Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-14

lar from suspccting any member of this bodv
We have been called upon ~ assign a reason yhy
inians under tho age of twentyone wears should be
excluded fr"a sh2-c in Inc formation Of the Gov
eTnuient If tho principles for which have been con-
tending are correct answer, that it will BE- time
enoneh 10 assign the reasons for it. when they claim
the right nndas it's very hey do not intend
to make the denlnnd at present We need not waste
time in making Improbable enquiries into the
eut or nature of their rights The question asked
by the gentleman from Orange, (Mr Barhour)a as to
cur right TO exclude the free negroes from the irs
of citizenship, IS sufficiently cred bv saving that
we choose tn exclude them for reasons which must
be sufficiently Obvious TO aim, and therefore need not
be assigned.
deserves Our most serious considerations It is this:
v hat right have u'c, il the principles asserted by
the Bill Of Rights correct, to exclude paurers
from taking any part in the formation or amendment
! oil the Constitution? II Is Important in the con-
s'derat"n OF this question, to know precisely what
Is meant ~ the term paupers. If this term is in
tended to embrace all the non-f.cehoders as pre-
sumo 1t IS, (ttr IL of their poverty and
th@ want nI common interests with, and attachment
! to the community which is supposed TO be conse-
fncnt upon their state IF poverty that tkey ure cx-
ciuded} there can be no difficulty in inakin., suite
be reply TO the quGsti n. Tie reply which am dis
lpo.c to make, This. These paupcrs er uonfi, ohpld-
ers, being admitted belong to The community AMI
acknowledged as parties to the compact of Gov
rnenti and they having demanded permission to ex-
erotse their rights ~ they have done, in Language
not 10 be misunderstood disrCg2rded; we have no
irgt TO exclude tiela from share in lie alteration
| OF the Old aud the new formation of Constitution
! And Sir, II not deceived by the language of
their memorials nov upon your table, they arc de-
termincd not tn be prevented from exercising their
rights. When come TO consider the question of
who shall be permitted to vote in favor Of the adop
ton or rejection ofthe ncI' nraTnenLcI Cuus: u-l
| 1 may perhaps cndcavoY 10 satisfy he committee,
that eEcry free white above the age of twenty
! one years, will be entitled vote upon that oues-
ton, 'as1nach, as the people will then re engagcd
} agf, ,-l so
| to them by Bill of Rights and TO d,ay the dis
t!ntion between the natural rights, and the right of
Suffrage, Wiiich is mere conventional right, and
eau only b. claimed or exercised, by those whom it
has been conferred by he majority which created
tho Constitution For the present, it is enough for
lne 10 deny right tn exclude them from voting for
| or against the Constitution.
She second section Of the BIZ OF Rights asserts:
that all power sFestcd in, and consequently deri-
we'd from the people, &c. To this proposition un-
derstand no objection has been made shall there
fore pass on 20 the third section, which assers;--
That government is, uy ought to be- &c there the
third section Of the Bill OF Rights was read \ And
1t has beenin discussing this proposition that most
OF the questions haze ondravoured to answer have
been proponnded; but which have Thought had more
immediate relation TO the first principle asserted bv
the Bill of Rights.
| question has been raised, whether the right of
the majority To govern which is here asserted is
natural or Conventional right; and we have been
called u:on 10 prove that it is NATURAL. For nv
Iown part, conceive 1t to be wholly mnat eral as
TO the effect it is 10 have upon the division Of the
question now oe!nrc us. whether II is considered as
natural, or as Conventional right. If it be not
natural right, It's existence least be &C.
kno~lcdged- before the social compact can be form
ed. For unqucstonably, il is assen;al for any body
OF men, uilo may be about TO form Constitution to
determine IN the first place how the questions winch
may arise shall be determined. II you'd perhaps
be impossible for TO furnish better illustration
Of my views upon this subject than that which is a
corded by reference to the which Las been
mn n l 1f,yc fF,a--r ,t-o1c ~
bed IN this Hall as the Representatives Of the mo-
PIE, we met upon terms Of perfect equality noivth
standing he great inequality which must exist arnonq
SO many individuals, both 10 intellectual q,iafca-
tions, and 10 physical powcy. 4 motion was made to
appoint President, and the venerable gentleman
from Loudoun was put in nomination by the veuer-
able gentleman from Orange 1t being understood
that majority OF the members in favor of the
election ot The gentleman from Loudoun he took his
seat President. And if another person had bern
put in nomination and had received less than the
majority, and the member from Loutloun had obtain
cd but majority of one vote still he would have
boan entitled to take his scat President: and any
man Who would have questioned his right 20 do 50
would have bccn regarded as little better than a
mailman.
We proceeded in Inc next place to elect q ClerI,
Sergeant at ARMS and two Door Keepers and in ev-
cry case we continued ballot, over and over araip
until 1t was ascertaine who had The majority
thus was the right OF the majority to rule, acknow.
lodged time after time by this Convention witho,
single dissenting voice. and all this took place bejrc
we had become org enzed as a Convention
So soon as we were organized we again acknowl-
edged the right of the majority to rule by every vote
which We gave upon the adoption ofthe rules by which
ouT deibcrai rs are regulated. And the opiv bind
ing authority which those rules have over US at this
moment, is derived from he sanction given to them
blythe vote of the majority. Is it then for us 10
question the right of the majority to rule, after hay
ing often acknowledged IT, in Il case exacty in
P"iD@ Surely it is not. 1t would be idle after this,
to 60 into the enquiry to the origin of the right
OF the majority to rule. Nor need 90 into the en-
curry suggested by the gentleman from Northamp
ton as to the mode in which Tie majority is to be as
certaine, how the votes be given or who would
appoint the ellcfs If the majority be ascertained
il Is InmqeTGI how it is ascertaincd, & presume il
would b. impossible to firm any governments in coun-
Try where parties were equally balanced as to re-
CURE count in order to ascertain the majority /
DO not Lnaglne that our ancestoIs whom LLnv d.