Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-08-10

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lands and that the Literary Fund was CONSTITUTED
I'm great measure out OF the funds OF those taxes
Eyer, IN distributing the annual dividends amongs
the several counties, IN proportion to their popua-
tion. slaves, free negroes, and mulattoes have beer
all excluded from the ratios and none others per-
maied 10 oe taken in the calculation, besides III,
white inh'biiants. And this is expressly under
STOOL to have been done the particular instance
of The counties not owning slaves.
Many OF the counties West of the Blue Ridge d.
not pay taxes sufficient to feed their Repre- enta-
uves while on the assembly, and we even have Ia
pay our quota OF the sum necessary to defray the
deficiency. OF course they could have con,ribut.
ed nothing towards the formation of this Fund. II
then they come In for their share fihe annual pros
ceeds, according to their population, which is
white, while our slaves and coloured people are all
excluded, is it not obvious that the slave owners
below, are taxed to put money into the pockets oil
the non-slave- holders, beyond the mountains, and
that just in the same proportion to the amount they
thus receive, robbed of the fruits OF the la
bour OF our slaves Why, they should have in
sisted upon THE, we can be at no loss to coniec-
lure; but why the Representatives of the slaye
Owning Counties should have consented to it, ID
utterly incomprshensible, upon any principle OF
iu-tice, due regard to the interests OF their
Constituencies any rate, it is high time II was
corrected.
The next instance, that occurs OF the illiberaity
OF the people OF The mountains ards their slave
owning brethren below, Is to be found In the eQua-
llzston OF the Senatorial Representation. Here
i, is expressly understood, they claimed that the
ratio OF the representation should be based erci-
sueIy, on the tree white population; and the coun
ties have been arranged into Districts accordingly
The conduct of The Representatives of the slave-
owning counties is as perfectly mex plicable in this
case in the former.
They now claim, in case the Constitution should
be altered, that, IN equalizns the Representation
all people oil colour, bond or Free shall be excluded:
and only the tree white inhabitants permitted to be
taken into the calculation.
IL would be curious TO investigate The grounds
upon which this Claim of exclusion, set up against
our slaves and co'oured people, is founded. As
they have not ventured in any instance within the
knowledge Of the writer, TO go into an az gument
10 shew why they should be excluded il is diff :
hcult TO say upon what principle il is that they think
themselves entitled TO require this sacrifice at our
hands. Ii seems to have been left entirely with
US 10 conjecture the grounds for them. 1t is GER
tainiy proposition that does appear TO be quite
self-evdent axiom.
have always believed tina, Repre- seniative was
something more than mere speaking trItmpet
through which the people might communicate their
IDEAS to each other. have all along been weak
enough to imagine that they were TO be considered
as the guardians and protectors of our persons our
rights, our privileges and our property. And that
was their duty, ia exercising the powers delega-
ted 10 them, to regulate matters as that each por-
ton OF The community should have its due weight
In government; and that no one portion should be
allowed to be plundered and robbed by another -
But, that every thing should be graduated occord-
ing to the immutable principles OF Justice and
equity, for the promotion of the general welfare.
Should this view be deemed correct then it
must follow that the right to be represented, is the
right to claim and receive the fostering care and
protection OF government, not only il relates TO
our persons, but as II regards our rights, privileges
and r1rhs ,.,l,
arise out OF the nature and principles of the social
compact.
One of the reasons assigned for the extension OF
The right OF suffrage to ieeholders is that rep
resentaIon and taxation ought to 60 together, and
that II is hard TO compel a man to pay taxes, ard
al the same time to deny bm the privilege of yot-
lug. In this reason there are two things that seem
TO have escaped the notice OF its friends One il
that If representation and taxation ought 10 20 to-
geiher; this VIII attoid OF the best Arguments to
prove that our slaves on ght TO be represented For
they pay taxes to larger amount and contribute
more pecunisry means towards the support of Co.
veEnme h than any other thing, lands only except
ed ard not much less even than lands themselves
The ohe, Is, that they confound the right OF suf-
irage with the right OF representation, as thong h
they the same right. when, in fact, they are
very different rights For instance, none but free
holders, vote at this time in Virginia. Will it be
pretended that the wives and children of these
vote? That their lands, slaves, and other proper.
ty, are not represented or, in short, that all and
every description OF persons and property in the
country are not represented eqIay!
Why is il commended that. in altering the consti-
tu,on all people of colour, bond or II ee shall be
excluded from representation, if they are not now
represented: aud, if they are, why should thew no,
be taken into the estimate in any new ratio of pop
ulation that may be sdopted? Ii all men are bv
nature equal, then all the rights common TO man.
kind must have attached to these people originally
Ifthey lost them, by being conquered In war, then
their rights passed, together with themselves into
the hands OF their conquerers. When one man
conquers another in war, the person conquered.
together with all his rights and property, that can
be come at, and even his life, become the propertv
Of and vest in the conquerer. He may take the
life OF his prisoner, or spare it, upon such condi
tons as he may think proper. And such have The
laws OF war always been unlerstood aud practised
upon By Savage Nations. II is only amidst the
refinemenis Of civilization that we find, while the
coniroul of The person is alo ed in some cases, il
is forbidden to take his life.
Whether we consider slaves in the light of per.
sons or property, il appears to be equally Obvious
that they ought TO be Represented AS persons il
they are not entitled TO rank equal with free white
men, free white omen, minors nor those held IN
service for term OF yeaTs, they are Certainly to be
considered as holding some grade, although per
hsps, IN an inferior degree ia the scale OF human
beings. AT any rate, they must be allowed to oe-
c8py condition elevated far above the level of
mere brute animals. They have the human form.
and one OF the varieties OF the human conpIexiou
They rational creatures and capable OF dis,in-
gushing between right and wrong; good aud eyu.
and, although not free, equally with ourselves
natives and inhabitants Of the country. If, bowev-
er, they TO be considered merely in The light
property, then, it may be presumed that, in com
mon with all other kinds of proprftv fbsx s,,n.t h.