Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-07-21

orded the people by this great rr;nc;nls cors;,% ~ IL
representative being subjected himself TO any tax i'm
Posea upon MS constituents enforced by the potent tax
OF direct responsibility from the one to the other This
sun held sacred, and forms the basis OF Ia.
';, .' laws o, every republic Of this union. IN
ee' N'o'auoh OF is sacred principle this TarH act
imposes tax. not by the Representatives Of the peouIc
oe,g 'ne onrthen, hut by representatives Of distinct
OF country who instead Of participating the
o'"ens OF me aSss imposed, calculate uron partic-
rang IN the receipts Of the proceeds of those very i'm
In 'he absence of all direct responsibility from
e !epesen'auve Imposing the to the people hear
ing its burtLen" too, endcnvour.J 10 proyc lbs, es.
were substantially the principles of the revolution
snowieageu by The founders Of our institutions prac.
cary adopted In the present constitution Of Virginia,
eSprossy recognised in that OF tho u States. and ,ba
me concession that white population alone 10 the ex.
OF propsrty or taxation, should be the basis OF
In the iorincr would lead to its
sion In the laterfor that every that could he
used IN ne favou in tho state, applied forori In the
federal Government And why! Because the price
"e 'aNes-in other words, OF the considerations ON
winch representation should be based in the State Co
vernmeht accruing and paying constantly: but that
w. o'e aou'ant aud easy means Of raising revenue,
Po'sesseu oy mo General Government rendered re-
sort TO direct taxes scarcely necessaryThe price
was therefore, paid in that Government ony at long in
I'eIVas ana u The Government economic alty AL,
minstered and restrained within its constitutions, N,
hhs,woud hardly occur while we were
Enjoying ne representation allowed on that account:
we mace the greater concession, therefore in the one
case, the less, demanded upon the same princpIe.
would be denied with very bad grace i'm the other
umgn,ensis answered this argument by drawing the
uisuhcioh between States forming Conedoracy and
State forming social compact; and on account Of their
ds.imIiarity denying that argument which mirh,
ply Ia folior 20 tho other While the dis.im,sr;,v If
"a state and Federal Conuenfion'' was admitted md
therefore mat an argument used applicable to the
one would not necessarily apply to the other was not
admitted nor be eontended that there il sucb
opposition or repulsion between the two that an ar
ment which would he applicable 10 the one or to tho
WORK Of Their hands, could not by possibility be app-
cable to the other, the work of their hands On
the contrary was commended that this particular argu
men. a' Apply, ana why! Because, "upon tho eternal
principles Of truth and justice" representation should
be based in part upon taxation in every government
having authority to impose direct taxes; and that who
would read the article Of the Constitution apporon
ing representatives. and direct axes must be convinced
OF the nseparable connection, in the minds Of its a
hors between the subjects Of taxation and
uon; and that though the result compromise in i,s d,
1an' Tue article was adopted in the spirit of inviolable
adherence to that principle, just and right in itself
asJu't and right in itself. might have added in refer
ence to all representative governments; bu, that idea
was supposed to he embraced by the language used =
Firginensis has said that this (the appointment Of
pYeschtdues anu direct fares upon the basis
was all perfectly lair; but that il does not prove IN
population and taxation is the true basis-nor accord
Ing to the whole tenor of hi. Argument that taxation has
any thing 10 do whit apportionme
that they Che States) smight have claimed The right
OF representation according to the quantity Of thsir
land the number Of their horses, the amount Of their
or any other basis that might have been Sc
iected True, they could But is there any ground
to infer, from the and Of things tina, the
could have obtained liz al call spirits from the vas
~ deep-but will they come il do call them" have
to show that they obtained that basis which
was just and right In itself, and which acknos
as mas been almost universally acknowie lodged ill
now, taxation as one OF the elements Of representation
These thoughts all substantially embraced in INV
last number, some OF them, is true by reference to
those which preceded it, to avoid repetition Was NV
argumenthen the thing OF nonsrous proportions which
Virginensis would make il? 'sWhere two things ar.
dissmilar proposition true Of one not Eortior
true oil the other but wise have affirmed il true of
the one-therefore, every argument adduced to prove
proposu0n true oil The one must apply fortior to the
other!' What pervorsion! Whoever has attended
at all to this q fear ahIe) di-cuseion mvst pcr
ceve that VrgnieDss has not only carica,hred my ar
gument hut worked backwarls have said tina,
every argument used to prove rule OF
right in the Federal, applied forori State Go
vernmeni but that every argument to prove white po
puIaon The basis in the State would applv foori
to prove it so in the Federal Government, Whether
have provedit have been able sustain any of nv
propositions, is not for to Judge; but trust that
nave at least relieved them from the ridiculous and alb
suri attitudes in which they placed, simply nv
mis-stapg and distor,ing them. My argument on this
hea reduced to the form of syIlogism, asst "jumps
with the humour OF Virgnienss-the difficulty aris-
Ing from the dissmilary mot incongruy) of the two
SUBJECTS, being, as conceive, removed, IL this Re.
presentation ought be based on white population or
wdite population and taxation combined But, YOU have
conceded that white population Alone is the true basis
in your State Government where all the revenue de.
rived from direct taxes Much more therefore Dug hit
you to concede the same principle in the Federal
vsrnment where scarcely any Of the revenue raised
by direct taxes But trust that taxation will be adher
ed one of the bases of representation both I'm the
and the other IL this be fair specimen of the To-
gic Of Vgniensis must be excused from taking les
in his school, though Of the ne,oest Eashion
And but for the good humour which he invites which
apparently pervades his piece and leaves the mpre sson
that his csrcatures drawn in sport than in ma
ce would say that his morality little to nv
taste az his logic.
Yirginiensis will admit resemblance that does not
amount 10 complete identity. 1 had stated that the
resemblance between the two cases. which made il fair
ION another branch Of the subec) reason from IN.
one TO the other, consisted in this-that the different
States stood in relation TO each other with regard to the
possession OF large and valuable property upon the
same ground, in point of justice and interest (the
words itacsed, left out in quoting the psssage with
the different parts of Virginia" This is denied and
differences pointed out. Though the analogy does
not all fours, il s entirely sufficient for my pur-
The gist Of the objection, is giving the entire
conrou! OF the subject TO those who have not the chic
interest in IT, And in this point Of view beg leave
TO point ont difference, which operates against the
nraunoorf of Vrnisnee sl.~t 'o 5'atc Governments
and the people OF the respective Stacs in Convention
have much greater power slaves, (even TO tile
extent Of emancipation which their owners were
worry emphacally reminded by Of the friends Of
REFORM. in the debates published Of the last egisla
ture) than any has dreamed Of conferring on
our Federal Government, would have dared 10 pro-
pose.
We are about to frame Constitution not for The
present merely but for all time to come" And Il is OH.
ly by equitable adjustment Of every interest that
the government be made to 90 stand Interchangeable
for ages" Then, il the antcipa,ions of Yrrnionss
should never be realized by the diffusion Of our slayee
over the whole State, shall have Constitution well
balanced the Joint basis OF population and taxation;
and il they should be realized tben the operation of the
Joint ratio and his ayore principle Of
based on white population will be " identical" Nv
principles etfecthat equitable adjustment both for the
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