The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-01

feared examination will only teud TO etabi;fh the
fact; IT IL is detective, remedies can aud ought Co
be applied Do they fappo(e thas ioeiery is to be al
ways dictionary, and tina, the fcience Of government
is neyer,o be proyr.fiye. When the presen, con.
atution was formed, the theory of politics was in its
infancy. We mad not the advantages of experience,
and the American mind was ilill tainted with preu-
does imo'bed from a government, hottie to III.
principles OF democracy. Are we then altogether
certain that men bad that time arrived at the true
principles OF rerreierrative government! We fay,
that the people have right and are competent TO
govern themieives IF this is denied, republication
here is word withou, meaning. do NOT fee then.
how any man can cal! himieif republican who fears
to truH the people with fovereiyt,y or Who refii.
es TO allow them TO retoueh the principles of
their political fabric. For my own part. Ihaye
mo objection to their remo;lens the coniiisu-
on, whenever they may deem it expedient, AVID
10 lar from avoiding nsei!igation. hould confder i,
an admirable trait IN government, which ihouid
enjon full, free aud frequent iicuiiion of the prn
eipies upon which it was e!.ahliih,i
Mon OF the objecfic.s urged againH the prcf.1.
contribution meet my concurrence. Indeed il I.er,s
20 meto have beenfrani in direa violation Of all
the political tFsths, contained in the Bill of Ric,,s
can lcareeiy admit, and poeer:ty will never believe
"' .'e men who grated tue one, eitabhed the
Their. The very principles too, againR which
we were lighting, were with .'ariny elfron,ery en-
grated on that initrauent. We complained chat we
were taxed without be'g repreiensed. Virginia call
ell npon her ions to grid their armour and oppofc
this ubiquitous, principle. The people ODE yed her
call; they fought and triurnphed over her loes Ye,
did the trainers ct this conttitntion with an iuprati-
tude the mon fragrant. apply the fame doctrine to
the very men, who had been called upon 10 oppoie
IL, Yes againf the very me-, who lad fought for
the principle of equal rights, was thu, doarne of in
equality exertcd. Shal. the folder of the reyo,;or
be told when coming to the poll. that he has no vote
bcoaule he has no; So acres If land He points To
the wounds he received in fighting the battles of his
country he tells OF the blood he filt in the cauie
OF republcanm; he is rudely and inhu manly reject
ga, oeeaue ne can give no evidt1e+ of pymansn, at
t~e61aert to his country.
We enloeife the eeople. We fpeals Of the govern
nent OF the people. We toah the people. Tie
Bill OF Rights acknowledges the people. WHY is
it that the word is treated with 70 much reipea
and the people themle'ves with 70 much juRice and
contempt! 1t is nothing but rank hypocrify. A
way with the word. Let ms change it into one more
familiar to our fytem Of government Let us feeak
only OF freeholders lie, Il tm he the fublees Of our
euioges We are fbeir representatives and not the
representatives Of the eeobA
Political writers acknowledge no diinG;on be-
tween the rights Of eehoders and tie rights of th.
people. 1t was left our contribution to introduce
vie innovation, to add inlut to injury lev not
made tor the people. IL is republican conn,ui
Man IS man, and it is within the power Of free
hold to change his character. But why fhou.d free
hold be the criterion of rights! What analogy is
there between them If laws operated foley on
landed property then would the freeholder lave a
ha'iow of claim to executive lcglatiou; but are life.
liberty and reputation nothing They are nothing
1t not united with the poeon of fifty acres of land
j ne term liberty fecms not TO be well undertood
the moit eminent authors and orators have differed
70 its meaning. Liberty is kinds, political and ei,a
Political liberty may be defined to BIZ the fecuri,y
with which from the form of the government, civil
liberty IS enjoyed j, is the power We have over the
government Civil liberty coniits in the rights we
are permitted TO enjoy under H. Nothing is more r,ue
than that civil liberty may be enjoyed to as full an ex
tent under deirotifm npder democracy. Poll;
teal liberty is known only in democracy: Indeed
they are the lame, and the does no, ex;l where
the Other is denied The man is Geilituc of tb,s
iPecies OF liberty, who has voice in the ena men,
OF laws IL: Ii as much fave in a political point of
view, rs the wfetched inh.btant Of Turkey The
friends OF j convention don complain of the wanr
ct civil liberty they complain that it IS not alike le
cured to the people. The laws it may he iaid ODE
rate equally they will continue to do 70 ONLY rs lon,
as the irceholder ha choofe. liz holds his r;pb,s b
in,erels Of himlelf; he knows 10 fuperior Th-
man who has no vote, politically ipeahing is fave
and enjoys his civil rights at the dcrr,ion Of ano-
ther 1t !" cruel mochcry to call the citizens of
this comnaonw ealth, free men.
with 20 Zee in this union at leaf the purea pr;u
c'pies oil democracy reduced TO experiment In no
otser part OF the habitabe globe can it now be done
II they ia here, then ihal be eontentsd 20 nut I'm
with any other more srifncratc form of fociety.
WIZ loe light oftie truths and principles If republic
caniim, and will unite to form and fupport 90.
verIiment upon the principles of expectancy
10 an ex.enon of the righ, o. ruTiage i, is obea
ed, that the people are poor and would be liable 70
corruption. But Thomas Paine (for Introducing whole
name be ihould make no apology: FRANCE indeed
world 1t be he who had done 20 much for the can't.
OF liberty hould find enemy here) Thomas Paine
has obierved, that eoverty is negative proof of a
mans honeily He has reforted to ho(e arts, viii
anies and fpecuation by which fortune is very r.
neraily acquired. But if th, objection he well
founded why not frke off another part Of the con.
it!tution aud extend the exemption to the rich RI.
who is able to corrupt the poor is certainly as erea,
an enemy to our liberties, he who is poor enough
to be corrupted Let ifrke both theie csiIes from,
the iih 81 ELECTORS. But this would not anf,ver
1t would not it that sriapcratic fprit which ha, al
| ready impoied It's letters upon the poor
IL has been well obferved that when we are in need
oil aiiitauee when inlurre6ton and ihva[on threat.
en- oar tranquility, we look thele cuieas for fuc.
cour Would it weaken their attachment TO ,fei,
country and their exertors for the common caufe !;
they felt another inducpent to exert their eper,es
At they had political rights LET ms be,ysr. RIA,