Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-07-12
From The Richmond Enquirer.

VIC OoSef'auVhS "htSh ioiA"" Al @iiosiiei al VI
Gle:
From the Richmond Enquirer.
"He,o is such delegation as that I'd
.ihe Staunton convention to make mani
{" fest the fact, thata majority ofthe people
seal for reform:S I cannot conceive any
"method bat one-To require eyery mem
"6er of the conventioa, as preliminary
80 all proceeding, TO state ON MS HONOR
SHOW MANY PERSONS WERE PRESENT
SAND coNcURRlNG IN THE ACT OF DELE.
Z" CATION. find, cs both Mr.. Mercer ana
"the Friendof Equal Rights declare, thai
the OBJECT Of the proposed Convention
sat Sauaton, is to elicit an oppression q
"the real opinion Of the people, and there
"5y to coavince the Legislature, that there
is a large MAJORITY IN tavor o reform,
"Ihold them BOUND TO adopt some method
"ike that 4 hare suggested, TO sHEw THE
"REAL NUMBER OF CONSTITUENTS RE-
PRESENTED IN THAT CONVENTION"
There was time between the Sc
cond and third Punic wars, when Cato
the Censor concluded every speech he
made in the Roman Senate, upon any
subject, with these words-"I am also
Of opinion that Carthage should be de-
stroyed." And shall commence eve
~ letter shall hereafter address to
the public, with the words above re-
printed from my last number. chal
lenge the Staunton Convention to give
us the test / have indicated, of the real
number Of its constituents; or any fair
test; any test susceptible Of examina-
ZION. IL they do so, we shall know
how to estimate the real numberof re-
formers; if they decline to do so, we
shall be at no loss to understand the
reason.
In my first letter, I asked, whether
Mr.. Mercer did not, in public speech
to the people Of Fairfax, declare him
self in favor Of the abolition of the free
hold qualification Of suffrage? He
rightly supposes that did not hear
that speech; and it was for that reason
that stated the sentiment I had heard
ascribed to him, in the form of interro-
cation. ! gathered the doctrine the
speech maintained OH this subject,
from an account of it which saw in
the Enquirer, purporting to be an ex-
tract from an Alexandria paper; and
which ESQ far as knew had never
been eontradicted. But Mr.. Mercer
having said, that it is untrue, that he
either proposed to abolish the present
qualification of suffrage, or advocated
its universal extension, l would not say
another word on the subject, till | had
ascertained what he did say, from some
gentleman who was present and heard
the speech. l am now well informed,
that, in that speech, he declared it as
his opinion, that ecery man rho pays a
tar ought TO p6te. l do not know what
Mr.. Mercer calls the universal exten-
sion" of the right of suffrage: only
know, that this qualification, which
he certainly did maintain, goes to the
extent OF giving the right of suffrage
10 free. negroes.
i'll might collect Mr.. MERGERS OPT
MON on the proper qualification Of the
right Of suffrage, from his answer to
me, / should suppose that he thinks
that persons who hold lands by lease
hold tenure generally, should exercise
this right, as well as those who hold
by freehold tenure: for, when he talks
Of a husband voting on the dover Of
his wife in fifty acres of roste land,
while he could not vote on an estate Of
a thousand gears duration in as many
acres Of Improved land, | can hardly I'M
agine he meant it to be understood,
that he ever heard of a beneficiary term
Of a thousand years. In the English
complex system of conveyances and
settlements, very long terms are some
times created, and vested in trustees,
TO support contingent remainders, or to
attend the inheritance. If he means
those short terms Of years usual in real
leases, for which the tenant pays a year
" adequate rent to his landlord, l say,
without hesitation, that such tenant is
the last person, who ought to have
right TO vote, because, by his very stu
alton, he is liable to be influenced by
the landlords wishes, and the power he
holds over him. rspeak Of the gene
raj principle know, that much would
depend, in each individual case, on the
temper Of the particular tenant or Of
the landlord The lawgiver can only
build his institutions on the general
nature of man.
I said in my last number, that my
Information ,ras correct, the sense OF the
county Of Fairfax has not been fairly
ascertained. / hear that an .explana-
ton is wanted; and therefore send you
q piece signed Seventy SIR, which APP
peared in the Alexandra Herald Of the
18th May, and which ] request you to
republish. The facts it states have
been confirmed to me, by private inior-