nuch iniestice
aad contempt! lis aching but rank i,y-
pocrlsy. Away viii the word. Let us
change II iato cne more familiar to our
system OF government. lie, US speak on
iy ct i'eshniders, Let thcn, be ths sub
l=css OF our eulogies. We sic their
representatives. and not the Representa-.
tives oI,he fsctslc.
Political writer's acknowledge no dis.
function between the rights or lyeehcIdrrs
md The rights Of the people. u vas leGt 20
our constitution 10 inirodecr .he inuava,i-
on, oatld insu!; IL injory. / was not msd,
inr the people. 7. is not a republican
cona'i'ntion. Nature has made 10 dis.
"hc'ien among men. Man is man, and
Il IS not w:ihin the power of a freehold o
change his ciiaraGler. But why should a
freehold be the criterion OF rights? VIVA,
analogy Is there between them? IL Laws
nreFaisd solely on landed property, then
would the ffee!ic;d r have a shadow Of
claim TO exclusive legislation; bnt are
lie, iibeg.y and reputation nothing? Thev
are nothing f not mated wish he posses
sion Of fifty acres RI land.
he term liberty seems not 10 BE well
understood: the most eninen, authors
and orators have differed as 10 its mean.
'ng' Liberty is of Kinds, political and
civR. Political liberty may be defined 10
be The security with which from the form
ut the government civil liberty is enjoy
ed. 1t is the power we have over the
Government. Civil liberty consists in the
rights, we are permitted TO enjoy under
II. Nothing is more true than that civil
liberty may be enjoyed to as full an ex.
tent under despolism as under a d,mn.
crazy. Political liberty is known only IN
democracy Indeed they are The some.
and the one does not exist where the o.
ther is denied. The man is destitute or
this species of liber;y, who has no voice
IN The enactment oflaws. He is as much
slave in Political point of view, as the
wretched inhabitanl of Turkey. The
friends OF convention do not complain
ut the vent Of civil liberty: they COZ
plain that It is not alike secured % the
people The laws, it may be said, ope.
rate equally they will continre 10 do 80
only as long as the fToeholAe- shall
choose ne holds his r!eh,s and INFER.
csis Of himselfi he knows no Superior
The man who has no vote, politically
speaking, Is slave and epioys his civil
rights at the discretion Of anc.+ar. His
a c'psl mockcry to c-H ;i,e cl,zeDs of
this commonwealth, free man.
wish TO see in this union at least the
purest principles af democracy reduced
10 experiments. In 40 other part nf the
ripiye. ran II 49,, H.. ,t,,. n