Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-21

Benjamin Franklin too was of the nensan,
GLASS. He labored hard for his daily broad
Genemen oDhor distractions Let them learn, then,
from those liiustrous peasants this practical t,,5
taut moderate labor inspires sound sense ask the
COMMITTEE to test the correctness of nv nos;t;,n h.
nqurlng how the non rechoders i'll our sister States
nave chosen their representatives in the Federal Gov
gress, as compared with the reeholdera of onr
native State! Lowndes, of South Carolina. James
Lloyd, OF Massachusetts,, Rufus King, of New York
w hilam Plnckney, of Maryland, cum uuuLtis mis-
WERE or are, the peers of the fist talents that Virg
MA has sent forth. And now, Sir, are not Websta
ana McDutte, and Berrien, without naming Others
aauitl"ai hvng examples of the truth of nv pronosi
tiom Such flcts speak volumes II were ~ n va
gracious consumption of the valuable time of The
ightened and honorable body to attempt nv anv on
larged scope of argument, prove thn, n man L.
ms plr'h place as he does his mother, with an ardor
that no time eau efface circumstance eYtin1n;sh
sacred love country, and nefable attachment To Ie
hatai spot, are those the offspring OF churlIsh in
tercsI; or can gold. pure base them! Sir the lan,Ie
peasant cllngs to the rocky cliffs on whose snmn;, b
sported in the %halcyon days Of his boyhood nc The
,igaments OF ms own heart bndit to his bosom Away
theh with the idea OF the gentleman from, Snosylv,
ne Mr.. Stanard) that twenty five dollar freeboM
en- a whole commonwealth of whom Stephen Girard
couid create without impairng materially his resour
ces. mas stronger, more elevated, or more endur
ing attachment to his country, than the man r.
fain " attempted to describe. '
but' continued Mr. H. gentlemen have denied the
propriety OF permitting man without propertv ~
Vole equally with the rich man, because the latter
ortgs INTO the common stock his fortune as we'll no
all that class OF rights strictly dcnominated personal
In the first place, how this position to no reconci
with the concession that a man who Inns twent,r s.
dollars in land shall vote? If one man have
ana another SIS, the ratio is very nconsiderable
as 10 Withdraw from the argument of INV onnonents
the greater part of its force. Examine this brancb ~
| the subject in its true lights. A man without nro-
prrty stakes his liberty, his life his reputntion b;s
appness, and ms aght TO acquire property While
we surround property with many fences and puard
1t with SO much solictudc, shall we not dulv nn5rec;
ate the right to acquire it! Shall we not in the en-
Pna.c :, language OF Napoleon preserve for it 'the
open thea; rer" Again, if the rich man brine in bha
properly, does he not the necessity of an CIV
penslVe government? 1t is mainly for his nyonert,,
ina. law IS piled upon law IN your Statute book and
tnat the onerous labors of your judiciary are demand
/ ed. tie, too, engrosses the honors and emolpments
incident 10 the operations of government It is rare
~ thet you incur expense III making administering
law Tor the citizen without property and still mor
rarely does he share in those DISTINGUISHED md ME
esting functions. How stands the account in Wa,
are wars waged for the interests of the poor, DO
.er passions prompt or their possessions invite them,
! NO o,r' Ihe ambition of the great men of Rome
raised her armies to invade Brtain ate, overrunn;n
te tarfst portion of the Island they returned TO enc
10y 'ler sPol, leaving the highlands unconquered
Inc poor and hardy Caledonians boosted that the;,
gaantry had rolled back the tide of battle; But Gin
Don says more truly, that the proud EAGLES of Rome
TO perch on the naked hills ofthe land of the
mountain and the food" Sir, the cottaoer is alwoI.s
the instrument and the victim OF war bnt be s no
yer its author, and seldom shares its plory Let NOT
wealth. then complain that 1t is taxed for its own IN
!
/ property, as has been well said, has influence II
corners knowledge. and gives facility for ,rnuroyncr
rns Tb GI the heart and the graces of the
,ief' MS Is power, concentrated legitimate resist
| less power. ever has been, and viii continue To
be, till time shall be no more ~
6ehtlelnSh intimate that the enlarged and liberia!
Suhfage VIII engender tumult at elections and i'm
part to the populace habits of dissipation Have Won
not now nlrh and rreguariry and riot at your cleo
tlonS nat real evil springs from this source? There
genlry drink wine and the lower classes alcohol -
ms Is subject o regret, but not an adequate cause
tor cstraE chisIng the the other celebrateJ
man IN England, remarked that it was better the No
Dlemans coaches should be bespattorcd nv the moi
than that the people should be made slaves And +
Is better that cultivated be offended here than
thai three ftlis of the body polite be powerless.
For these transient Inconvenience nerfect reroed,,
districts. o''''i0i'
Mr. Chairman, we have one small, but conspicu
9uH example on the correctness of the doctrine which
nave the honor to maintain in Virginia itself and
gentlemen justly tenacious of the Character of onr
ancient CommonWealth, ought to weigh it. The
borough OF Norfolk IS entitled, we all know to de.
egae In the lower House of our LEGISLATURE Tn thai
borough pob0iterS and mechanics aoo haze seryed ,
apprenticeship, are invested with the RIGHT of suffrage
how SIR, have they exercised it? Look at their re-
presen alton this floor. One of those yrbo oven,
pity their political fitness, in war the defence in nc.co
the ornament of the State, is here no Ionner. 7,
is, sir, an ndisputable fact that the Borouph Of
1Yo .l mas oeen represented in the Legislature
with an ability and patriotism which do honor to the
City itself, while 1T living and constant ,raof NJ
the capacity Of the non-ircehoders of Norfolk
ana are not the non-freehoders of the county Of
Frederick as competent as they are? Is there onv
thing In the air of city which gives light and
purity to its Ptopulace, when citizens Of CORES
pondng grade throughout your wide confines are in
volved in darkness or steepedin jmpuritvs We Ia~o
been taught to believe that the multitude in cities
was more depraved and more liable TO political
deiuslon than that dis persed over the surface Of
. .i country Aliowin them TO be worse than
their fellow citizens of Norfolk time the best instruc
tor establishes their claim 1t is vain to contend that
we are happy, and therefore, that no amendment
would be proper. Suppose the ST ate were poverned
by all absolute monarch, whose character was as be-
nign rs that Of a Frojan AnfcIne, and who made
them happy foi the time, would not the citizens as
sert Their Political rights the sole security for the
continuance Of their ciuH i,naunities7 Womb tbc,,
be content to hold hr comfort and peace and all that