Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-08

out Their own consent, or that of their repre-
sentatives," and are - daily bound by laws to
which they have not, in like manner assented,
for the public good" Dues not this fact de-
monsrate the importance of 4 " frequent re-
currence TO fundamental principles" when the
Constitution itself, passed by the same body
but fifteen days after the passage of the Bill
ofHights setting forth immutahle truths in pol
tiles, contravenes the very letter OF the most
important of them all? But we are taught
by the alarmsts TO console ourselves on this
head, as il is all chimera io talk of" GO
vernment ofthe majority" And according TO
their political arithmetic that tico and TITO make
one, we should come nearer TO government
OF the majority, by retrenchng than by ex-
tendng the right ofsulfrage-at least we ought
to be contented to remain we are, for If
fioo and fro make one, four and four might
make neuer-0-one.
But in serious language we are told that
great Inconvenience arise in the other states
out of this extension of suffrage-that corrnp-
ton of the suffrage of laborcrs under the in
Huence Of their employers is the dread conse-
quence. l could answer these gentlemen by
very short Franklin logic, to wit, that the
premises are false. Does it follow, that be-
cause wealthy farmer or factor, and all the
men he employs on his farms or in his facto-
ries vote together, there must have been cor
ruptlon among them-a buying and selling Of
votes, or the Illumination of threat to he
sent supperless to bed, TO be unhouscd, 10 be
turned adrift pennyless upon the world, or
even the apprehension of frown-if these
poor dependents, wretch.s, slaves, as the
dtdTmiSts would depict them 10 be, had dared
to vote differently from their employers No
such thing, fsllow-citizens believe me. no
such inference is to be drawn from such
concurrence of votes no man in this free
and enlightened republican community of un
roctr
holds his reputation by the tenure of public
opinion, would dare risk his good fame by such
an outrage upon the liberty of those who hap
pen To he in his employment the snpposi-
ton II too revolving TO every feeling of indie
pendenca in the enc, too shocking To all sense
ofmorality in the other, TO admit of serious
alarm. Ne, fellow-citiZens, this concurrence
of votes turns upon quite different principle,
and am utterly astonished that any inteIli-
gent gentleman could ever understand il 9TH
erwlse, since there have been no uneQuivocaI
facts to substantate this charge of corruption
The true explanation of this concurrence OF
votes turns upon this notorious fact---that so
long as there are adverse parties in politics.
so long there be different sects in religion
various professional pursuits, diversity of me-
ehanical occupations, there will be prejudices
and partialities III society-each individual is
and ever Will be, prone 10 adhere 10 the inter
ests of his own party, sect, profession, or ro-
cation and il the atdmiSfs would have it 9th
erwlse, they must not only set about 10 re-
verse a prescrrtive and Fundamental law OF
nature, but they must be- sure to succeed in
the wise project, the mechanic aud his
employer will continue To vote for the friend
of manufactures, the merchant and his clerks
will ever vote for the friend Of free commerce.
and the farmer and his tenants, his overseers
his stewards, sill ever vote against the advo-
cate nfa tariff, if they can never he-convincrd
that the encouragement of manufactures " i'll
increase the consumption of their products in
Il much greater ratio than it " i'll increase the
cost of such imported articles rs fall TO their
share to consume. And il is in his way YOU
are TO arrive at the aggregate sense of nation
NOT by restricting her suffrage or her sover-
eighty To any particular class Other citizens ;
| for such would b. practical aristocracy-and
such in reality is the arsiocracy of Virginia
and the Caroinas, and such il viii ever CON
| tinue To he, until the landholders 10 whom thi,
monopoly ex clusively belongs Though hope
and believe contrary TO their WISH have the
magnanimty TO restore their long withheld
participation of sovereignty to all residents who
| pay taxes for the uses of government. Does
that magnanimity now exist in Virginia I? IF it
does, let a convention be called 10 fpctify this
flaw in our Constitution, left so, in fact by the
hurry the moment, as the internal evidence
ofits very phraseology testifes.
But perhaps am premature in surprising
the advocates for restrictive or freehold suG-
| frage, are ready to concede me the moral i'm
possibility of corruption between the lahourers
and their employers upon the principles above
advanced, or upon any other ground--thry may
have the hardihUOd moreover to assert that
| the practice of corruption in some Of the states
is so general and some twOo more states have
been thus odiousIy pariicularised) that the mo-
raj iurpnude is actually removed by its univpr
salty. God forbid | should seriously ADM, so
blacka charge against any portion Of my coun-
| tryincn IN whatever district they be found,
whatever political principles they profess--but
! to make the defeat the more perfect, will adj
NIT the opponents of general suffrage this Of
any other abuse they may allege, that may
! have an opportunity TO snow that such abuses
| are not the necessary consequences of general
suffrage, but the effect Of the improper man
| agemPnt of elections. And | presume those
| gentlemen will not be so lost to candour
as to deny that if the elections may be
so conducted as To- defeat any attempt ut
corruption or fraud, the occasional practice of
either is no better argument against the ex-
/ tension nj suffrage, than the horribly dcmOral-
| ising effects Of money and the daily abuses that
| are practised throughout the world by It's
temptations are against lis use ~ soci,ty
/ for If the abuses of the one can be corrected
| the objection against IT, is entirely eTacpd; vet
| in defiance of the iOcurrigible abuses Of The
other, social intercourse, as is universally ac-
| knowlrdged would be 1T an end fthai medium
were Withdrawn. Let IL be understood, how
ever, that when protest against the existence
VI this corruption between the Industrious Ia.
| bourer and Ills employer, / do not deny that
! there may be other imprOpretics, foul con