The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-06-25


defence of that country tn which we have
10 ffdol ar his attachment Property, real
nr personal, ~ not essential tn eligibility
fnr fhe highest Office in our military depart
uncut, nor Hfe fhe ser, c.s of the subordi-
nate niliiiaman abridged in proportion II
hls poverty. His lifi,u,i0ns aud his dan
gers are the sam. Is tiIbse of the wealthy
Land holder whose exclusive possessions
: are exposed 10 the ravages of the Invading
+ eneny. II ,ir dangers appreheuded from
the man who has no evidence of attachment
o. his country be sufficient To disqunlify
him from voting nj the polls, certainly that
danger should be equally deprecated vhsu
he has the command ofthorsands ia arms,
aud an enemy ON our borders.
II is commended by the friends OF freehold
qualification, that Ne ought not 10 commit
the vital concerns uf our country to the
caprice of those who have no evidence ol
attachment tu the community should
the sight If suffrage be extended, onr per-
sons and property would be JeoPardlzed
by the whims and caprices of the pauper
aud the sagabond.s IT, indeed, il can be
shown that IA majority of the free white
males over II years, of age, aud Of settled
residence, for IL IL not eOntendrd that the
elective franchise should be extended 10
minors, itincrants, or foreigners, not nata
ralized,l - composed of panpcrs aud saga-
bonds, IL will be- conclusive in favor of the
policy and the Justice of limited suffrage.
But surely this Is not the case III Virginia.
We have no large or extensive nanniactu-
ring establishments, nor are ouf cifies over.
whelmiugy popuIo IS +; so that there is no
spacious harbours for Dependence, corrtp
tion and yrnaliiy. There is u national
prde-a andabie ambirion--a dignity of
department peculiar Ia frern.cn. aud com
mon To Yuglnians, which will secure inde
pendeuce OF mind and of character, 50 long
AS liberty shall ne held sacred, and Virtue
and morality encouraged These are the
pillars on which our government must rest,
aud should these be- removed, the whole
fabric like house " built on sand" will
totter aud shake, and when the winds come
aud the storms of political adversely shall
beat, the entire superstructurc will fall, aud
the fall will be great.
/ Mr.. Leigh IN his remarks on the subject
of general suffrage, has gone into a variety
of definitions aud explanations of natural
and social rights, aud after learned aud
minnie analysis of the moral and political
philosophy of rights, has rndeavorcd IL
prove that the right Of suffrage is social
right Whether the electn g franchise be- n
natural or social, perfect or imperfect
right, - of little importance the principle
undrr consideration, If il be Il general right
derived from the nat Iral aud universal pein-
ciple-tbat " mex are of one dcerec, and
consequently that all men are born equal,
aud with equal natural right, III the same
manncras If postrrlty had been continued
by cre0tioainstcad of generation then
II Is essential that this right, with All other
rights, founded on the original equality Of
man, aud which are not rcpuSnant 10 the
welfare and happiness of society, should he
held sacred aud in,iolate, by man in So
cial staie.-The public arc indebted to Mr..
Leigh for the ,edi aud perseverance, with
which he has laborcd IN more than ore CT
rasion To expose the fallacy aud the evil
consequences which would necessarily re-
suit from the policy ofextcndng the excr-
else Of equal rights, aud the enjoyment of
equal privileges to the frccmcn of Virginia,
ard had he thought proper To have insltu
ted an inquiry into the philosophy of that
right by which the iandio,@'s of the state
exercise the entire controul of the govern
ment- by which "A large majority of our
citizens who bear tn. bur dens of the civil
aud military establishments of the country,
are held by the rorthy mtnorityas "enanls
at will' of their liberty, the community
would have recognized an additional obi
Satior.
But in the language of the Substitute,
" II is the essence of all regulation 10 br
" fixed and general" il is then thu essence
Of the Turkish government that the lives
aud property of the people should he sub
Ijcct 10 the wil aud caprice Of the Sultan,
for il is fixed and general regulation in
Turkey, that the will of the sovereign is
the law Of the landt II is admitted that in
any regulation short Of universal suffrage,
many who are worthy would be excluded,
while some on the other hand who are TN
worthy would be admitted but every rule
should come rs near to Justice as possible,
without running extremes. No man cy
poets that perfection can be obtained by
| any human institution. Its not the growth
Ufa terrestrial soil"--yrt that system is
surely most perfect, must desirable, and
most conducive to the dignity and happi
ness of man, by which perfection is nearest
Appropriated.
That the fIccholders OF Virginia are not
n body of wealthy landlords, incued by
interest ar temper to cypress those who
are not frerhulders, il is not necessary for
our purpose IN deny any more than il
would be To affirm that il would be prudent
and wise in the people OF the state To pro
crastlnate political reformation, until the
actual and practical evils flowing from
the unwholcsome provisions Of their con
stiuton, should gather, darken and swell
like the accumulated vapors Of summer
cloud, aud threaten the nation with an i'm
pending storm of anarchy and desrotsm.
II is sufficient to know thai the freeholders
are men-that they possess passions, pre-
JUDGES, feelings and dispositions, as the
common frailties of eiring humanity-that
human nature is the same under similar
circumstances, in all counties, in every