Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-10-31

mItn the basis; but owing tie disorpanzed state
the government Ike the oscillations ofa pendulum,
The other extreme ado?tcG, and people oniv and
hotpropcrty were regarded. he asSe,l neither the
Co''ta by centuries, nor the coEu By tribes, he
Desired compound ratio 40 III Massachusetts, be-
cause both are subject 10 the Legislatures and be-
caoSo they ought to be blended. Reasoning u prio-
', sc may as well say there s.ia be pcrau.ls us
that thaIe shall be 10 property represented.
IL h'st DC tle natural desire ana wish Of all, to
lay ta2 foundations OF the Government SO as 10
stand ltso, the two columns which it rest
are persons ai'i property. If We Withdraw either,
the necessary consequence viii be, to weaken the
'puldatl2nS oi the politica! eai.icc, and no
ioaser calcnatu rs duration. Il lie elso might
venture ON s.n!le, he woail likcn the machine of
government to an ordinary piece OF mcchaniaa II,
which, if the wheels IL IT'S Internal oreailLation
should not uct in concert but anita runstic pril-
c'ies, would be discovered to fail IN answering the
purposes for which Ii created. Construct it SO
that all the wheels work in harmonious concert and
ii performs what its intended, uid thus all
effective mach:ne would be produced I'VE must
iiilc warning from dd! gene by to teach us that in
she aarieIt republics, where property and persons
We're IL conflict, Perpetual war. strife, attended with
the most disastrous and fatal consequ, noes, resulted
llis wish WAS to haTmonZe persons and property:
ticy We're nos created t. be conflict with each 9TH
or, but were formed FOR concert aud harmony. IF
PERSONS are po'cted 50 property will BIZ; ipropcr
tY so also viii persons be: llis each will have an
interest in the maintenance Of the government, which
VII! last Us oag time, subject only tue iuinii-
y "f its agents, bat net 70 any Internal disorder in
the operations OF the machine.
nir. BARBOUR concluded with expressing his
regret that ho had detained the Committee SO lunr to
So little purpose.
tb, Committee at this time, the ground that tina
gentleman from Chesterfield would not be able to
express the remarks he might have offer, 50 to
1uuce HIM to ask the floor to-day lie would there
lore take this opportunity to throw the few views
which he desired to lay before the Committee.
The question is between the two proposinna--
whether representation is to be appnrtioed accor-
ding to numbers, whether it shall be placed on an
unequal basis, by the adoption of the compound basis
nt persons and OF taXation
This is substantially. though not in terms, the
question. II Is then question between equality Oh
tie side, and inequality the other: and after
tue admission which had been made By the gentleman
On the other side who had preceded him, he could
say that, accordiuG to the genius Of orr Institutions
the rule OK equality should adopted unless there
IS sound reason for the contrary Both the sreiil-
man from Northameton and the gentlenaan from
Culpeppcr, have conceded that, in republican 90
fcrnnent majority, general rule is the ono
which uught to PREVAIL but they havo attempted 10
shew that III particular cas.s 1t would be unjust and
ought no; 10 be adopted. They found these p0rtic-
u!ar cases in tho contrarety III circun5ta
commonwealth. Were it practicable without gross
injustice and injury to great portion Of izcns
the gentlemen conceae that the basis of repre-
sanitation wo0!d be the irh;tc ;opus'ion and there
was not person here who would contradict that
position. But it contanded that owing to the
conflicting interests which to Lo found IL this
state, the Introduction OF that basis
1T this the fact, the present discussion he reCar-
ded rs worse than useless, as having only teneucy
create iscord AMI pre- pare the way for exct,ent
III the pubic mimi. He trusted, however, that gen
1lcnen wond all unite in search of truth and that
they would thls arrive at the pr per course and ho
topped that ali would keep II view tito character of
our institutions, ana come to suG, result Is ex-
pcr;ence and SQUAD policy would Justify. s.
In contributing to this discussion he would not
sltfer himself 10 be drawn Into any abstract questions
he would contine himself to practical .icIys belle
wing he did that there is bat little light be OBJ
tanned from abstract theories, cnbeli5hcd although
they nny be with all the charms of fancy and all the
graces of e!oqueHce. He delighted the other
day with the eloquent speech OF the gentleman frora
Northampton Astounding in distractions in order TO
slIew that ali abs rart discussion useless. He
would not enter into an argument with any gentle
the subject al tbs divine right Of kiurG, the
merits OF passive obedience, the hopes and
tears of particular interests, nor of the pride OF
noble birth. But he could not but enter his protect
against assertion which had been repeat cilv
made here, that hc-e principles in politics. Ii
by this dccsraiion meant that there ire no alb
stract principles which alike applicable to all
ages and countries and circumstances, lie would not
RIO into any controversy the subject But if the
meaning be that there are no principles which will
serve to enghten and guide the people, he should
differ from that prop ;sitiDn Why should there not be
principles in political science we'll in other sci
CAGES? Mat principles but truths, and to what
but truths to look, guides III search OF
happiness, whether moral political? Ours is a
government OF principle There is no free govern
lnent in which there not principles to De referred
to criliusTalon. II obtain light from no
other source, surely ought 10 appeal own
system, when meet for the purpose OF altering the
fundamental laws OF our government With these
views he had not looked into the books for abstract
notions but had conicncd himself with taking that
which he deemed plain common sense view Of the
subject and his only appeal would be to the principles
of our system, ysrh was established by our ia
theirs, who sealed it with their blood What these
principles We regard the 3oplc who are the gov
efned as being in the last resort, the Governors.
We consider the dictionaries of the government as
responsible to the people These are ia principles
which ought to prevail and which ought to be en-
grated INTO fundamental laws. II i rule of
q
majority Of the people. Unjust he expressed,
mus adopt the altcrna'igc, that it must be eS-
pressed by minority, Of which the asurdity rs