Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-28
Vol. Vino. 90.

square miles by CO. and the result will disclose free
hold qualifications sufficient for 10000 souls, more
than every man. woman and child in Virginia Here.
IS sufficient for every man to acquire interest in
the SOIL leaving 4 considerable excess yet we are
told the possesSon of the freehold arts 0cra-
cy in the few to lord 1t the many. lIefe i 4
perpetual partition of this land antv going on,
a continual transmntation, pcnpcrally enlargiDg,
and widening the basis Ii belongs C. Inar, to
set OF men, bur to all 10 merchants, mechanics md
labourers. 1t belongs to them White thoT have /,
and then, TO tgrir DESCENDANTS, if they have sufficient
energy, industry and economy to ain it, and if not
to those who surpass them in these gu S,ies. Il was
therefore within the coach of eSery one; end hence
there can be danger Of aristocracy. IF there.
he no danger then, the question Ff this be the best
evidence OF permanent common interest and attach
ment! Any one. recently out Of his term of uppren.
tceship who has not acquired freehold qualification
must be considered exhibiting doubtful intention
OF remaining permanently in the State The slight
limitation connected with the freehold is called bv
The gentlemen on the her side qualification hove
n price An individual is required TO apply only
snlali portion OF his earnings obtain It, in o,acr to
give evidence that be means 10 remain among US
We are told That many Individuals among us repard
this right as of great value lie did not question the
fact and he Showed that the possession OF this rpkt
was within the reach of all at trifng cost : -
His friend from Chesterfield had told us that no
Lines can be drawn which do net leave angles rpht
and lett So there is no rule which does not leave
ats hard places He who is within "a hours of be-
ing u years ofage, may consider il hard case that
he is excluded from the polls, especially if he be IN
possession of prematurty of mind Unless gentlemen
on the other side can shew some rule which is not
subject to any exception they ought not critically to
condemn that which we lay down. as to the indiyidu-
al who has no interest in the soil. "
Igenteen contend that the right should res. on the
capital vested IN stock and personal property and are
not disposed to have the so acres for the rule he
would say, your wealth may be great; you will not
appropriate any portion TO the attainment of this p
vlege; but the wealth or which you rely is ntaIgi-
kIp No md ~
poor freeholder from his scany pittance contributors
more TO lie support of the STATE than you do with al
your great wealth. '
| Nj LEIGH said, that according 10 his compre.
tension OF the Cause he who is assessed for tax is
bound to pay, he is disqualified. That i. the mean
ing * the provision, and be- asked to be dist inctv
understood. II comes to this: thcse drunken yaOa.
bonds are only to be excluded, because they have
| property on which the government can Law tax
while such as have no property aIe to bcconsidered
as objects otthe gen1cmans favor, and have a riplt
to vote lfhe had used This phras eoIov which Fad
been adopted by the gentleman from Frederick, it
| would have been doubtless attributed TO his pccu,
liar temper of mind, and POLITICAL creed. Bit be
would submit il to gentlemen. whether he who b,s
sem" property and means, or if he who has none i
the more likely to embrace the deScrip;ion of The GEN.
1ieman as drunken vagabonds? Rabble mlphi ne III
proper phrase, as II was used by the other side H.,
Ga not mean to contend that the possession of anv
property. large small, is d security against vice
lie knew better, and ne was sorry say So But if.
| IN fl.tp
NINE Which IS most likely to be free from all rivLf In
the epthets which had been employed it would he
iouhd that they who have sope property ara in nine
cases out often, more apt to be virtuous than thew
who have none. we shall fnd tina, where there are
no means no industry, there we nay look for the
greatest degree of vice. =" - ~
he had made these remarks AS to details in >Der
| rect good thIfh towards the gentleman from Frede
ricR, 10 order that he may amend, he might not
| see The consequences of his own proposition He
SAID he was moi gong into the general question of the
| landed qualification. Hope was WINGED; bone was
! dying In his heart; for this very In6rnine he had
heard venerable gentleman speaking in favor of the
landed qualification, yet voting in favor OF n nronos
| ton which dispensed with al! landed oua6fraf;o,
He hadno hope that his shoulders would be broal
enough to sustain the load, if gent lemen refuse 10
nm their AID Whether he could ever see property
divided so as to induce him TO vote with the oente
men on the other side or not he shond bove c;ven
evidence that he valued it, while there was scntilfa
OF hope left But there was ground taken nv oer
tlemen on the other SIDE which seemed to him IN
involve consequences nearly as importan as whether
the freehold shall constitute the qualification or not
lie meant The system of reasOning by which gen b.
tiemen converted negative qualification into positive,
disqualification They lay ii down. that the asser.
ton OF the qualification of the freehodcr is the pos
tive exclusion of every other clasE We permit the
exclusion of fpales from the right to vote for eyer
and we also exclude forever persons of colour But
when gentlemen talk of the exclusion of The free
white man. he was somewhat al a lLss to comprehend
their meaning He asked if there is a white man
who cannot acquire the qualification? Whenever he
chooses, he ran acquire it at of ten twenty or
at the most fifty dollars How then is he cxclded2
BY whom is he excuddd2 II is Only by his own act
that he is excluded. lie would assume that there is
no man, who may not acquire the qualification; the
qualification of landed property within the reach of
! all -
There was another subject, on which he wouId
give bis opinions very briefly. He would not aeree,
that those no canno vote for members Of the lie.
gislature do not belong to the body polite. He
you'd agree to no such sentiment. His wife and
daughter citizens, members of the BODY n,,l;t'c
and not slaves of either the husband or the fahe,,
they are free born citizens entitled to all privileges
and protection, and God forbid, that it should be 9th
eTwlse' ~ was not necessary for the qualification
OF czensiIP' mat there should be the right to vote
add would be absurd, to take way the Character ~
citizenship from any member, because he was not
qualified voter.