Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-03-24

merit OF uniformity.
Further, Sir; II is in the regulation of the qualifca-
'ion Tor voters, that the most successful attacks NAV be
made on the purity of the electoral franchise win
gentlemen consider wla, now passing before us in
The great kingdom of France--a kingdom, at this mo-
rnent, more instructive to the American statesman i'm
the events there passing Though they may be less as
tonishing and alarming than those OF former pcriodsl
than has been at any lime within the last fifty wears
There they making the expe ment Of grand cleo
torai system There they have their great kine DOM
comprising thirty millions Of nla bitants laid out into
departments and ACCOMPLISHMENTS; they have their cleo
o'a coegeo OF arrontIssemen and their electoral coli
eGes OF department. and all looks fair and systematic
as the Diagrams in your general land Office and what
IS the result II Is contrved, by regulating the qua
ihca,ipns OF electors, that, IN Chamber of DEPUTIES
consisting oil hour or i've hundred members, and at n
ttRe when popular opinion was perhaps equally diyE3
ed IN thc Kingdom, there some fifteen or twenty
members of the liberal party, and all of the rest were
on The side OF the This is what an artificial re.
guation Of the qualification of voters can do in rer
verng The purity of the electoral franchise wish 10
be unde'stCod sir as speaking American principles
am not sure tlac rcpresena: like ours would be
safe in France.
Aud here, sir, feel my duty in reply to some init
nations of the honorable genenau to make single
remark, showing the Inconvenience of treating This
SUBJECT not as constitutional question resting soetv
Oh the terms of the compact, bat ono Of abstract M
puar right. The gentleman spoke of the spectacle of
Ten millions OF reemen marching the polls; and he
alluded To the late election, election that had re-
suited IL the choice Of candidate who was rot the
iavoure of the people. Now. sir i? enter into DO
liticaI compact b. which agree that my friend here
shall have two votes, While shall have but one will
not afterwards inurmur the terms of that conpact
VIII not say tits hard compact especially If DO not
think so, rs 10 not in this When YOU come to
count up the result OF the election, will not refuse TO
admit his candidate has twice many NINE il
that he the nrithnetical balance But when we come
10 talk OF popularity, that is another thing and can
not permit II to be calculated by the ratio of the three
hltts And for this reason must insist hat the no
nourablc gentleman not authorized To saw that the
last election resulted in the choice of Individual wfu
was not the taVonrte Of the People---I mean taking
The majority OF the votes the guide to shat conclr-
! sion.
Having touched on this point, ought perhaps, to add,
'ha mere are any members in this House of that class
OF politicians 10 whom the gentleman from North Caro-
lima Mr. Saunders alluded having the dsposition
though not the power disturb compromise con-
tanned III the constitution this point, am not of the
number Neither am of those citizens of tIe
| North, 10 whom another member lately referred in n
publication TO which his name was subscribed who
would think ii immoral and irrelgous Join in putting
down serylc lnsureCton at the South arn no sol
d'r' SIR my habits ana education very unmarv;
but there Is no cause in which would sooper buckle
kn3psaC To my back, and put a rnuslet on my sIouI
der, than that would cete the whole continent to ans
newio would take ito England 90 France TO Spain.
would see Ii sunk in the bottom of the ocean before
would any part of this fair America converted into
Continental Hayti, by that awful process OF blood
shed and desoaiOn, by which alone such catastrophe
could be brought The great relation of seryi,ude
IN some form or other with greater less departures
from the theoretc equality of inseparable from
/ nj
this servtude Shall be fixed but political institmon
Domestic slavery though confess that form of SER
vInie ~ ich seems most beneficial to the rnaster-cer-
tauly not that which is most beneficial 10 The Slave
not i'll my Judgment 10 be down as an itno and
Irrcigous relation cannot admit tia Religion has
bn one voice TO the slave and that this voice is, Rise
against Your MASTER" No, sir, the New Testament
says "Siaves obey your Masters and though know
tuiiwe, that IN the benignant operation Of Chrsani-
ty"tlch gathered master and slave around the same
communion table, this unfortunate institution dappea-
cd In Europe, Jet, cannot admit, that while it sub.
Ssts and where subsists lis duties pre- suppo-
sed and sanctioned by religion. And though certain
iy am not called upon TO meet the charges brought
against this Institution, truth ohiioes me TO say
word more on The subject know The condition of The
working classes in other am intimately ac
quaincd with il in other countries and have no
hesitation in saying, that believe the slaves in This
country are better clothed and fed. and less hardly work
cd, than the peasantry Of Of the prosperous
States of the continent Of Europe Consider The checks
! ON populations read Nautilus. What keeps popua;ioa
down? Poverty want, staryatiOr disease ard all tie
ills Of life it is these that check population all over
/ the world. Now t'c slave population in the JTu;-
ted States increases faster than the white masters in
clUded. WHAT'S the inference 10 tie physical cop3i-
ton of the two classes of society? These are opinions
have long entertained, and long since publicly proleg
sed on this subject and which here repeat IN ans we,
TO tho limitations 10 which haze already alluded
5ht SiT Shen slavery comes 10 enter into the to.
ton as political clemcutwhcn it to affect 'hc
distribution OF power amongst the States of the uon
that is matter OF agreement. If make an ,.ree-
ncDt on TIN, Subject, viii adhere IT, ike mon. t
VIII protest against any inierences being mao.
il Of The kind. whcb made hy the honorable f,..
of these resolutions. wil protest araEs ,utt,i..
as well as votes, being increased by o.. fs:r - ..
ifths of the slaves.
shall proceed row fo offer fny cursor. ft,ar.,
on the merits ct NC different modes OF choosing o!c1-
tors as discussed by The honorable gentleman.
The gentleman passed lightly The appointment,
OF electors by the state legislatures: he teaed as
manifest usurpaion in which lac had the concurrence
fine gentleman from y. !. (@ir. Slorrs. did nteud
10 have said something more in detail this subject,
but The gentleman from Virginia Mr.. Stevenson has
so exhausted II, that II IS not necessary for 10 60 into
that argument J shah only remind the committee in
addition 20 what stated by Iat gentleman that in
the first appointment Of electors, in 1883 before tie
constitution can be said to nave gone INTO complete
operation; at that carly moment a very considerable
proportion all the states bat three, did appoint their
electors by lle act Of Their legislatures In NY own
state they were appointed by the concurrent Of the
legislature and tie pcopehc people in large districts