Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-05-19
MR. GLE Es's ADDRESS

az" so"et your most earnest attention my
liiehus, TO an important point Of difference i, ~
Pi"'oh' IN which, think you will see, that vour
dearest rights became implicated Inv The :, A
0' "'e purpose OF sustaining its claim Of command
lO'ei we senator, and that The same tiphts s,;lI
STAND implicated, by much more alarn,i,,, -;
ouhal-the general government l have M he
s''"''oh In saying that have no fears whatever of
any nSurla,ions By the q. a. In re.a,d 20 Tho
General Government have all fears The claim
" underlined power made by the & A.. 7 con-
reiVeio mere lapsus lingun-a mere sir, of
-: the ebuliition OF momentarv ey
ci'ement. The claim of undefined power bv Tho
zen Eovernment | believe to he the effect of :,
/ se'uea system OF usurpalion. During the las, half
century the 'T a has done great good and I,,le
Marin by legislation. II has seldom done ni,,,v tn
'nuF 'uuais III has never done ans harm inten
ro."'iH' Inc direct tendency OF our most excel
rent s'ate constitution, Is keep the n,uinistra
ion OF the state government i'm the bapJs oc ,bo
Hue!ihg class ot.people, consisting p,incjnaII, of
"5''cu.tuTi@ts' IhiS tendency alone is worth
more IMAM ali tue tendencies OF all other cons,i.u
.ions IN the world put together; government in
the hands oil the middling class OF peooIe. will
"e'er intentionally do wrong. y government in
vac hads oil either extreme of society will selIou,
intentionally do righ. 1t is the true Interest of
.he inidGins class always TO do ri.ht. I, is tho
iaise bat influential interest OF the extremes 81
ways TO do Vrong: The object of The ,oidl,j,,-
classes, 10 hold It's own. The otieci Of oi,ber ,v
IRENE, Il to plumber the middng class Of all If can.
ne prIncipie asserted here, is that the several
'1'e constitutions except in certain excep ed ca
seS' do certainly nest IA the state Legisj,,,,res
every Po,cer and attribute of s0reye;S,,i, ,,1jcL
ne people d0OUid otherwise erercise =, ,,so,, >,
surely The General Assembly could not have at
'ehiveiy considered this principle in all its extent
ana consequences, or II never could have accorded
10 IT. me high sanction of lis authority
All rights according to this principle, not ex-
reserved 10 the people in their written state
'u'on' win The general exceptions before no.
uced, are claimed by the General Assembly 10 he
exercised by it in the same manner. in which nm
individual person might do for himself in his inli
I vidnal capacity. Without trenchinp at all unop
The rights contained in the general excep,ions I
ehfea' the General Assembly 10 reflect upon The
lhhnity oi the most precious rights. enioved h,,
man IN hs native character which ,vouIJ he en-,
DEaced ny ms sweeping claim 10 underlined mower :
" All Tie rights growing out of social and do
mesiic intercourse, which constitute almost the
sum OF human happiness, and yhich have hereto
/ lofe Deen considered as unaenabe as well as the
| TlGh' OF instructions, would be embraced by II
According to ii, tie right of choosing wife
Woulh be better performed by the Genei al Assem-
lbiy In MS corporate character than by the i,diy
uuhI person who is TO be the husband IN his oriai-
hal Character The right of choosing 4 friend: The
fiSh OF choosing an occupation; the rielu of an
pIopiauDg moments TO labor or amusements. the
i4sh OF uiVeTsUring anus ements; the right of thin
ing; the light o speaking; the right of instructine
representative, &c. sc. and others nnumerable
ana as precious as they numberless, all could
be exercised by the General Assembly in ;,s oo
pofate character, better than by The Individual in
us original, native character. The imperial gov
ernment OF France has recently afforded am evan
PIE Oh qualified exercise Of one of these riahts
| Napoleon The Great has thought himself better
JGpse OF the proper persons for husband, for all
we girls OF France, who entitled to an annual
income oil two thousand franks, than the Girl.
"I".SeiEe Is; ana mas accordingly decreed, that no
gri IN France possessing an estate 10 that amount
shall be married without his imperial consent
/ II IS impossible TO presume that the General
assembly could carry its claims to underlined now
er to This extent; and it is here only subroiie l
most respectfully to its own reflections IN ds,er-
mine, whether the principle asserted would no,
extend thus far, and how much further? Directly
the reverse Of this principle is humbly pres,,,n
the true foundation of The rights retained by the
people. The sum of political power rightly be-
longing TO the General Assembly, consists of Tho
Affirmative grants of power in the state coo.tiu-
non, and all others necessarily incidental TO them
all other powers reserved TO the people in be;r
original characters, and they reserved generally
without enumeration specification; beciisr.
in fact, they numberIess, and therefore M,
According q he
republican orthodoxy, every rightful overl,nept
- founded upon the sum of the natural rgbts of man
gwen to II by his consent; these grants OUGHT ~
consist only OF such lights as are essential To Oh.
que operations OF the government, and of such as
man can most conveniently spare The object nj
TINS grant, Is not merely TO have a eovernnen,
Dhl That through the influence and aaeDcv of that
government, he may be more secure in the enioy-
ment OF his retained rights The retained ,i.L,
are too precious, too essential IN HE b,,,,,;,.-
be granted away; and are generally defined TO ne
/ rights unalienable. IL is tins prerous and una
/ lienahie quality, which gives them the ure-e,ri
/ nence IN the CLASSIFICATION Of rights II las been
oIten SAD, that the right TO instruct is a. sacred a.
ne ark oil the covenant. What is the fo1nds-
ION oi ITS claim 10 peculiar sancttv? IL is he
| cause II - right unalienobe. Ii is because.
/ u IS a retained and not conventional ri,lt
/ IL Is because II S. too precious TO be part-
ed with. IL is because II is exercised bv MAJ, -
/ AIs native, original md highest sovereign cbsr,r-
I yer. once in ke it derivaiive and con, en;ion7l
ana 10 De executed by representations II will then
be reduced q level with any other deriyative or
4 conventional right, and will at once be stunned
oil al ITS peculiar charms, Of a its peculiar sane
/ lIiies. apply this doctrine TO any other ugolieua
nc HS1t, nat o thinking, Of speaking, OF CHOOSING
a wife or friend; and each Of item also. when M
/ tempted TO be invaded, will be found .srrej ne
I Che ark OF the covenant" II then The rich, OF
instructions be found TO be prominent mem
Der Of the family Of unacnable nsh,. ari IN
be exercised b. man in his Original character.
and ii 10 get az its exercise by thr ..,rsf as
FeUhiy, IN Us representative .aei.. it ...rts
principle, involving ugb ,0 thr ,..ra. of all
other unalienable reh' mus' pto. e a.sinst Inc
principle, IN my cflr~cte. oi criz add In me
f't 'cler OIL scnsfo ran ever SILL b. Obedience.
SINCE b. ENDS TO % piioa'e 10y r.tst rights as
c .<en