Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-04-25
Gen RrcHARo ErrEs, Palestine.
ANSWER.

PALESTINE, April 7, 1929.
pear Slr Your polite and very friendly note otto
DAY informing me OF my Nomination az delegate from
thiS district to the Convention, "by numerous rs
scmoaGe OF my county mcr and tesiriru TO be intor
medifi am disposed to serve u elected deserves NJ,
grateful res1ect, and adds another To The nun,oro,
obigatlons am under TO them for their kindness au
confidence.
This additional testimony Of thcir confidence. i
the more gratifying to ne because n d,f.roncn n
opinion has existed between MS, upon the subject o
conventions; and hope to nc excused for oy,ili,,,
myself of this opportunity to express very brioav M
general views entertain, in reference TO the dntie
which the convention Will have to pcrlorrn.-An,
while am not in the habit OF conccaling opinions o
my owa, am always unwilling TO have ascr,bed +,
me any which are not really my opinions
! Referring TO the objects " hich are sought to \,
attained by The convention the general character
IT'S duties may be really inferred These are, first
the extension OF the RIGHT of suiiragcsecond som,
change III the mode oi representation, with view
reducing the number Of the House Of Delegates
third. some reform i'll the executive-and fourth, Z
modification of the judiciary
Suffrage IN Virginia is exercised alone Ivy fteeiol.
ders and Whatever the practice may De- is obyiousl,
founded upon the title to The propcrty should bc
disposed % substitute for this, an interest in the cult
walton Of the SOIL by admitting every free white male
cllzen twenty one years old, who resided upon and
cultivated the land to vote; for while an interest m
the SOIL has generally been regarded the best as
suvance for pernanency ard usefulness, in political
associations, the principle Of election and represent
ton, has been extended much beyond it, in almost
every state IN the Union without any political mis-
chief. How tar election ought to go, is a question
ut policy not of politi y. or natural ri~ht and il
founded upon the safety and prosperity OF tnc public
and influenced by the local situation OF territory hab-
its and pursuits OF the citizens. In manufacturing
States it ought not to be dIused rs in CONNER,
cal States. In agricultural States it ought to be
more restricted than in either.
You viii perceive that / have taken as granted,
that suffrage viii he enlarged. zurpose this opn-
ION ought now to be- generally entertained. IL op-
pears to me necessary Inference from the passa &c
OF the law providing tor Tie assenblage of the con-
ycrtion.
Suppose, however, that suffrage is 50 enlarged as
10 admit every free white 10 vote, withOu: re-
gard 70 the landed interest II is then important 10
consider, neither any restriction ought 10 be ap,lie
To those no have lands. IsI GOOD policy 10 nd
NIT non trCahodcrs TO vote r senators and renros,n
tatlvcs' and be eligible to ihos, oitices think NOT
Al ty are acmtt'd oy the eecting power, Jas hri;
u probable they may be-, the non treehoilcr should
rot b" eligible ard should only vote for members of
the popular branch OF the legislature Every man
who cuitiyates tn" land, his personal estate qIso-
many men have personal estate, nut land. fthe
man who has no lRnd, b. elected also BY those
who have no land 10 make laws f1r =oci.fv no = d.
rectly III situation, wh-'e his ciuliitv may be exc;
tea ami II 1s interest GUIDE his irrjslainn bc
VIII lake the land, or. VIVA il worse his interest will
prompt MN constantly to burden 1t with taxes, and
exempt his own estate. This cannot happCn i'm the
other The culivator Of the soil has oar.onol
estate also; and If lie reduces the taxes upon one he
Must increase th'rn upon the othcr and therefore
cannot escape. Nor is no under any temptation Tn
make the experiment Political power can onlv bc
controlled by political power. And a man reasons
baGy, VINO supposcs himself secure I'm his rigbts.
when their security rests upon the moral restraints
u3"h hUnnn octlon. The freehold qualification should
be retnnc TOR the election Of senaors; md both so
atofs aud representatives should bc irccholdcra
Tie civil divisions ofhe state Unto courtiosl ia lo
pr'@i' mode III ,.nrh tho principle OF rrprcscntniou
IS applied. inequu,Ics ~ The population and terrific
~ cHist, and ore be ed 20 have an influence in tho
legislation Of the State. Two modes Of remrdvIpo
this inequality to he con5dered ona is by untipg
the smaller counties abou' twenty Of tncm in iii fer
em tr'sOf the stat" 40" other, by taking the pop,-
la'-i and cI regarding territory.
me sHuicT cOnljys arc gCnofal!y contiguous ga
EACH other, aud 90 situated ~ 10 be- rc9dlv uri,nd
wta"u' i;jrsic ~ tho public or 10 &c people. an.
Wahrri. HtBcy were united until their popillstion
was equal 20 ratio 10 be- fixed by lc consfli,i-
uch 70 be az nvnraIe Of am contiguous tc~rtor, and
population entitled 10 representation and elect alter
macy I'd ~ succession, thc approximation IT, woud
remove tic prescuohiectiou, while few counties oI
more IMAM an average population (aRgr tins rcductic
oi Inc nuIhbcr) rsght be allowed an additional dole
gate Tor any excess of population above the ratio;
winch shrud be U fixed By the constitution Tins
mode has been adopted by some OF the States. and
no injury or injustice results from It,
u population II substituted for The county tlan
shnH iIe whole population bc taken Or the white
P'Puia''p alone Or the white population. aud n
portion OF The GLDcg the Congressional rprroseuto
ION IS raw Population IS insisted upon by soine RI
We only principle Of representation This / appre-
hend s not true N fact: know II IL not i'm practice
NO state ~ tire Union ndcres 10 it M both branches
;nd almost every one dlsfegords It (practiccly in
Ihe senatorial branch Vermont, Rhode island.
Ohio kentucky and Tennessee approximate more
nearly th1n the others The other states / believe
largo portion Of them, taD,o violate it ffit bo a
PrnrIrj by cXcldng portions ftheir citlzons ON sc-
count ~ rchdcnce property citizenship, or by making
unequal portions OF popu'oiion equal IN tbo Senate:
ny lcctmg iy counties or towns &c. OF By olcctmg
by electors, chosen by The people.
II population was tic only princjJio ofrcpr-scu,a-
ton or anV principle ~ MI, il never would be disrc
= ardcd' r. violated 70 this extent. regard popu-
idtr'. ~ Z. tsifc %. ,.'.,t ,rf,,;,f,