Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-03


OUGHT to admonlsh Us how easy II Nould be, b.
mere false conception mere bunder OF thought
10 convert government, founded upon Tree
representative systeri, into military despousn
Other great men have also u defiaken to form
constitutions, and to fix principle for The ]ns'
LIMIT OF the rights Of suffrage The celebrated
Bolivar, the great Liscr,tor and Military >hief-
tain. has recently converted himself into civic
urls, and after fixing upon the popular rlsh's OF
general suF age. having first ensncpated all slaves
10 pr,ake of this qualification, he has ceemeJ II
proper 10 fix limits 10 that right Ivy certain ex-
clusions. Amongst the rest, the exclusion OF all
habi,ual drunkards. Bolivar had previously intro
duced the trial by jury. II is to be presumed, that
Bolivar stopped 10 consider the modus ope-
ran Ii, by which this principle OF exclusion was 10
be carried into eject. Suppose voter to ap
preach the poll. aud to be challenged 10y the Off
Ger. conducting the election, as an hahtua drunk
ard The voter should deny the fact. How could
he fact be ascerlaned so as 10 proceed in the
election Sir, great aud splendid minds otten Ia
dulge themselves il fascinating conceptions with
out coudescendng 20 LOOK at the modIs ope'aadi;
and from recent circumstances, really tear, sir,
that the great Bolivar will shortly convert him
self into Jack -aliTrades. SO, the worthy
learned gentleman from Frederick, yesterday
presented US an entire basis for the right o!
f.rage;i it would seem at open war with Bolivar.
he asserted, tint the ouiy jttsf basis Of repre-
sentait0n, was in diligence Agreed. cir But it is
respectfully submitted TO The gentleman, to point
nut the mode for ascerainine the proper degree of
intelligence fixing upon is proper limit. But,
sir, the considerations in favor of the freehold limi'
10 the rish, o. suffrage do not step here There
are others still more irresistible aud cOnc!u-ive
II Is juS,he by the experience OF all times, and
1t was chiefly this experience, which most happily
for us & for posteFiy, led our ancestors into lis
adoption Our ,orefathers had neither the safety,
nor the leisure for INDUCING the fsuta-t;ca ch,mera
OF the mind, in framing their fundamental laws.
They were npelied BY dangers the most pressing
and imminent, to resor, mainly TO experience for
their guide. Happily both Tor themselves and for
US. they well knew that they must have GO
vernme1t grounded ca solid principles; for, if
they filled, their lives woult; be the forfeit -
IL has been often said, tina, they rsde the Con
stI'uton with ropes around their nects; and hence
they were unwilling 10 resort to un,ried expedients
They looked to the freehold limit OF the right of
suffrage as it then existed in Virginia, and found
II attended with the best moral tendencies over So
cIeiy. They looked To British ancestors, Fl ON
whom II was introduced here, and found in Great
Britain the same moral tendency there. They
looked np 10 our Saxon ancestors, and found the
same beneficial tendency there Indeed, they
looked back to the period Of time, whereof " he
memory OF man runneth rot to Inc contrary" and
wherever the freehold iinit Of the right of suffrage
had been adopted, it, at all pericis, produced the
same beneficial results. Experience, therefore,
under all circumstances, and at all TIMES. has
borne lis testimony in favor OF the freehold limit
to the night OF suffrage; and, sin upon a review or
the wi ls arsImert upon this case. il i'll be fonud
that the freehold right of suffrage will stand sp-
proved by nature. by reason, by philosophy, by
science, and by experience have asserted, Mr.
Speaker, that there are Two principles OF Teprcsen
'a.on adopted by our Constiiuion---the one. to
ne rieI into If. 10,
Characteristic other, by intermediate agents for
ms benefit. The frs applies 30 the legislative
representative, whose dGy Il - TO make laws, OF
TO prescribe the results OF conduct Tor the obser
vance OF the people The o;hu-, 20 the election
OF the ministerial officers for Carrying into effec,
those iaws. is this principle of election by in j.
rTiHediste sseat-, which las afforded the chief re-
prosch TO the Virginia Constitution, and has served
10 render tie Cons tuition of Virginia more un-
popular, than any other Principle whatever. YET,
cir, It tie principle be Dpariiai!y examined. il
WIZ be found 10 be grounded in science, and 10 be
aiteaded with the best practical results. The Va
Constitution pre-cTibes that The voters in their in
diVIdual capacities should choose their legislative
Tepf esen'stlves and after investing them with pow
efs OF iegislation, they are also n,ested with the
power of choosing the ministerial agents for car
ryIng The laws into effect. Add why should no,
the people entrust tie legislature with the power
oi eiecihg The ministerial officers for executing the
laws, alter they had invested them with the pa
famount power OF making tie laws? There is no
reason why they Should no, be entrusted with this
additional power, and the best possible reasons why
they should be invested with it. The reason is
that the intermediate agents better qualified for
selecting the ministerial officers than the people
themselves in their orginal characters Accord
lngly, the Virginia Constitution provides, that tie
legislative representatives. should elect the Gov
ernor, the Members OF the Council, the Judges OF
The Superior Courts, and the highes military Off
GERS; and in eIiisent impartial man, can doubt.
but that these intermediate agents would make
more lldicious elections, than would the people IN
heir individual characters " hst the popular
rage oil The day insists on Leaving 10 the people
he election OF all descriptions of officers, legisla-
tive and Judicial az well ministerial; and that
TOO, grounded upon the principle OF universal su(-
irsge Ii is this unfortunate nisconception Of lie
mind which has introduced mos fatal immoral ten
denotes among the people; and threatens more
danger TO our political ins iuiion< than any oiher
i'iss conception or unhappy exPedent WHICH has
heretofore been deyi-ed. This subject will be
iufther illusrsied in the examination Of The organ
iz1ton of judiciary system, which will no.
proceed 20 make. DO not propose TO irnni,e
into The merits or dement's Of our system of Sure
rior Coufts, because do not believe that there il
any popularity IN its organization They are in
tended to preserve Uniformity in legal adi1dir,
nonsj and that object believe 10 be a. well and
completely carried into effect, as ia any Other IN
dclai 'ystem Bot the great business of dispensioo
justice amongst Individuals, will be found 20 he
committed to ita County Courts, and to the Couo-
y Court justices The trainers of our Con.ti,u.
iIon' impeJled by The same wise circunspect ,4
eafo 10 experience which induged them 10 sdop,
lhe freehold right Of suffrage, determined then, 10
gtfu