Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-05-09

] Il.
'""i''sion, the heat OF the contest being over ,bat
~ d. wen as your opponents We're actuated las,
ave OF county, or wonld the objection Ia ,onr
'o'e 1e answered by attempts, however subtle and
aruui, TO confound it with a claim of r;ub, ~,
He part oi The State Legislature, under the po,v.-
20 regulate the times, places and manner of
holding elections for Senators and Represent,
Nes' " 10 attach additional qualifications to re-
ireseh'"uYes to Congress TO those prescribed hv
we cohsNilon: TO con!ound their Giapproba.
'4oh 0l Inc vote Tor amOnQrchiSt, for examine
w'ii claim OF right in the Legislature 10 annes
10 me qualifications prescribed by the constitution
SP0ItHe6t test! their disapprobation of the vot.
ioF iAe advocate of an established religion with
c'ah OF right in the State Legislature TO superad
10 Uhose quaiihca;ions religious teSt2 or would
me objection be answered by attempts TO confound
IL wi'h an assertion of similar rights in Congress
IN virtue OF their power TO alter the regulation,
Oh the Stale Legislatures as TO. the times, rlscc.
ana manner Of holding these elections. excc,,
as TO The places OF choosing Senators:'' or by
pushing your conclusions, from assumed nra,,i
90 SUI greater lengths. and insinuatipr again,
your opponents The further absurdiv of beIie,jn
against the fact, that laws were actually an H.
statute BOOK OF the State prescribing these adJi
uohai Qualifications: Believe us, no. Nor ,vII
our objection 10 your vote for man who was rof
" resident and freebooter of the district, 10 go,
sdered as answered by your very inpenio,;;s -,
10 lHier from II that we believed that The Genersl
Assembly OF Virginia had right 10 annex these
10 he constitutional qualifications and that law,
was actually in existence 10 that effect. which
iorDad your eXpatiatins" for a representative be-
yond The limits Of the district; or The cotalJ,. 81
seatoaS ana l2genu0us insinuations of your,rn,
my coadJGtors, the letter writer's against the ION,
dency OF our doctrines. No, gentlemen, the ma
Jorty were not so ignorant of your rights or Then
own, as TO contend for the absurdtcs gratuitousfv
imputed to them lou have drawn too largely on,
their ignola nce and The crcdulity of the pubJir ,r
sfqI ,o ~
would be, II they thought proper TO vest heir
stock in tie hands of strareer
Inc authors OF the address 10 the majority 1v;ri
up the hrst branch OF their subject in these words.
v 30 much Tor the first propositions; and we hone
we have established the principle that we had ;i
constitutional and legal right 10 vote for o,,,, ~
creef ana proper person, even out OF the distinct,
who was an inhabiiant Of tie State, % wears old
and who had been years citizen of the ~
'''a'es.' discreet and proper person Where.
gentlemen, do you find these qualifications rrc-
scribed I: Not ia tie cons EifutiD2. L,,ii,; fbef
cffhe FirgiHiG Lesislatwc-- not lie old .y,,Io.
Ged and repealed law merely, and which also re-
CURED the qualifications of freehold and residence
IN the district, but IN the eristing act of the IA
AegEiaf%Te Now would it not be as candid and
as ialr Tor us to inier, from your thus RESTRICTING
your right OF choice 10 some discreet and rro,cc
person, in or out of the district that ,,,, asscr,
right IN the sale Legislature to attach addition
al qualifications 10 representatives, o Congress 10
those prescribed by Tie constitution as i. was fc-
you 10 make like differences with regard TO our
principles and opinions, from requiring tha:tie
representative Should be Z ieeLolder and re,idenf
Of The district, especially as you quoeibe rssiris
ton from an existing law, and would Therefore
seem TO acknowledge lis obligation IN tigf res
Pect Might we not lere retort mon ,or-
your own questions = Do you think that urgsa y
Inc power to regulate The times places and manner
OF noidHS elections The legislature has the i:glr
or IL r.tiri L.
representatives, 10 alter ;hem in any rfsnec
as defined In the Constitution - :. If ~
power does include the power to add 10 or al
ter Tie qualifications OF the Representatives
me eIecie'i, by The same parity Of REASONING
uoe' Is ho' Include the power TO add to. or alter
the qualifications o! the e!ec,oIs;'' win uo,,
be pleased 70 draw the distinction? But CoDGTc.s
" may hy ia" q, any time, make or alter such re-
gui@uoHs except as 10 tl.e places of choosing sens
LORE. = Are gen willing, gentlemen, by con
leAuhs !OT power not granted. 10 open the doo-
y 30 J""iSh ana eredSe for sweeping regulations
OF Congress on these vital slLiecs' 10 autboris,
fhe@ to say what qualifications your repTesenta
yves shall possess, and upon tie same principlos
What qualifications you, who vote, shall possess ;
10 ger nor perceive, the dangerous consequence
10 winch Vour doctrines viii lead? And how
long, gentlemen, since you became advocates for
any construction Of tie constitution which NAV
have tendency TO enlarge the powers of the ger
efai SoNeFnmenr Gum Tnul;is a!iisp lntitato
hoM"e, ne te, sc: you may finish tie quotation
we dHAi' 1t wonld be perfectly iaI 10 90 all
dis; because u would be only refortino uror ,c,,
yonr own mode Of reasonng--a measure ofi,s,ic.
which you could not object TO-. But we djsrIa;,n
such reasoning. We suppose you onIy ,uc,r,
that It would be very &c discreet and p,ouer,, 10
vote io none but g discreet and proper nersc,,,
(inc only sense in which we have insisted on anu
obligation TO vote for " frecholder and residn,t
OF the dlsrict') and not that you meant 70 a1n,i,
The right oil tie legislature to " attach additional
qualifications 10 Representatives 20 CONGRESS ~,
those prescribed by the Coastiiutjon'-a isos+
OF al, tins resficon or qualifications y hich yould
be the entering wedge Of al sorts of tests moral
religious, and po.i,icai ore would omen he door
To furnish an c1cUsc' Gas you have in 9. for
sweeping regulations" ol tle State Legislature.
OF Of " Congress on these vital subjects
Andhere we would briefly notice tie cll7rgc os
cam 50 confidently 5forga aCains, the MAORI
by The !eticr-'YIieTs; and ask If more cant We
ever jet exhibited, in Tie same co,nra-s. f,sn T.,
VAC parts referred 10 Of tie two addresses we st
answering: " Par mobile fratram' truly! DO fhe.-
authors, or any OF them, really think That The re-
soulioa expressed ly the district 10 adhere 20 a..
good Old usage 81 choosing their representative.
from among Themselves, and not 10 " borrow
hem from otkeT Gisnic's, Is fairly liable TO ,Le
charge OF cant, and ai tie other objections vyi,ic,
ihey have urged against it; o. are all these fin
syiiogisms and iloufishcs introduced merely for u.
iect--or as dccogsl We are willing 10 be jodreJ.
by an impartial public 10 whose door The eJ,sr..
OF cant lies; but a. % our votes, or our opinions
concerning the votes cl Others we Shall plead r.,
their jurisdiction, Of Tie jurisdiction OF apy ofg.
tribunal our OF She district
The truth is, fellow uIzcns, that all tl,e.a C,,
teiefcd hoUghtS, and IoycF2 construction,
and derfaHWDfY 0PpcQL have nothing 10 do