Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-10-31

OF the government like the oscillations of pendulum
The other extreme adopted, and people only, ant
not property, were regarded. lie asked neither tL,
co'fia by centuries, the eosiia by tribes. but IA,
desired compound ratio as in Massachusetts be.
cause both subject TO the Legislature, and be-
cause they ought to be blended Reasoning a pro
s1, VIC may We'll say there shall be no persons a,
Tint there shall be no property represented.
1t must be the natural desire aud Yish of all IN
lay the foundations OF the Government MO- NJ "a
Stand. If SD, the two columns OH which il o,,t r.s,
persons aud property. II we Withdraw either
the necessary consequence will be, to weaken Abe
foundations of the political edihcc, and we can ma
longer calculate on its duration. lf he also uigh,
venture on smile, he would likcn the machine oi
government 10 an ordinary piece of mechanism,
when inc wheels IN its internal organization,
should not net In concert, but prin-
cplcs, would be discovered To fail in answering the
purposes for which il was created. Construct IL An
that all The wheels work in harmonious concert and
IL performs what its creator intended, and thus an
effective machine would be produced. We must
ke warnin; from days gone by, TO teach Us that IN
we ancient republics, where property aad persons
were m conflict, perpetual war. strife, attended with
tho disastrous aud fatal con SEQUENCES resulted
ii's wish WAS To harmoni2c persons and property:
t1ey were no. created be conflict with ea c III
or, but were formed for concert and harmony. II
Parsons are protected, property will be; il proper
y, so also Will persons be- thus each will have an
interest IN the maintenance of the government whish
VIII last long time, subject only TO The intirm,
" of It's agents, but not To any .cfnul disorder in
The operations %! the machine.
dr BARBOUR concluded, with expressing his
regret that no had detained the Committee SO long 10
SO little purpose.
MIR. BALDWIN rose, and apologiZed for troubling
the Committee at this time, OH the ground thnl tho
gentleman from Chesterfield would not be abe 10
express the remarks he might hav TO offer so az TO
INDUCE him to ask the floor to-day. He would there
tore take this opportunity to throw out the few views
which he desired TO lay before the Committee
Inc question ~ t.;wecn the two propositions
whether representation Is to be apportioned sccor
ding to numbers, whether il ..,-i be nlacc ON nm
unequal basis, by the adoption Of the compound bass
al persons and o. taxation.
This is Substantially. though not in terms the
question Ii is then question between equaltv on
the one side, and inequality the other: and after
the admission which had been made by the gentleman
on the o,hcr side who had preceded him, he could
say ha, according To the genus Of nstitn,ioua
the rule of equality should be- adopted unless there
IS sound reason for the contrary. Both the no,.ti--
man from NORTHAMPTON and the gentleman from
CulPeppcr, have conceded TINT, in republican 90
relninent, u majority, general rule Is the ono
which nught TO prevail; bat they have ATTEMPTED ~
slcw that IN particular II would he unjust and
ought no; 10 be adopted. They found these uartic-
"ar cases III the contrarety OF CIRCUMSTANCES 10 this
commonwealth. Were it practice 10. without eros,
injustice and INJURY To great portion of our citizens
the gentlemen conce ie that the true basis Of reurc
senaton would be the white popuia ion, and there
was not person here wh3 would contradict that
position. But it contended that owing to tho
conflicting interests which are To DO found IN this
state, the Introduction of that basis impracticabl
II this was the fact, the present dscu ,siun he resar
ded MS worse than useless as having only tendency
10 create discOrd and prcpaIe the way tor excitement
IN the public mind. lie trusted. however that zen
tlemen would all unite IN search OF truth aud that
thcy would thus arrive nj the pr per course and me
hoped that all would keep in view the character of
our institutions, md come to such IA result as cx
pcrence and sound policy would justify.
In contributing TO tins descu ss,on he would not
SITTER himself to be drawn into any RhHract questions
lilo would cunfine himself to practical views, bco
wing he did that there is but little light be OH
tannd from abstract theories, c.nbeIlishnd although
~ % nd ailt La
graces of Soquencc. He WIS delighted the other
day with the eloquent speech of the gentleman from
Northampton Astounding IN distractions in order 10
sllcw that all abs ract discussion was uSslcss. He
would not enter into au argument with any gentle
man the subject of the divine right u kiuXt the
merits Of passive obedience, nor tina hopes and
fears of particular interests, nor of the priA, o.
noble BIRTH But he could not but enter his protest
against assertion which had been repeatedly
made here, that there principles IN politics. II
Ivy this declaration was meant that there ub-
stract principles which alike applicable to all
ages and countries and circumstances, he would not
30 into any controversy on the subject But If the
meaning be that there ace no principles which will
serve to- enlghten and guide the people, lac should
differ from that prop sltinn Why should there be
principles in political science we'll in other sci
cnces, What principles but truths, and to wha.
but truths we to look, guides in search OF
happiness, whether moral POLITICAL Ours is a
government Of principle. There ~ no free govern
mont IN which there not principles to be referred
70 for illustration. II we obtain light from no
other source, surely ought 10 appeal to own
system, when meet for the purpose of altering tho
Fundamental lnws Of our government With these
views lac had not looked into the hooks for abstroci
notions; but had conicnied himself with taking that
which he deemed plain common sense view If the
subject; ant his only appeal wOu!d be TO the principles
of our own system, w.l,ch cstobli he'd by ia
thcrs who sealed it with their blood. What these
principles We regard theP'oplo who are the gov
.cTned, being in the last resort, the Governors
We consider the fuuctionarieS of tho government as
responsible 10 the people The 20 arc IN, principles
which ought tO prevail; and which ought 90 be
eraitcd into our fundamental laws 1t il II rule oi
necessity that the public will must be expressed by
majority ~ tho people ItEiust he expressed, or
we neusi adopt the alternative, that it must b. ex-
pressed bya minority OF which the absurdty
fast. He would ask " these are moi principles
ofgoverInncn2 That the public will must be exprcssrd
by the majority rule not 10 he controvcred; The
only controversy which c0n take place must h Us rs
application II is asserted By some that regard should
not be had to numbers only. II numbers only were
not 20 bio rcnn1del- no Mnnldlaak Mhn.lse 10 Do