Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-03

70 zeal,
had asserted the claims OF the OF freehoders to
the right Of suffrage, he replies that IL they per-
niel TO vote, the consequence wi be, that the
will vote with, or tidsrrntly from hi. hther-if with
has la,h'r the man with four cons, will have FIVE votes
lit they vote differently from the father, these four
ons will he four scoundreis, and pnprirs-Surely the
gsntcman's reflections. Cannot sanction, such
oninon.--ifihey do, would ask him at what age may
son, ir-ehoier, ever vote pc ndently, without
u"rng the ephet Of scoundrei and puppy ami this,
Mr.. Chairmas, /. sentime mt EXPRESS by one who
has senuousy conended Tor the Of vo-
ter!
| agree with the gentleman from Chesterfield. in
the eulosy he has pail to the e-holl,rs Of he ate:
the IL not in the world more respectable body oil
men; have cause to respect, and love ,hem-n was
their pariiaiy, uniescrved -ure on part, that
Sent me herel sure they will not consider Inc a.
di-paragrg their claims. when that the non free
holder. respectable body of men. There vir
tuous and vicions among.t both classes Indeed Mr.
Chairman, we have bren told by very pilosophic
poet, and think truly,
yTtnoa. and rieioa. .rery ma, nrsc,,
| Fec in The ettreme ba, alt IN the degree"
But cannot agree viii III" mber f. ON Chester
field in ,e compliment he has paid to the n,egenc
OF the so much auded freehodcrs by suppo.irg ttem
to have been cheated out o their in calling tb-
Conven ion, or in the elections TO this body cheated
into continents 80 hostile TO their interests After
atrbutng 10 them the suicidal folly of calling this
Convention not in terms bu, by the of all III.
gumens, II was indeed the most charitable snpposon,
as TO them, 10 suppose them to have been guided
:he people in my district venture TO say, were not
cheated cannot say how it wa' in others.
Mr.. Chat man: cannot what the ballot boxes
Cor Pandora's II IL better please the genteman,) and
the consasies Advertisement sent by anonymous
correspondent from Maryland, have to do with the sub
ject OF this debate The gentleman very confidently
expresses his preference for The pird election
probaes the mode Of voting ny ballot then yrautously
assumes this latter mole to he the necessary conse
quence oil extended suffrage, and by this assumption he
readily jusies his reprobaion Of the OF s
sequence. agrre with him i'm prefering the viva
voce mode OF voting-but not prepared so conf
IDENTITY as he seems TO be, TO anathema up
on the other-we should at least pause and reflect wei
before we con'cmr practice adopted by many of
sister republics, and, so Tar "a informed to the
rary with good effect; practice the adoption Of which
is now advocated by some OF the Wing. Of England az
the very best guaranty OF independence in voiershu
20 not mean 10 argue this question at this time; il
you'd be travelling ont of the record-Aii intended TO
say was that there affinity between the question
otle extension Of suffrage and the mode Of voting
ANA as little, "a seems 10 is there betwe the
Maryland advertisement and this question: the gentle.
man did not attempt to shew how the supposed
cause produced the supposed enrct-If universal suf
rage pouced the passage Of The law, that subjected
land, however large the tract, to the paymen, Of its
owners debts however small, il is my humble opinion
an eu'ogy on universal suffrage proves that the
ter instead OF being awless ireeboo,er lovers ST
Justice Mr. Chairman, may ii no, he that hi. CORES
p'n'ent IL the debtor and the OF the land, and
that il is because he /, madsto fee the opera,ion of
wholesome law, that he feels very good opinion Of
ii! According TO Hudibras:
"a nief nicer fh he halter dra,o
"Uuh good opinion Of the idr.
But told if the right Of suffrage he extern led
he rights Of property will be invaded: we shall have
an agrarisn law, tumrlts confusion, civil li.cor. AMI
finally despotism.-The only answer have IN m,ke
TO arguments derogatory 10 the dignity Of human ma
ure in these United States h that % out OF 81 sister
'ePuhlic', many Of hem situated precisely a. we ar.
in relation 10 slave population, have this free suffrage
called by the gentleman universal. and of these
results have happened likely to hanpen there
so Tar "a we are informed. Virginia and North Caro-.
linz are the only states that adhere To the freehold
and the latter only in branch Of the Legislature
what length OF time the gentlemen requires for the
ihIm"nt OF his lugubrious prophecies, he has not in
formed us. Believe me. sir, il is all speculation and
theory against the rights Of man. and we have this adj
vantage IL we are theorists and specustors-ye .peru
",e and theorise in avor Of equal rights and the
Dries and vagaries have been edu ced ON.
Grafton They have been called on and cannot show
ono case in point: the contrary can triumphantly
point to the example OF % Republics our sisters in
this grea, confederacy Of states. have now gentle
man in my eye, who has Informed me, that he owns
large real estate in Ohio that where The ht.
OF property secure His language was ",bpt
'wig could not be cut from his premises, without ex-
posng the transgressor To repara'ion in damages
During the session of this Convention. have convers
ed with distinguished func'ionary from the State of
Mississippi, native Of Virginia, and he informs me
that in that State the Legislature is in the hands of the
non property holder-aDd that far from their having
any oppressive taxation OF property their civil list is
actually betrayed nv capitation poll iax During
the past summer, was informed by a citizen OF Ala.
bama, that part OF that State, which owned lea. pro-
ncry and icwe-t slaves, welded the power of Lesi-
la'ion-Ltuaed as 10 slave property as the Est OF this
Stale l. 10 the West and yet that no abuse had inter
Vened and That none was apprehendedlet us turn
ani w look in vain for Of the evils in
such glowing colours by the gentlemen on the other
side OF this question. Liberty and law eaualify and
justice, peace, prosperity and good order reign through
out Their borders; with those few exceptions of popu
lar excitement incident 10, and nseparable from all
free governments uner The sun. Mr. Chairman the
hHe temporary excuses of free people must he
borne i'll the evil nseparabIe from the good there il no
human good without lis alloy of evl. 1 prefer even
he hurricanes aud the tempcsts Of liberty to the calm
of despoism.
And is Virginia less Fl. for zee government Than her
s'er Ates! Would The same poduce dihir. nj
Ell cts here!In my poor Judgment we are better situ
1t'd TO adopt the principle of extended suffrage than
The Tree States according TO the gentlemens own theo-
res Inc presence oil upwards OF 100 900 slaves
titled TO no political power, and excluding perhaps az
many OF that class denomnated by the gentleman from
Chesterfield as peasantry, at dimiushes the num-
her OF dangerous voters by that amount, dam pro,s i'm
The estimation OF others, not in mine. I'm al lilion To
ms we have no overgrown citie.no overgrown man
ufactory establishments Viii popslaon proverbiaI
Tor their attachment 10 law order and public trannuiI
~, boldly say, if any Safe in this Union can adop
tree suffrage with safety. Virginia il that S;Ae-The
extenson OF the right does endanger the tranuuili
~ o, electonas the experience Of the eastern States
mas conclusiveiy proven-and If atoot IT, and pur
sue The policy in progress Of establishing precinct
or separate elections, disarn these primary Assem-
oes OF any dangerous tendencies to excess which they
may be supposed TO have.
Have not the non-freeliodcrs of the u. ses shewn
their capacity Tor self government in the election of
members cf Congress! and your Presidents from ash
lngon down 10 the present ncunbeni?-I say the pre-
sent incumbent, because whatever be nv ouini,ns of
him, he was the choice Of Virginia. Are the desga. |
lions IN Congress from other States less talented and re
speced Than our owns! mean no dis lragement when
say no. And can holder vote discreety for
fH In anIn ~ l.s. A.N.