Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-18

IT'S unworthy .f a virginian when he says,
that freehoder often hires a substitute,
when he ought 10 be made 10 fight in defence Of
ms ofrn fand." 1t cannot be- dishonorabie or
ore"cp "i aiegiarce Tor man 10 pay an u
ero' 10 o" ms business in peace or war, or for
'rePbOIdef 10 pay substitute out of his own
labor. de stands his draft in the militia with
all other citizens, and where is The wr.ry
when ne performs triple service, by hiring
substitute, maintaining his family, and rails
'nS means L" feed and pay the army and IA
Ivy: Is u not better for him 10 dn all this
'nan 10 DE forced into the army or navy?
without such men, what should we do for the
want OF taxes Monied men without free
ho'us, paying little or no tax, also often EN-.
pi"y their substitutes Ii the patriotism. mi s
.a'e friendship, Or compensation of one mill
I'D 'nah VINO Is not drafted, induces him To-
=, ,aht the place OF another, where is the dpr.-
iictiuD If duty or injury to our canary , Tn
All sudden calls the militia, il will l,e found
mat lever country Il eehoiders remain at home
IMAM monird men without frpehoIds, when
numbers are proporiiOned and considered.
on emergencies the fIpeholder often appears
In the ranks, besides having ont substitute
ne generally goes in person when the service
IS short when long, ask. is it criminal for
MN to hire substitute when possessed of
the ability TO do so When destitute of that
aoin'y ne goes himself, leaving his ailaIrs 10
.he care OF friend or tn go To wreck But
u Is SAID, when poor man is drafted, he is
obliged tn go 10 Fight, not for his own rights.
nut IN drience OF the frrehnIders' property
describing from our consideration that ,be
poor man IS well paid for his service, let us
briefly examine this proposition. In Virginia
man blessed with all his faculties perfrc,
rom Inc hands of an aIl-bouniiful Creator. is
poor el'her from choice or misfortune He
can easily acquire and live comfortably ON
twenty-five acres of land, or he can learn n
trade and easily acquire house in a town.
In ei'her case of acquisition, he can exercise
'he same vote In the go, eminent. with the
man owning IN one tract twenty five Thousand
| acres or whole town. IL he chooses To live
on ms money, and eDtertains an aversion In
the ownership Of house or land. or. If he
remains poor from choice or misfortune. what
lnst cause oil complaint hath he against the
constitution and laws, which make ample pro-
'ision Tor the unfortunate poor? II is hardly
necessary 10 mention, that the freehulder
pays thr greatest proportion of ieyies for the
henefit of the poor. Let rehectng Door man
fairly estimate and compare the value If his
share of the blessings ola government like
| ours, win the value of his share of the taxes
or pubic hurthens = and he will certainly lie
content, WITHOUT possessing power to vote
IN taxing the property of his fellow -citizens.
when he will not have one cent of that tax In
pay. II is written by one Of the best and wi
sest of men, that II man cannot govero him
sell, he ought not to he trusted with the po.
vernn.ent OF others: :" may presume TO add,
mat u a man has no property TO tax, ought
he to be trusted with a power of taxing
The property ofothers In human affairs. If
is often mere safe TO rely on the interest or
fear OF man to keep him honest, than on
ms native goodness ar cultivated virtue. In
order 1" remove the cause of any illiberaI in
tsrences, hope shall escape the censnre of
arrogance or presumption, when beg leave Ia
remark, that was not born to an inheritance
Honest industry and prudent economy frs,
produced my freehold. From birth and edu
cation, my sympathies have been on tho sid.
1f he poor and unfortunate class of man
kind.
some of our CITIZENS urge as n serious oh
l'c,'on, mat stranger or foreigner owning
land snail have vote, when respectable
na'i'e-born citizen without q freehold capno,
vote. This objection will vanish nm mature
rfhrcooD' Abolish the freehold suffrage. and
we shaIl have four strangers and foreigners as
voters Tor one native voter. Strangers from
o'ner states as well as foreigners, do not all
se",e permanently amongst us, bot they ac-
q'l're residence on which they could vote
1
u convention was in session Tomorrow.
u could grant no relief in this respect for, by
the constitution OF The United States, the citi
ZehS OF one slate are entitled TO the same pri-
vhrges and immnDites, as the citizens Of the
several states, and Congress have the exclu.
si'e power 10 establish an uniform ,uIe NJ
n'turdtizdion." Therefore, wheo foreigner
becomes citizen according To the law of con.
gress, ne can exercise the right Of suffrage in
any slate he may reside, as well as all other
',sh,s OF an American citizen, according to
me laws OF such state in relation TO its native
born citizens. BY our present freehold quail
hcaiion of suffrage, only few strangers and
foreigners embaiking and Interviewing their
interest and destiny with ours, can vote in our
ei.ctions. BY the abolition Of The freehold
quahhcation, all strangers and foreigners bay-
ing no interests and feelings like ours, becoln.
ioS Citizens, car vote while they rem,in with
us, and after they amass mucl, wealth. etbsy
can retire with il to their native homes
whereby the commonwealth, after sustaining
'he m'scblevous consequences Of their influ.
ebce 10 our elections, will be drained Of a great
portion OF her valuable resources OF this in.
FURIOUS policy, our ancestors, when c0lonists
cnmplaiotd. Let US theD duly adhere TO their
! wise maxims
The Earth, IFS tage and spontaneous on.
rrSies, produce all needfuI things. Besides
the reasons already offered why The earth
should govern, other facts Of a very strong
y character are presented by the operations Of
civil society. Candid well Informed and
wealthy lnsn, who move through civil lie
without ireeholds, will acknowledge, the for
large debts they prefer landed security, or Sc
curly rom independent freeb0fders where
long credit is given. They cAen prefer such
freehOlders rs executors u their estates, and
guardians TO their CHILDREN. Courts of ius
tlCe. other nuhl;c ,ostituftops a,d a..