Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-10-28

rcigns of Virginia, aud that they would ,oter.,
in all time to come neither foreign paraments nor
kiugs nor CAESARS A declaration that the only lo-
gitimatc government IL government of ma.istyafes
deriving their power from the people, aud responei-
Bile 10 the peope.---Hc could not well conceive with
what prupriety principle so pregnant with mean
my so subv1rsve, IN its practical effects ct power
usurped aud abused, could he called nlstrac-
BIT again. sir. The bill ofrirh,s declares
"ihat all men are. by nature, equality free"
And TINS u considered the very absi ruction of alb
sireciions-and yet is practical principle, flower
there was practical principle. The governments OF
Europe were all lncumbcrc ed with Prirtiegsd orders.
Tho coionists had found, to their cost that The
privileged orders in England the Priests and Mobiles
uniformly took ai'es with the crown. in every
scheme OF usurpation or oppression. Privileged
dcrs had therefore become Justly odous 10 them,
and they denounced them in this article of their dec
laration They moreover declared the lrrca, practi
cal truth, that no one man ~ born with natural
right TO rol any other man They declared in
effect, thai al Inen originally equal i'll poiiticai
7 rights Fhey are not tn he understood rs hav-
ing been guilty OF the absurdty of saying that
political righis belong equally 10 all men, I'LL ,oo
men md al children. They knew, as well as
We do that tho jndiojoUs aud Intelligent cx-
ercisc OF political power by the ciizcn which is in
short, the right n suffrage, depends the well being of
society, 1t could not, from IFS reTy nature, DC excrci
sed by children, persons Of immature reason Then
knew, too. that election choice in winch the
right OF suffrage, or political power essentially CON
ssts, necossa lily implies free agency, IT could not
| which
has made them weak and timd, in comparison with
men, had been placed under. the contI'oI IF men
They knew too, aud they declared, that tho univcr-
salty "f this principle of,hc equal bn,ral irhis of
further linitrd by the power of the nlaio-
nv of every community" To exclude, hy its iinda-
mental law. portion, even of the MN of mature
aye from the exercise OF political power, because of
their unh ness to exercise IT. in declaring, "that
the major ~ Ola community" Possesses and 0f nnccs
sty must pOsscSs. tho supreme control of It's COLI
Germs, they but affirmed The supreme law of ncccs-
s'y, md therefore of nature. As i'm all FREQ
communities questions n'""be decicd by the people
or their representatives rule OF decision must
DC adopted II must necessarily be assumed eth
thai The majority the minority il ght lfthe ruie
were adopted that the minority TO be cons dercd
right. the MINORITY would submit to it, and the
rui" would be uullIty. Bnt thr jus M rjpriS car
r'"s us own sanction with II, aud ia law Imposed by
nseST''Y on 1ti free communities.
II IL difficult conceive OF amy priucDle more essen
italy practical than tins of Ibe righ, Of the ma F.
Ilorly To govern. And yet this tails like the rest .
under the sweeping censure of being an ..nbs raci
, prlnri1Ie IT prnciPie which cannot be applied TO
the ordinary affairs and business of governments
Bui II has been sand that tho Butn"rs Of the decla-
ration OF rights themselves, admitted M effect the
abstract and Impractical character of The pr.ciurs
wsich II confirms, ny establishing government whose
practical regulations wholly Inconsistent with
those theoretical principles Thn, whr, IN the
drclaTatIQn of rights, they asserted that all
power - vested IN The peopic, and should be
exercised oy n mryor6y of the people they
established government IN which unequal coynios expre
SiiS Their sense by the selected FIR IN
those counties, wit, he eeiocys the cll nona
units or essential element, "i political power That the JUS
Giort in eminent is violated M Two sen,
nodes FIRST ny vestus the power each free
holders mun,y oi the people and next by ,nvc.,
me- small masses of people snail counties aud large
masses IN the large counties, with eIai power in the govern
Sir the argument would ho good premises which
Pr were correct But Is not true, that authors
4 .'~. I,,ei ns,r any year, ana more Thew
jou"d At established, and they unable at hot pcod of
aI'n coluc'o" 20 after II IN these particulars. The
constitution formed AMID the Iu nf arms and wien
c VINO formed were IN continual danger Of Icing driven
from the very Hall Legislation at the pom, Of ,.r
OdVoneis IL was utterly Impossible, under such crcuu
stances to poll doHn and inc who.r fabric Of
government he people had been accustomed for a nun
hted years and more, tire equal representation of the
countless and 10 the freehold liinratio ui tho
right ct suffrage II would have bccn, to ne last
Dc gree, unwIse aud impolitc, at 5Ich fearful cri
cis when the whole physical force O. th, peope ,v,s
nar"ly s"lcrnt to defend the commonwealth against
me superior force OF foreign enemy, TO distract
Their minds by new arrangement and dis, rbution
o' political power. In leaving the connijes and ~.
jreehotderS n they found them, the frainers of The
conS,n"'lon acted like wise aud p1ac,jeaI statesmen
They were well aware OF Tho ,nco,s,s,,,o. ~
twocn their theoretical principles and their nr,ct,
cal Tguln'io IONS Ev'n rs early 1891 that incon.
s>'ency was pointed out by ono of wIscst states.
mrn. As early as 1871 the neD ami unLc1yd nj
Pr'7cPfe that, IN the epporliorncnt of rcurcscnta
tion, regard should BE- led TO tho white pnpuIa,ion
/ only, WIS urged home ON the people Of VIRGINIA bv
blr Jefferson, who cXhOded them. IN the most enrn
krst ana impressive language, TO reduce the pri,cpe
Practice, soon leisure should be afforded them
"f9r intrenchigg within good forms, the rights Tor
which they had blcd."
Fifty years have passed by aud that pnriod NJ
leisure las at length arrived. Tho represents
tves OF the people Of Virginia have nj Inst MS
s0nb!ed IN iull and free convention to revise their
iuno1hehtn Is". special committee Of this convcn-
ton has recommended tho adoption oC n rcsnl,,,,'
I THAT ~ the npportinnncnt OF representation Il,
the House OF Delegates regard should be- lad 10 tbn
white populst on exclusively
/ TO the amendment sought TO he en1rafcd IN tLis
resolution shall presently advcrt-My first inquiry
49, how far this resolution uccords with the Grcat
principles Of political law solnmuly announced nv Tho
fathers OF the Revolution, the declaration Of the
rights Of the people Of VIRGINIA" I hav. trstcd .,
sr' by those principles, and find it ~ rtct accor-
dance with them
n looks to NE Pcopie the only legitimate source
ana fountain "f political powcr-It establishes fine
political equality Of the electors throughout the com
rnonwcaith, whose qualifications will he defined b,, O.
separate aTiise of orr fundamental law which ,yil
o. sanctioned by the expressed vii Of the majority
: j E.-L ~ ID ~ IL l.