Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-05-18

date for the Senate. His opinions are noo
what they we're then, and what they were
long anterior what they have ever been,
since, while in service during the late war, he
saw non-freeholders called on to expose their
lives in defence Of the property of freehold
ers, and obeying tina, call with cheerful
ness and alacriiy--It Is due to DIR. Saunders
to say TINT he knows nothing of our intention
10 make these remarks.
What do we mean when we boast of t-r
county rs the land Of equal liberty where ex-
elusive privileges exist moi What does the
bill of rights, that grand monument erected
by the heroes OF the revolution, contemplate
when il saws all men are by nature equally free
and independent What participation have
men In the representative system who do mol
possess the right of suffrage, aud what else but
system constitutes the freeman Freedom
implies more than living IN .hat is called a
free country. When the authors ofihe bill of
rights spoke Of freemen they spoke Of men ex-
crossing the privileges ofself government. What
rights of seli-government has that man who
has no right of government at all 7 Aud
what else does this restriction lead 10 than
the establishment of an aristocracy in the strict
i, is an arisiocracy where some part of the
community enjoys all the power and the rights
of government TO the exclusion Of the other
part Where Too is the justice Of this Teslric-
ton Is the industrious, the useful, the up.
right and lmay add the patriotic mechan-
tbs the poor man who pays regularly his
taxes, but is under the necessity OF renting his
land from year 10 year, and paying for ii out
of his annual abor-s the war worn soldier
who fights his country's battles, eudangers his
life IN her cause, and returns home covered
with scars. that proclaim his devotion TO his
countTy's interests--are these me unworthy OF
the enjoyment Of freedom-unworiby 10 EN-
joy lis first, its greatest blessing, the elective
irancb,se--the right of sulfrage7 Ny not lions
about ihe principles of equal liberty as we'll as
the rules oi eternal justice, tell me not, The
other states Of the Union (are they all wrong,
are we alone right have excluded this odous
feature OF the patrician and the pleblan, Tor
thus II s Justly distingushable, from their fun
dnmenial laws. Indepe ndent of The principles
Of equal liberty and OF justice, What is there
in the way 81 expediency ihnt entities the land
holder more TO a vote than the cilistR, who
owns NOT soil enough 10 cover the earth that
forms him Does fifty acres of land make
me more virtuons or more intelligent Does
u give me greater claimsf TO patriotism by in
spring me more with that viTtuei Can II
qualify whomsoeveT you shall choose as your
representative better 10 consult the wishes and
the welfare ofthe constituents u will hum
bly, conceive do none Of those things. And as
to the evils thar are npprohended on the other
= de- they have not been felt in other states, aHd
| Virginia will feel them only when the virtue
| "t her people Is departed, and the spirit that
| conducted MS through the revolutionary strug.
gle ~ no longer amongst us, TO support re.
publican government. As long as this spirit,
| i1heri'ed as II is by the po.,erhy OF the heroes
| OF our independence, continues to peIyade ev-
! cry cnss OF the community, am one of those
| hat fear not tina, II will be equally TO be found
amongst those whose poverty renders them un.
| able 10 purchase the wonderful talisman of o.
| acres of lind, and those whose wealth enables
| hem To own the soil whose territory would
| match an empire. Is not citizenship AID per.
lnament residence, an ample test Of the inter
es that feel in the well being Of the commu-
| ATTY OF which am a member--a community
| of whose support have to bear the burden of
| taxation and for whose security aud defence
| nm not exempt from shouldeTing the g. elo OK
| There is an age TO which universal mankind
| has ascrlbed discretion and granted civil free.
| dom aud when attained, the individual so al
timing, ought according to my notions of free
government, TO enjoy some participation of
J that power, which, constituting government
: establishes and enorces the burdens and duties
! OF collective society. If he be without that
participation, =" il is easier for n camel to pass
througha needles eye" than for me 10 per.
ceSe his political liberty"