Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-06-30

| - Of those holding property. II every free white
man DO represented, then the majority will be
composed OF men represented, that is, the ma
jority Of tho community will be represented, and
| the minority must either acquiesce or resst:-if
| they acquiesce, -well,-f they resist, and the
msjority be sufficient, they will be compelled in to
acquiescence, and this must DO the inevitable re-
| suit where matters pushed 10 extrc,nities.
| An Eastern Virginian wishes il 'borne in mind,
that it is only in apportionng power, or represen.
tatives between different districts Of Country, s.
not befscee individuals" that he contends for the
'oint ratio Of numbers & taxation Then we are
to understand that different districts of Country
are 10 have power or representatives apportioncd,
according to numbers and taxation!--What NUN.
bers?-Numbers Of individuals! and vet, we are
not 70 consider the apportionment between indivi.
duaIs that is TO say, the interests OF numbers are
to be represented not the interests OF individuals
LII this is 10 be borne in mind, then ga large
portion OF the argument Of Eirginensis il admit
ted to be inapPlicable but, iftho people re-
presented. and not arithmetical numbers, then il
matters not how fuctuating the population may be;
! Tor the people, being composed oil individuals and
each, being represented, in whatever district he
may be, the whole people will be represented
| Its the union OF individuals that compose the
numbers, and il each Of these persons shaving per.
manen,, common interest with, and attachment to-
the community" be allowed the representa- to
which he Is unquestonably entitled, then will the
numbers made up OF these individuals be likewise
| represented.
An Eas'c,n Virgnian cannot divine to what
end firginieusis could have introduced his idea Of
! the huctuatiou Of property, unless to introduce
lbs honiy" on The propensity OF man to desire
the acquisition Of wealth, and pay court to the
! wealthy. The spirit Of dvinition is gift which
| lew in these new-fashioned days possess; hut az
in the good oiden -timc, It was more frequent, !
had thought that no 6 old-fashioned fellow
would have experienced any extraordinary Difficult.
| ~. II was introduced to shew ,hat each indi
vilual, in whatever district he resided in conse
qience OF this desire for the acquisition of pro.
perry, and the hope that one day he might pos
sess 1t, would feel il his interest obtain not only
every species of property, but much as possible
and feeling this interest, and this hope, would be
prevented from attempting the injustice Of taxing
one species Of property, tslayes for instance) to
the exclusion Of every other species: That the
desire 10 possess slave property, landed property
&c. would prevent the desire of overwhelming
that species OF property with unnecessary taxes
IL was not to siigmatze Virginians as being
prone to avarice, or as disposed to pay servile hon.
age to any man or sot Of mentor they, to man.
would scorn its influence when in competition
with love OF country any other more exalted
feeiinS,-but il was introduced to shew that the
seif-preservaton Of the Easi,'' did 10. require
them to sickle for the principle Of repres en,a,ion
based upon taxation.
An Eastern Virginian, admitting s,hat inliyid-
ua's in the one case, and States in the other are
parties TO the Compacts,''-a again "that q
Federal aud State Convention are essentially dis
similar" and, there fore, that an argument when
used az applicable TO the one would not ne cessari
y apply TO the o!her,-yet to prove that taxation
IL just element of representation, contends, THAT
IN TINS paricui case the argument docs apply,
| so far as the opinions and the reasonings of per.
haPs the wisest and most august assembfage of
men ever known TO the world, are entitled 10 re.
spect.' Bnt This very wise and august assembags
were not framing State, but Federal Consti-
| u;on, and knew full well the vide dissimjiarty
between The two, aud never did maintain The pro-
position in any oihor manner than applicable TO
the Fedora! Govornment.-The argunen, OF an
Eastern Frginian, il it prove any thing. must be
reducedt 10 this:-Whcre two things are dissiD,i.
lar, proposition true OF one, is not forttor true
/ oil tho other,-but wise men have affirmed il true
OF the one; therefore every argument adduced 10
prove proposition true Of the one must apply
JoTt'ort 10 the oiher.-Ift,is be specimen of The
sylogistc reasoning of an eastern Virsinan, then
amidst Lis old fashions, he has at least advanced
new fashioned system OF logic from which aust
beg leave to dissent sit does not follow eithe,
(says he) that just principles OF representation
should not obtain in Eoih:'-Cer .ninly ot-but if
he thereby means that principles of representation
which are just in one, " fortiori," lust in
the other, when he admits at the same time that |
the two are " essentially dissmiar, then l think
TOO, he has invented new system of morality by |
which i, at least, should be unwilling TO be govern
ed Tor II requires no very astute moraist to dis
cover, that what might be justice to one, might
be- under other circumstances, gross injustice to
the other.-And when he asserts too, that the prin
cple Misrepresentation which he contends for, is |
just, it requires very keen disputant 10 see |
that he is taking for granted, what requires 10 be-
demonstrated when applied to the State Govern
ment
Blu, we told, that there is resemblance be- |
tween the two cases, which makes il perfectly
fair to reason froT the to the other netwith.
standing the difference between States forming a |
fedeIatve Republic, and single State forming |
Constitution Tor its own governments: and that the l
resemblance consists in this, that "the different
States stood in relation TO each other with regard
10 the possession oil very large and valuable pro-
perry, on The same ground with the different parts
Of the State Of Virginia. let us examine This
| resemblance, and see how widely dissimiIar the |
features seem.-When the States were forming a |
federative Republic, il was discovered, that some
| OF the States possessed slaves, while others not /
only possessed none, but an article ia their respec-
i've constitutions prohibited the introduction Of this
property within their jurisdiction of course Il be-
came necessary to provide different regulations for
these conflicting interes.s-foY, by no possibility
could the inhabitants OF one State become
oil he slaves of the other.-But when Virginia
undertakes 10 form Constitution as separate
State il is discovered, il is true that there are diff
ierent districts, and that of these POSSESSES
great many slaves, while the other possesses but |
iew out there is no prohibition preventing the |
slaves OF the one district from being disseminated /
into the other,--pothing to prevent the inbabit. |
ants q the West from becoming slave. holders as
well as those Of the East and il it shall ever hap
pen, that the other States in the Union now hold
ing this property, shall prohibit the farther intro
duction Of the slaves of Virginia into those States
u requires no prophet TO see, that the slaves of
Eastern Virginia must be dfTused immediately
over the western district moro particularly when
| that now neglected portion Of the State becomes
improved and her resources developed.-As the
two cases, then.continue not only not alike hut to.
tally dssimilar-& if, 10 all human probability the
slaves OF the one will be disseminated over the |
other district, and there is nothing top prevent it
there can be no reason for compromise, of
rights which should be sacred and invioIabIe
We are about TO frame Constitution not for the |
present merely. but for all time 10 come.--The
Statesman should look 20 the future and with the
eye OF Philosopher investigate the causes and
| L. l....l Il