Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-17

the committee had not agreed upon any report blu,
ne was requested by The minority TO submit to the
meeting a preamble and resolutions, which were
handed IN to the Secretary, aud by him read and
are In the following words:
Whereas,by an act which has passed both Hous
IS OF the General Assembly and become the law
OF the land, entitled 'An Act to organize Conven-
tom the sheritfs and other officers conducting e.
lectons Tor members Of the Conventio are reuuir-
ed to receive the votes Of freehollers alone: The
non-lreeholders and other citizens of Richmond
here assembled. view the restriction a. an unau-
fhorized limitation upon the equal rights OF the
hcemcn Of this community, and as a departure.
from the theory and practice OF our republican in
situations unprecedented in the United States,
which is inJefensible by reasoning, and which
can not be acquiesced in without danger 10 pub.
lie liberty.
While we unqualihedly express this opinion,
and invite the strictost investigation of its correct
ness, we frankly acknowledge az the same tine
our conviction. that the General Assembly had no
power or right to extend the privilege Of suffrage
TO the non-freeholders. Both the restriction and
the extension, are equally beyond the limits of e.
gisativc authority. Had the General Assembly
merely recommended il TO the people Of this Com
inohwea'h 10 assemble and choose delegates 10 the
Convention, and required the oiciai organs of the
government to receive their votes and make the
proper returns,we consider they would have been
exercising their legitimate powers, AMI comply
ing with the expressed wishes Of majority OF The
feeholders of the Commonwe alth; but we ac-
knowledge no power under Heaven, competent
TO deprive lreemen Of their equal rights, but the
power OF those freemen themselves assembled in
free and iull Convention. Had the restriction
upon suffrage OF whieil we complain, been
imposed by Convention, in which tho peo-
pie Of Virginia had been fully represented, and
u majority, Of them subsequently had ratified
the restriction, whatever our Individual feelings
and opinions might have been, we would cheer
FULLY have acquiesced in the will of the con,mu.
niiy expressed through the legitimate channel
IL is not that we deem il indispensable 10 the exis
tence OF freedom, that the right OF suffrage should
be extended to non-rceholders in the choice of
the ordinary officers OF government, but that il
would be dereiic:ion OF principle, A base submis
sion to usurpation, tantamoun TO political sn;c;io
were we to submit 10 the dictation of those hav
ing no more authority than ourselves in the for
NATION OF government common 10 all of Us: nav
not SO much authority il as has been confidently
and frequently asserted by the highest authority,
the non-ireehoders are majority of the peonle NJ
this commonwealth, We wish TO be renresentod
in Convention, because il is right and because
we do not choose tobe deprived without our con-
sen' OF any oi our rights. Where an ordinary e-
gisiature, created only for the purposes of mum
cipa regulation, exercises this power of priyation
we cannon but consider il an usurpation in eff
feet, and one which, while we 10 not charge mr.
mean TO charge its authors with the design of H.
surping unlawful authority, we nevertheless feel
il our duty to resist.
hat In recurrence 10 fundamental principIes
where new form of Government is to be es,ab-
iisfed, all free citizens of q community have an
equai right TO participate III its formation is pro.
Poston go clear and indsputable to our minds that
we had never imagined the possibility of its being
cuntested;' and we did suppose in very truth that
this principle was the foundation upon which rest
ed the whole fabric of Republicansm It's exclu-
sion by the General Assembly OF Virginia, in the
recent act TO organize Convention is the first ex-
ample in the U. States of the denial OF the princi-
pie by any constituted authority, and as portion
oithe people. whose rights we believe have been
outraged by that act, we cannot but express our
chagrin' that this should have first occurred in
the Ancient Dominion; nor can we submit TO il
without making one effort 10 the Injustice of
the Legislature, and most solemn appeaI IN
the good sense, justice and republicanism of our
fellow citizens at large TO sustain and aid us in
the attempt.
We deem it superfiouus 10 enter into minute
and elaborate argument TO establish the right of
every free man to participate in the change OF the
government under which he lives; for ii this right
was not established by the American Revolution
II that revolution was not justified by the princi-
pie, THAT the people have the irreversible and in
herent right to re model their government we
know not what principle was settled by that prea,
political event. or where we shall find the jus,iii-
cation of our fathers in throwing off the woke of
England and setting up an independent govern.
IneDt for themselves. One authority, however
We will adduce to our country in support of the
claims Of the non eholIers, an authority.
which, though it has become fashionable with some
~, but unacceptable of practical application TO
the condition OF mankind il is pride TO acknowl-
edge sthe highest human authority, and for which
we believe the people Of Virginia continue 10 EN-.
tertain deep and undmnished reverence. We
mean the Bill of Rights of Virginia. Behind this
high authority we intrencb ourselves, and affirm
IN the language of the Bill Of Rights, that "a
majority of the community hath an unaIienabie
and indefeasible right to alter, amend or abolish
their form Of government
Can it be necessary to enquire who constitutes
this community Aristocracy alone could ever
have imagined it TO mean a privileged class, and
soph;stfy only would pretend to include in il the
wofnens infants and slaves of the country. Giving
TO the word the meaning that its daily use requires
and rejecting aswholy impertinent the specula-
uons that would enlarge restrict its meaning;w we
are satisfied that the common sense of the public
concur with us in saying that the word COMMUNE.
~ as used in the text of the Bill of Rights, IN cans
the Tree male citizens Of the Commonwealth, pos
re sing all the rights Of any other CITIZEN the free
will to declare and the physical ability to maintain
them: and cannot consistently with mutual right
end republican equality be made TO mean any
thing else.
Is there any man who will contend that the
community spoken of in the Bill Of X gifts is the
ireeholders? Is there any man TO be found OF
Judgment so weak, as to contend that the right of
free man to participate in the revolution OF his
government, either depends. or ought in the ma
ture.of things TO depend upon his possessing TWEEN
ty-hve acres OF land'-We contend that the prin-
cples declared in the Bill of Rights are derived
from the laws Of nature, the bene Violence of Pro-
whence and the general right and fitness of things
and as such are OF universal truth and apple able
alike to all people and all times But this tbeo-
~ supposes them 10 be modified or limited by
the municipal regulations Of particular comrn,ini-
~, and conducts 10 the absurdty that the COM
inuniiy, who 1t is affirmed possess the right of