Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-07-25

the former have not been degraded into brutes
and the country of the latter renched in blood
by il BAt after ALL il may DC said, this is net
to the point. We are not enquiting into the OPP
Grafton Ut the British Constitution upon that
part oftbe British Empire which does not en-
JOY the benefit of ii, but upon that part which
does. Here, then, we have Constitution made
for the benefit ota part and not tor the good of
the whole, and thus countGractirg The very first
principle of good government. This i not
the only defect OF the kind thatve shall proha-
bly, discover in IL in the sequel. And Vet the 60
or 80 millions who 60 not ENJOY the benefit OF
the Constitution are men like the III or - that
do. They have as much right as the others to
pretend that their Interests should bc consult
eel and their good promoted, ana II the aj1ri-
tv is to decide, certainly a great deal more
Does any body think that II the - millions of
people that inhah,ttte whole British tiominons
were TO meet in convention 10 determine upon
tine best way of securing their person, and pro-
petty. they would think of giving them away
TO the small portion ont of the whole numher
that iHlabit the British Isles? Let what Willie
said Of it--lst familiarity reconcile MS to il as
much as it can, there is nothing but oppression
and I;lUstice at the bottom of such IA system:
and II is i'll nay opiiOn particularly nauSeous to
find those who support 1t continually talking of
their regard tor principles, and rights and lib
erty. and putting themselves forward as the
guardians and defenders of oppressed human.
ity, and the last resort of freedom upon earth.
What should we think OF the Constitution of
the United States, however perfect in theory
1t might be, lift secured the rights of only one
tenth of the citizens, and condemned the rest
10 bondage Eyer, body would say that il was
Verse ti,an an Eastern dcspotlsm, or the oil
gaTchy of the 80 tyrants.
Butte come more immediately to what ge
morally considered the true point Of this sub
ject-Are the British Institutions calculated to
secure the happiness or even the eight or ten
million inhabitants OF England proper, who en-
Joy all the advantages that naturally flow frcm
thems
And here take the liberty of repeati.g witt,
regard IL this mass at peonle the uestion which
has been already made respecting the popUla-
ton OF the whole Empire. is the British Con
stitntion such an one as the inhabitants of En-
gland, n they were Row 20 meet in convection
10 determine upon the best way for sccnring
their persons and property, would he likely 10
hit upon think nobody will answer this
question in the afi Sentative Nobody can sup
pose t,iat TO secure their persons and proper.
~, The people would begin by giving a ay toa
very small portion ont of tie number ali tlleir
property. that is, the whole land ard conStit,I-
ting themselves the effective boBdmen of this
favored few. What shcnld induce a man tl,at
had i; IN his power by cu,tivatiug the ianG To
obtain lie Whole offs praducts to place him
self voluntarily in situation whcYe, by chilli.
waiting the land He could UEtan only very small
share of its products. besides entsiiing un0n
himself, at the same time, CALLING conscious
ness OF dependence: s'or tenants on the Ea-
Siish plan, however different the name NAV APP
pear, are III reality very little better situated,
either as to independence or comfort, than
actual slaves in other counties, or than their
ancestors were when under tue name OF. iii.
idiHS they were bound 10 the soil, and bought
and sold with il like cattle.
And supposlng that tie majority of one gen.
Grafton were mean spirited ana improvident e.
nongh to make such an astonishing sacrifice
of their rights and property. is il possible to
conceive they could be so destitute Of natural
affection and common sense as to enact at the
same time code ofpennauent laws reru-
latlng the descent of this property in such
way that itconld never return TO their offspring
IN future generations, but must remain 10 ali
eternity the exclusive possession ola privileged
few No body OF men could be found at once
so mean and so cruel. How, then has il han
pened that property is so divided, and the de-
scent oft so regulated i'll Grcat-Britain Re-
cause. the British Institutions as they are not
calculated for the benefit of the people, were
also never enacted by the people-They were
imposed upon the country in a form still more
iyrannical than they now exist, by horde of
petty tyrants when the people were Vi!lz:ps:
and the people have never yet had influence e.
HOu-h IN the country TO effect an alteration of
them, nor till lately, intelligence enough to be
at all sensible OF their own degradation and
misery.
Now, this unequal division of property, and
this attention 10 the aterest of the few at the
e<pence OF the comfort aud the happiness of
all the rest, is the corner stone of the British
Constitution. All their positive institutions
are acknowledgements for the security of this
arrangement. The introduction of monarch
cal and aristOcratical branches into the govern
ment is, IN the first place, the natural effect of
this system, which was established originally
by force, and secondly is and must be carefully
kept up and preserved, as the only security for
u, and for that reason only. Thus Il appears
thatln England, aswcil as Interest Of the Bri-
fish Empire, the Constitution is not calculated
to effect the goodof the whole, but the good Of
a very small part at the expcace cf the rest
and connecting this with my former concinSi
on. Il may be observed ir general that the vel
fare OF population computed at from 90 20
100 millions OF people, sSacrificed to the suppo-
sed lnterestO OF about I5O, 900 iandhoiders, and
200 ,00O stockholders
Iha,e said tIratthe Introduction of aristocrl-
cy * monarchy WAS the necessary consequence
of an Inequality established by force, and IL is
IN realty nothins more than continuance OF
that cOmpUisiOn. But let Us hear hGutc sunieu
defend this part ofthe British Constitution on
principle. We siaii see hew little 4 great ,nan
may appear when accident 81 prejudice pre-
vent hIin from exercising his natural judg-
mcnt.
"1here are" saws he, in every state. indiy;-
uas distinguished by birth, W"aith or honois.
NOw, tthese were cUnfOuuded AMONG the pep
Pie, and had Ouiy SINGLE vote Ike tic rest tie
common liberty would 30 them be "A Sort 81 on
preston, and they would have no interest in
defending il because The greater pait OF The
resolutions would be directed against them
Their share in MAXIM the laws should. there
fore, he in proportion 10 their other advat-
tageS in thestate whch viii he the casa #
constitute separate body which viii have
right to check the attempts of the people. as
the people in their turn shAii hdyea right TO
check theirs
And again" Nobility must he hereditary
In the firstplace lis sOby nature and second
ly those who areinvested with it ought to feel
a very great interest in preserving their privi-
Ieges, which are odioMs IN Themselves and IN
FREE state ere alicays in danger"
GLsa,y,,,c,v tI,e, 10 III ~.
biiity, odious as it is by nature, aud ob4oxious
~ il sto a free people, must s.be instithted--
and why: because there are icw individu-
ais whose interest will not be attended 20 ifi