The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-04-05

great difference! The distinction of sex,
even that is not constant discrimination.
In one State (Now-Jersey) all the inhabitants
possessing fifty pounds of proclamation money
may vote; and, in times of high party excite
ment, the inhabitants have all voted, male
and female, till the evil was thought so con-
siderable, that an honorable gentleman over
the way, Mr.. Condict.) fearing the possible
effect of this new gynecocrasy, more prudent
ly than calamity, undertook to apply a reme-
dy, and proposed 4 law which took from the
fairest and best part of creation that influence
at the polls which we are all willing to con-
cede 10 them every where else. But this ex-
clusion is only matter Of law; the Consti-
futon remains the same and, in times of
high party excitement, should they ever re-
turn, who shall tell us that sex will not again
make variety in the qualifications of voters !.
again, the diversity in property, as a qualii-
cation Of voter, is so great, that, in one
State, more than half the free population,
who pay taxes and bear arms, are excluded,
while other States admit to the polls the poor
man who has nothing but his life to bind him
to the community; nothing 10 contribute to its
support but the labor he beatows ON the high
way; but whose life and liberty are as dear
TO him as the broad acres of his rich fellow
citizen to their posscssor. Lestly, there is the
great distinction between freedom and slavery,
which allows the friend who sits at my right
hand, (Mr. Hamilton TO have near twice as
much political power as is conceded TO me,
being a citizen of non-s'ave holding State.
Yet. you tell me, cir, that a system which
takes no account of this discrepancy in the
qualifications and numbers of those who COM
pose the districts, is uniform. Sir, it is any
thing but uniform.
The answer made by the gentleman from
South Carolina to this difficulty, is, that, if
this were matter of ordinary legislation, if it
were matter Within the grasp ofthe change
full discretion oil State, he should think it
was an evil that called for remedy. Sir, if
it were, as he represents the matter, Consti-
tutional fixture in the States, 1t would only
prove that no remedy could be had. 1t would
only prove that uniformity was not merely diff
fcult to be had, but positively unattainable,
because the obstacles TO it being guaranteed
in the Constitutions Of the States. But it is
not competent for the Constitutions of the
States TO make any limitations on this subject.
The Constitutions of the States cannot fig the
qualifications for voters for electors of Presi-
dent and Vice-President. This is left to the
Legislatures of the Statee, and is as much
within reach of amendment Cor alteration as
| should rather call iO of the Contitu:ion as
any thing in this connection. II the gentle
man, therefore, wishes to have an uniform
system, he must-there is no avoiding it
bring IN the proposal Of an amendment which
will go 10 lay off this country into districts,
each Of which shall represent an equal portioa
of the popular win Of the power, the knowl-
edge, the desires and interests of the people
of the United States. Any thing short Of this,
may have greater or less degree OF merit !;
but it will not have the merit of uniformity.
Further, Sir: 1t is in the regulation of the
qualification for voters, that the most success
full attacks may be made on the purity of the
electoral franchise. Win gentlemen consider
what is now passing before us, in the great
kingdom of, Franee-a kingdom, at this mo-
ment, more instructive to The American states
man, N the events there passing, (though
they may be less astonishing and alarming
than those of former periods than it has been
at any time within the last fifty years. There
they are making the experiment of a grand
electoral systen.-The:e they have their
great Kingdom, comprising thirty millions of
inhabitants, laid out into departments and ar
rondissements; they have their electoral col
leses OF Advertisement, and their electoral col
lrges of department. and all looks as fair and
systematic as the diagrams in your general
land Office and what is the result? 1t is so
contrived, by regulating the qualifications of
electors, that in Chamber Of Deputies, con-
sisting'of four or FIVE hundred members, and
at time when popular opinion was, perhaps,
equally divided in the kingdom, there were
some fifteen ortwenty members of the liberal
party, and all the rest were on the side OF the
crown. This is what an artificial regulation
Of the qualification Of voters can do, in pre-
verting the purity of the electoral franchise.
wish to he understood, sir, as speaking on
American principles; | am not sure that a
representation like ours would be safe in
France.
And here, sir, feel it my duty, in reply to
some intimations of the honorable gentleman,
to mike single remark, showing the incon-
venicnce of treating this subject, not as Con-
stitutional question, resting solely on the terms
OF the compact, but as one Of abstract pop
ular right. The gentleman spoke Of the SUBJ
lime spectacle of ten millions of freemen
marching TO The polls and he alluded to the
late election, as an election that had resulted
in the choice Of candidate, who was not the
favorite Of the People. Now, sir, if enter
into political compact, by which | agree
that my friend hero shall have two votes,
while shall have but one, will not after
wards murmur at the terms of that compact.
viii not say it is hard compact, especially
if do not think so, as do not in this case.
When you come to count up the result of the
election, will not refuse to admit his candi-
date has twice as many votes az mine, il that
be the arithmetical balance. But when we
come to talk Of popularity, that is another
thing; and ! cannot permit il 10 he calculat-
ed by The ratio of the three-ffths. And for
this reason must insist that the honorable
gentleman is not authorized to say, that the
last election resulted in the choice OF an in
dividual who was not the favorite of the Peo-
ple--I mean, taking the majority Of the votes
as the guide to that conclusion.
Having touched on this point, ought, per-