The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-04-14
.Qna Gnquirer.
RICHMOND, l4sb april.
:, pOLrT.Cnt Rspr.rcTIoNs.

POLITICAL REFLECTIONS. -
The greatet m';o!rrr G'f'ove,-i, which has
been made in 'iitical E iencc, is, that to7.rn.
anent has had to much power and iud;,i.
dna|s too little. II is this principle reduced
to practice, that ccnfi.utes the great dittinc-
ton between Europe and the u. S.
1t is this equality Of rights which coefttute.
the very offence of freedom and which forms
the grand determination between free and def.
potic governments.
In defpotic governments, not only are politi-
cal offices placed under the monopoly of the
few no; only is the opinion of the people fub.
Jeeted to the controul of thefe privileged or
ders but even the fources of sveahL itfe!f, in
all its different BRANCHES, are placed under
vsxatious monopoly Not only do the King,
Lords and Priefthood prey upon the multitude !;
but there IS fet of petty and subordinate ty-
rants, that owe their origin to the government I;
that respectively fill up their fmall circles of
opprefhon that are not 70 promptly beheld,
becauie they mix themfeves with the fmaller
concerns of fcciety but whole tyranny, when
taken IN the aggregate, are not the leait vexati-
Gus feature of defporic governments.
Ihete privileges were extended to the three
great fources ct wealth Agriculture, Manu-
facfures, and Commerce; the means of which
IN many important points were fnatched from
the enjoyment of the people, and thrown into
the hands of fmall privileged clanes.-The
picture of thefe opprefions is drawn at full
length IN the celebrated work of Adam Smith {;
than whom there fcarce ever appeared an ADLER
advocate of the principle of free trade. Bat
"a few features Will iultrate our meaning.
Agriculture was fuhjetfed to the oppre fiion
OF laws of Entail, aud P,imogrnitre and of
T-fb-J.
Manufactures were renraiued by CORPORATION
laws; and fatutes of apprrntieeihips.
Comnsrce was opprefItd by the influence
OF commerci1:: privileges, and of priviIeged
eompa1ie5.
There was fcarce any quarter, where theie
privileged in!tin,ons did not a(Iail the difgufted
eye 1t man had capital, which he wiG,ed
to employ upon land he found that the
greater part of the mott valuable land of Eng.
land was iuhjeeted TO Entails, to the laws of
Pnmogenisnre, and of Tythss Entails kept it
1.-THE hands of family. P.inogrn,ure kept
d. IN the hands of the edelt fon of that f,mly.
And i'yihes were levied upon the land, to fup-
port privileged prieithood to the utter prof.
tTation OF all liberty of confidence.
II he wi!hrd to employ his capital in manu.
features, he found himfeIf completely refrain
| ed by corporation laws aud ltatutes Of appren-
t'c7fh'p. The frlt ereted each corporation
lnto ki6d OF petty tyranny over every manu-
tadurer, that was not regularly bred within its
limits. The Iait made one matter workman a
|
Ettie tyrant over every Other workman, who
hoNev,r iuperier in integrity, induftry, and
XII, had not YET attained the artificial dignity
OF i mailer. According to the irf, our unfor-
tnna;e capialiit could not move from certain
corporations TO others TO purfue his manu.
featuring occupation, until he had fibmit.ed to
| The iefvtnde of a ns4v apprenticeship. Accor-
ding to the lar, he could not employ his capital in
manufactures. until he had purchafed the pri.
vieges OF a mater, by a yfeven years appren-
,icchip.
IL he cae his eyes into the Vita of com.
merce, he b-hed the fame foeces of
monopoly; or the fame unneceffary reitricti.
nos HPon the rights of commerce. In many,
Ing mott lucrative branches of trade, he had
TO encounter the oppreiiive tyranny Of com.
nercIal companies. Ii he wi.hed to ftnd to
tie Indies for Teas and Piece goods, he was
forced iopay the E. /. Comp. FOR the permifIion.
lie coaid not even buy racoon ikin from the
E'qaImaux, without bowing before the fupre-
may of the Labrador company.
What contraf is prefcnted in the Unit.
co states There are D.ne of thefe petty inc
qualities ; to dlturb the people. Perhaps there
never exitcd country where r, few of the
rights or an individual were facrihccd to the
government and yet where 10 the country
that rs better governed u
Bnffome relics oftl:ispoli,ca, fiIperft;ton ftilI
remain even upon the free foil of Virginia.
Rights to be equal, mutt be reeibroeaL Jf a
man has right 10 contract debt, the cretli.
tor ihould have the right TO exact the payment.
where the means exit. What then lha,I we
'hink ct the laws of a fate, which permits an
execution tor debt to be levied upon goods,
upon naves, upon money, upon every other
KIND OF property; bnt preierves the land itfrlf
tom the Juft claims of the CREDITOR. VIVA,
opinion fhalt we form Of a law, which keeps
The land alone out of thar fluSluating MATS OF
property witch enters into the pecuniary con-
cerhs or men why may every other fpccie ,
of property be ieized to indemnify the de-
nsnds otjuftice; and yet the land alone he con.
iccrated! In one refpett this fpecies of law
operates like the privileged law Of Entails in a
deipotIc government. Though the land-holder
ot Virginia may difpofe of his land if he nleaE.
es; privilege which is certainly denied 70
The Titled peers Of England yet there is no
power adequate to bring the land under 4 The-
rii 8 execution. The Englifh peer cannot :
ard the Virginia !lnd-holder will not lie com
PEELED to PIrt with bis risht.--It is time TO do
away this fcm!-ie n,lance of landed arinocra.
~ II Is time :oF ,ae government of Virginia
to rri'"G1iih IFS unnec,iIary interference with
ihS pecunI'ry tT"oldHions Of its citizens. ], is
time I" civelt the land Of the privileges, which
1t now enj1y9 and 10 reduce it to the fame e.
qnaNy ut rights with The other fpecirs of pro-
perry T-Not to add, that the mercantile credit
ofNe'tr c'I'z'ns among foreign ua;ions AID Our
niifr hates, 'mPerouily demands this rcforma.
ton Of our code