Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-17

the grelcst portion Of esefghts 'cit 20 his own
management. The only ycayn why any rights should
90 given upto goycrnmcntsrb;s own Ir
has not mower IN do ITO himself in of m
turc because he will be .ecessarliy brought in Goa
i'ct with others, aud wo"iu DE Compelled 10 abaI-
cute IL Hcnce a yirton of power must be piven to
the governments enable II TO 10. what the indvid-
ual cannot do dencc the necessity for any conces.
sion Of power And he conceived that no concession
ought 70 eytoid beyond the right of doing Justice,
and the sur endor OF that portion of property which
found Indispensable, for defrayng the expenses of
governncnt. In that case, government would be n
psssive machine. onsurnI the liberty and sli;Iy of
the people, rendering justice To all.
Mr. G. could not help expressing his surprise,
tat several gentlemen, and amongst the rest, the
gentleman from Brooke, Mr. noddridge) who SEEM
cd 10 be most DESTROYS of great changes IN the Con-
sitution, after throwing the mos serious npuaons
agans, it, had resored 10 the Bill OF Rights. the
consummation Of human WIS lom and insisted upon
the observance of the rules there laid down by he
present Convention. particularly the first three
tcles and of them have also called to their aid
the 18th article, together with practical commentary
upon them. in the Constitution itself The gentle
as to assert thai in DOM ri;. fee who basis of
res,--:mtaton, he dem 'nded nothing new under the
sun. 1t was the slave holding minority, who were
demanding a new thing un1er the sun
The following are the gcntlemans own words:
lie, (Mr. Do ldridgeA therefore concluded TIM, in
demanding a free white basis of representation, he
thing under the sun, but were forwarding prnciple
already existing and recognized; principles deeply
founded in the nature anu necessities Of society Ii
was the slave holding minority who were demanding
a new thing"
Here the gentleman admits that he il demanding
something, and that thing. change--he yet denies
that this change, is q thing under the SUM- and
pro 'eeds to charge the slave holders with denau-
ding new thing under the sun, whilst they demand
nothing ut oil under the sun, neither new, nor old
but are perfectly content with the Constitution in
that respect, as it now stands.
Mr. q. said, he was willing to be governed by the
B OF Rights according TO his interpretations of it.
The Bill OF lights dctracted nothing from the Con-
s.itution by preceding 1t, and he DECLINED it Oil ers-
scntial part of the Consttution.-Permi me- said
Mr. q. TO turn TO the sections 10 which rcp,lemen
invited attention. Thu FIRST article is that AN
are by nature eGunHy free and i1.,epae1tht and
have certain inherent rights Of which, when ticv en-
ter INTO state OF soce'y they cannon, by any cpm-
pact, deprive or d,vest their posterity namely the
enjoyment Of hiH and liberty, with ~ means Of
acquiring and possessing propert y, and pursuing ard
OBTAIN ing happiness aud safety
The cloqnen; and learned gentleman from Lou.
don, read TO us number Of Constitutions and mr.
tlcuaTy that of Massachusetts,, in the form ton Of
which. he told us, the Convention sat in doliherato
for months. IL tAIr. g. had already read the Is,
article ofthc Virginia Bill OF Il gifts. Lotus look
a, the comparative merits OF the Bill of RIGHTS of
Virginia of VI dssachusctts The first article oFtho
Massachusetts Bill of Rights. says tint 'uil mon
are barn free and equal" lie denied ths TO be true
fr1pn
are oy nAfure equally tree ana independent" The
condition OF man from free to bond or bond 10 free
Il changed by municipal or conventional, aud recon-
missed By International law. Slaves are born slaves
before us every day, which directly dsprovcs tho
assertion. that ''nii men born free and equal f."
Yet the Constitution of Massachusetts uneqnivocalv
asserts. that "al men are born equally free" Are
slaves born frce?-No. And if an euouirv be m, 40
to the means by which their condition IS CHANGED
the answer is-by municipal lnw--by convention.
al law by force or by conquest. Upon what author
ty do we hold Africans in bondage? Surely by tie
municipal laws OF tho country. recognised by ,-cr
national law. Slavery was not recognised bv inter-
naionnl law, hut it acknowledged by the Inv
of God, if the Scriptures may be deemed suiiic,ut
law, directly the reverse Of this declaration in the
Massachusetts Bill Of Rights, is the universal legal
axiom,
"Irrfus se9ujt4r rcsyer1."
The offspring follows the condition OF tie mother This
Constitution is presented model Of excellence for
imitation which that the bond are not born bond
which truein preference own which asserts the
truth, "hat all by free Aud this strange
preference strangely attributed 10 Greater deuce Of
delberaton than in the other lie observed
that this clause Of the B of Rights anohcr npor
declaration possesses the means of acnuirio
and possessing property" in nature thereby clearly
tancionng the existence of such The second clause
is in the following wols.-UThat all popr is rlfeJ in ard
consequently deTiyd from the peoples that magistrates are their
trustees and servants and all times amenable them"
This section contains the great dccaratory 'princi-
pie, in direct hostility to the basis upon which all
Pree%sting governments were founded, hat "al
power is derived from the people--and that mapis-
ratcs the servants Of the peopeand affords the
first great example Of reducing that principle 10 use
in the affairs of mankind. 1t meets my most hearty
appreciation and exalted admiration.
The third section is Chat government is or ought
TO be instituted for the common benefit, protection
and security Of the people, nation or community.
(Of oil he various modes and forms of government
that is best, which is capable of producing the rrea-
test degree of happiness and satcy--snd is most ef
fcctually secured against the danger Of ma-adnin-
! isration:) and that wien any government shall be
I n inn nctr 70
IA majority Of the community hath on indubitablc
innlicnablo and irdcfcasible right, to reform
alter. abolish it, III such manner shall be iu1r-
cd most conducive TO the public veal Ills
worthy colleague, (Mr. Leigh) had so cilIy eX.
planned his views one branch Of tn subject, and
particularly on the clause omitted by the gentle
man who bod introduced this section that he concci
we'd all repetition super.uous. This section clearly
proves that conditions imposed upon mnioritics
His colleague had pointed ont one; he would point
out another ty!...st tho majority have right C
alter, reform abolish the Government, there is M
rlgDt conferred them to do So according 10 tho
own unlimited caprcious Sill. An Oh iga,on is i'm