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

4 W,
| t'men's and the mere love of Justice to pr,mot
| nm to his duty. Such portrait of hum IA ex-
ceiehce has no orig nal. aud is onlv TO be { ind
~ he IDLE hctions Of h. b in in the b auti.
I'l, yetiliisve eytr;.vaTanccS OF rom IN c ming
a. despite OF the preteadei m ,Cnanrnity Of
'""' ma ure, sell intereS the master passion
, 10 winch his actions ave sure to confirm Ja,-
II ms interest to do what is right, and Won may
reasonably eNpec' that ne will don't T,Ec away
,n'S incentive and nothing but the cDe on 81 t,.
Laws, NE terror7 of Temporal! punishment VIII
constr u,r suihceDt security that he viii pr,
perry scharge the duties his trust Exam
ples . the contrary may be found, admit; bur
they are rare ard can nv no means invalid to III
gene Al " ct this truth 4 solemn truth. which
the experience ofal, ages gu sht deeply to r..,vr
upon he hearts of every community Id hence
1t Is that the trainers of the Constitu'io, those
profound sages in the pr.nc pies ofgovernment <
e Slsistion thought 1t wise and proper TO czc,ucs
rom public afTtIrs, all those, Who are Cest,tute
OF some iix"d and permanen, property w icb can
alone be safely relied upon 20 const. tute that pol
nc1i attachment which every good c .lizen ,n ,uld
teei ior country, winch Is the best security hat
nc Will stand by her IN the worst oftlmes-in .,,.
btte:eSt hour other aii ctlon and distress aud no
YER desert that interest with VIII CHI bis own &c On
closely interviewer. The persons who, when tbev
nave produced the greatest burthcns ON tue
State, may profit from the very caiami. les VIII e
they themselves have created, and who ro,v
suddenly remove away, rrryins ali b.v n,;-
sASs upon Their back or in the r poke g while
they leave the evils of their own injustice n he
borne by those whom they have left behind
can by no means think fit to interfere m the en-.
actment of the laws They NAV say in the st.,.
AS sgourners--as temporary re,idents enjoy.
ing the protection Of the government and It's laws
so long as they submit 10 thelr authority and
obligation.
NJ. Chairman, there is another most imDortar.
aspect under which this subject NAV be very nro.
perly considered. Let me call YOUR attention N
the fearful foreign influence which such an sv-
tension ut the right of suffrage would soon.r az,
later introduce INTO this Community The Sanes
and Philosophers who have explored the re-
progress and Hfin1te drciirs OF the ancient Com
monwcai' ms are all agreed, THAT the princ;na,
cm e OF the destruction of the Roman Common.
veal n WAS the admission of foreigners and
others, who were no ways interested in tie pros
pertv ct Rome 20 a fall part cipa,ion in the DO.
h,ical righs and privileges Other native CITIZENS
II was long, very long before the Romans wild
consider foreigners IN aUy other tight than q. en-
entes the word h9S.is which sign.fed AN enemy
oelnS also USED II designate fore gner. And Sc,
long 10 they continued u entertain such sent,
men's for strangers, hey remained free. pros
porous and uncon' animated by foreign influence
"uS' AT length, when the nations of italy were
made cltIzens of Rome and admitted TO 6art,ci,
pate IN her public affairs, each trib and city,
bringing INTO Rome It's own particular genius
ages and Institutions, the features of Rome's
hltiohai Character were entirely changed her
t,zehs were no longer jealous of their rights
and hred with devotional love for their country
ana norman sentiments, with Roman greatness
W.thered ON the world. Like modern France
sue soopeG down 10 the most submissive All.
t"de OF obsequinus vassalage, ard TREMENDOUSLY
cronched beneath the deSpotiSm of those nations
over whose domains the Roman Eagles once
stretched their conquering plumes in all the
PRIDE and hey daT OF their power. They vainlv
uiouSht ther Strength invncble, and their rae
eern
And will not the same fatal policy he ;rtrod,,.
ecu INTO tn country by such an md scrimnata
e2 cnsion cf the right of suffragel Who dos
no see That lie tealuresof our rational charac err
are becoming more and more inllstnct and th,t
the noble spirit which &c uated the Revolution
and led our gallant frefathers to victory aud
independence, begins 10 ttui er and decay To
wha Shdl we 9scrIbc this evil augury of our ma
tional de gensracy ? In great measure. to that
mistaken ph lanthrpphy, thst il,-adylsed Dol,cv
which prevails u the UIItel States ofeytend,rg
the rlghr Of SUFFICE to people of every country
aad Condition IN human life thereby enablina,
them to part cipatc in the public afFars In the
ate OF New-Y0rk, every man who has resided
in e county n which he PURPOSES to vote. sir
months Prey,ou, TO the cleCuon, and VINO rents a
h use OF tlc annual value of thirty sbIlnps IA
adm ire to vote. I'm Mary l,nd, the Con,titIiti n
requt ed residence with.n Ire county for t,ye,ye
months, and property of the value of thirtv
ppunds 10 enable one to exercise the right Of suf
rage bur IF Late, the right of suffrage in rh,t
a c has been so generally extended az 10 rem
der II comreten fir almost every man TO vote
Let any one form IN estimate of the numerous e.,
reigners. many of whom are the fugit,ves ofius-
tee and the outcasts and ofIscou ing %. oppressed
snd peraecu ed nations, who are constantly mi.
grating to orr shores, hungerug to deyour cye-,s
principle o. popular freedom, ard d.tFisIre tn,
contagon of their pristine wlckedness ever,
whe'e aud I've may easily conceive what in6u.
ence hey will vi .mately have upon the public
councils Of these s'a es. lu Kentucky, thu right
of suffrage - equally discriminate; there cv-
cry man who is Of lawful age and who has resi-
ded in tie state Twelve months, wherar he be
worth a st,ver or not is quail fed to vote. Ken
lucky may not imneda; ~ feel the inconvcri-
ence this nv advised e. eusion IF tn. Right of
Suffrage, because most OF lhe en- grants who
come among us are po,r. and are obi ged to To-
cate themselves ~ the Sea-por, Towns where
they arrive, and TO labor for The dav that IS pass
ing over tre.r heads BIT If u b. true rs poli-
teens tell ~, that population II always seek
level with the means Of supporting il, The great
fertility of The soil, the vast reg Ons Of tInctiva-
ted snd unocoupied territory inviting thther
every sort of human en erprse and industry, will
iffanDly people tic west with the cmigrants Of
tie old world When that perod shall have
come, az sooner or later Il assuredly must adicu,
long farewell, to the lofty spirit and purity OF
our western brethren to the valor and u.tr,,t-