The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-03-06

| with that government which they .iapt been,
and their sons are obliged to support. This
law, which is the offspring Of that spirit OF
MONOPOLY which always accompany the min
ions uf sristooracy, ought now To be revised--
this is the proper moment 10 render equal
and exact Justice TO all men," Some obser-
vato.s on the first principles Of government,
by one Of the sages of our revolution, who
is now at rest with his fathers, are very APP
| plicabe to my purpose. will lay hem be-
fore you, because they go 10 the foundation,
and are more convincing Of our crrour than
any arguments could of myself introduce.
" In contemplating government by cleo
| tion and representation, We smuse rot our
| selves in enquiring when or how, or by what
right IL began. Its origin Is ever IN view.
| Man is himself the origin and evidence of
the right II apper.ins to him in right oi
his existence, and his person IS The title deed.
4" The true, and only true basis OF repre-
sentative governments, is equaiity oil rights.
Every man has right TO one vote, and 10
more, in the choice Of Representatives. The
rich have no more right 10 exclude the poor
from the right Of eieCting and being elected,
than the poor have 10 exclude the rich and
whenever 1t is attempted or proposed on either
side, it is a question OF force, and not OF
right. Who is he that would exclude anoth-
er that other has the same right 10 exclude
him.
That which it is now called arist tocracy,
implies an inequality OF .igh,-but who are
the persons that have a right 10 establish this
inequality viii the poor exclude the them
selves No. Will the rich exclude them
selves No. BY what right then can they be
excluded /? 1t would be d question it any
men, or class of men, have d right to exclude
themselves /; bat be this ss ii may, they CAN
not have right to exclude another. The
poor will not delegate such right to the
lich, nor the rich TO the poor and 10 as
sumo it, is not only assuming arbitrary pow
er, but tc assume right 10 commit robbery.
Personal rights OF which ihe right OF voting
for Representatives is one, are species oil
property Of the most sacred kind /; and he
that would employ lis peCunlaIy property,
or presume upon the influence it gives him,
To dlspossess or rob another OF his property
or rlk hts, uses that pecunlary property as he
would firearms, ana deserves 10 have 1t Ia
ken from him.
Inequality of rights is created by COM
bipstion in one part Of the community, to
exclude another part from its rights. When-
Of eiecting and bring electcd, shall afhertain
eTciuavciy, 10 persons possessing certain
quan'ify If properly, be II httie or much, ii rs
a conbinahon Of the feroons possessing fhat
guanfiiy, 10 erciude those 4vho 10 not h3ssess
the same guanEty--it as inpestiny fhemselVeS
with hozvcr, as Seti-ereated fart cf soeiety,
10 he exclusion ef The resi-. In any view oil
tie case, i. is dangerous and in polite X, ,s ONE
,,,Is. H.,
property the criterion OF ,otinE. If the sum
or value OF the properly, upon which the
right is 10 take place, be considerable, II
will exclude majority OF the people, and u
mite them in common interest against the
government, and against those who suFpor,
It, and, as the power is always with the ma
jority, they can overturn such government
and It's supporters, Whenever they please.
If in order TO avoid the danger, a small
quantity of property be fixed as the criterion
of the right, it exhibits liberty in disgrace by
putting it in competition with &C cdcnt or in
significance. When brood mare shall for
tunatey produce foal or a mule, that, by be-
ing worth the sum in question, shall convey
10 its owner the right of voting, or, by its
death, take it from him, in whom does the
origin of the vote exist Is it in the man or
in the mule When we consider how many
ways property may be acquired without mer-
it, and lost without crime, we ought 10 spurn
the idea of making it the criterion of rights.
" But the offensive part cf the case is, that
this exclusion from the right OF voting, i'm
plies stigma on the moral character of the
person excluded. (ln this State man who
has not sufficient estate to qualify him as
voter, stands on the degraded footing, with
respect to that right, as man who has suf-
hcient estate, but has been convicted Of theft
forgery, or other high crimes, Ae. they are
both excluded from the right of voting y aud
this is wha, no part of the community has
right to pronounce upon another part, whose