Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-21

fant aud lnefncipnt constitutional corrective
I beg you will also east an eye on the exam
ole Of New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, and Ind
sna.-GeOrga limits the service of her judges
70 three years, and the other three states limi,
theirs to seven years. Doubtless they wer.
actuated. in establishing this recurrence to tn.
principle Of election lin order to conserve and
protect the purity Of their judges from the
temptations OfpOwer) by that awful beacon,
the usurpniions and acquifial of the haif.con-
demnsd Samuel Chase. Surely periodical
recurrence to the reD0vating principle Of cleo
ton in every department can do no mischief
for il the incumbents have fulfilled their trust
to the satisfaction Of their electors, and are
more worthy than others who might COM
pete with them, renewal Of their election
follows as matter Of course, to their in
creased honor. For the correctness nr this
position again appeal to ingenious repubii-
canism, and not to masked drisfecrdcy.
II is with regret, fellow citizens, that / per-
ceive shall be obliged to trespass on your
patience with a fourth number. l shall then
endeavor to conclude with comparative
chart Of the several constitutions of the Unit
ed States, showing at glance Of the eye, the
qualifications to suffrage at elections; how e.
lectiOns are conducted; the officers so elect
ed, or otherwise appointed, by whom, their
qualifications, their terms Of Office, SIC. sc.
Sc. PHlLO DEMOS.
Remarks Of Repnblcm of 9s, in ansoer to .Mr.
Leighs proposed Sntstitute, Continued.
No. 2.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE ENQUIRER.
Gentlemen: will now proceed, as concisely as I
can, TO assign my reasons for advocating the call
Of a conven'o%n, not TO destroy, butte anend the
deavour ncidenially to ovia,c, the mos, important
ob"c,'ons in Mr.. Leiehs anticipated Substitute.
his, conceive, ahundany manifest, that a con-
k,,s a. -. q.
shed upon this subjrc by the constitutions of the
other states, and awaiting iseif Of all the nfor
that may be obtained Of their practical operation
would he enabled to select from among their provi
sons, much that is good, aud in all human probabi
", by rejecting what ia bad, would make Tor as, q
cops"''on more nearly approaching to perfection,
I'll, any which has hitherto appea, ed.
For the purpose Of accomplishing this great work
the right Of Suffrage lin the FIRST place ought to be
extended rery generally, though not universally.
Inc ircnus oi reform can never be guilty Of the
ah,uu'y OF conicndpg, that THIS Important social
right, (Which cert,Dy, like Ill other social rsh,.
may aud should be regulated, nccordug to the die.
h'es OF reason aud good sense) can with propriety
lie extended to persons incapablr i'm the mature III
things, Of exercising il with uude ner
SIMS whose age ser porerfy, necessarily suI,i+cs
them 10 The control of O'hers,-or to pei sous render,
Ell unworthy To vote ny conviction Of infamous often
ces-
The only question then is, wbat il the true rule of
poficdi erpedie"cy on this subject ?It is the ax,m
OF TepaoHca" government, that all the ci,izeps OF
the commonwealth are entitled 10 the enjoy me M of
e7udl rights, except IN where necessity /orbds
ar re,y cog'ut reasons TO The contrary crust The
poss'o'hty, Or eve" probability that bad use may b0
n'ape ct right, IS nota sufficient reason for will
hoid'ng u altogether The true rule therefore, an
pears TO TIE thit furnished by Bill Of Rights viz
" thai elections of members 10 serve rs represents
" yves OF the people IN assembly, ought 10 he free
and thai all men, haring sufficient evidence of per.
" mdnenf common interest ,cuh and auacha.. nj 10 The
community, have right Of stuff age, and cannot be
f"rrd or deprived oil their prope rty for hubble uses
'htfr own consent, that a. their
sc"'Aves so elected bound By ann Laio 10 ,chi h
they ha,e not in like manner ass,,,tsI ir ,,n ii
good" ~ f
ierson who considers the terms of This rule al
ten'ive'' may naturally ask the following question
Ian nv good reason he given for excluding from The
rghi of smfr'gc, any Tree white IN ale CITIZEN OF Tins
communicable, aged twenty. one wears mr. ,,p,v.r,s
VINO has resided withio the county in which he offers
'''', year, or mere, next preceding the eeciioo,
w.; pa ,ne Sue a"d county lures, and performed
whea'y duty, IT 10, exempted by law from peri,rm-
ng y such person not having forfeited the privileges
Oh 4" eIec'or, 10y conviction uf any cre :It surely
senm, al h's sight, net inconsistent with the golden
'u' anove mehlion-d, TO pern, all such persons 10
ehJoyhe ine siin'"ble right OF voting for those Iy
whom iisy are tared Of having some pa ticpa,oo in
en..'I"e NE laws 10y which The iyt, liberty and pro-
J~ri5 o. effFy man ~ the community, NAV tie AFFECT.
eu-'t does appear reasonable, that natives Of our
country, or eWlgianis into il tom our sister states
VINO have shew", by se,tIing aud residing among US,
bureaucratic iUeniioD 10 Ia Ike up, here, their ne rm
h""' abode,-who depend upon honest labour for
suppor,-who assist in ,iefrayng The exuenses of our
s".er""'en', are enrolled in its militia, aud
the, pish to cnioy under the projection of Ire, Oh
'ernmsn, Is dear and valuable 10 0ten though ,hey
c'hno' AFFORD To throw away money ia purchasing a
tesn"'o ests ~ land winch perhaps, they
.nsr tease nor cultivate TO advantage should he con.
s'de'ed as having " sufficient evidence OF permanent
common 'n'eres, with, and aiiachmen q" the com.
mm,n'!y,' To ento tben 10 the rgh, Of suffraee.
we are told ~ the Substitute, that, Ivy RESTRICT
ag me right Of suffrage 10 ecsoiders the f,amers OF
he bI OF Rights, who were d,so The authors of The
oo"s""iioi', gave their owo cunremporaneous en-
POSITION oil tat menniog Of those importing ~ords, call
O. nas,mg s,4ht'ene er'denee Of permanent COM
Xt&'n'etrs', a." siiewI"g plainly tbs, ~ their opiu
,1&#fehofaers omiy answered 10 Tins desc,,ptio, -
ih"vsuch appears 10 have beem ti,eir opniou 4 III,
nov deny hui, unless the authority of g, ca, mer, ssiI
NC Fearuru ~ preference 10 sound uypz,ys,f ~ 10
no oil course 10 lie admitted that suc, exuosi;on.
Nh""gh coDiemporsueous,) tras correct On ,be
Ionr'ry, u am,sars 10 that the princiDie laid
aown IN the Bin Of Rights, is correct; ID = The &c.
ro''on gwen 10 the constitution IS q departure fran,
WE principle, being in fact nooosisten, win a, and
therefore ought to he condr mnud us s,ach -Rv,
some excuse for THIS appnren; error seems 10 he m
t's , "y .he important fact that, in the year i776,
sI "u"e c",zens o. Virginia, were almost uni,er-
sa"y ireeboiders.--Lands weie ci,eap mechanics
"u manufactures few nearly all the goods ron.
su"ed ." he colony, having, uoiiI then been ;mnor,
hs;na a.,s'.,,s n o and the mercantile class
song R'aefa'iy foreigners. The members Of liz
convention, we're themselves elected Inv The I,nJ.
noiucis, and therefore, very naiuraIl, coo,em,I,nd
no oher mode OF eect'on-Bn', in Tie iapse oil n,e
great changes have occurred IN all ,,es res,sc,s
am, therefore, correspondent change in the risbt
VI snf'age, would now be hghI, reasonable
Noi only " the extensions of this right ,en,sn,IeJ
~ 'he pr'nciple of justice, bur by erpsoisncy
would eradicate from our poj,l,csj sys,r,n on, n,
90 s' !" me causes, W winch respectable mechanics,
Inu "set" whe iabouIers not being frsehoid,rs are
r'sS"W"grd 'rou nigrafing mt ViigJnia or driver
~ 'Sg9s' ',om her bosom 10 that of o,ber states,
whtre they know they ran (uIjy euio, The soc;,I