Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-01-16

w bile such foundation of individual power will he
The most odous, the conneSrn of the power with the
most efficient means Of It's preservation viii ensure
tho duraeihty or their union The PRINCIPLES of free
govcsnmert cannot sanction the existence of mn ,r;s
tocracy-tls is free government; if the first seq
ton or the bill be passed into law an arstocracv
VIII be created ana for this reason alsc the Legsla
ture cannot enact the first section. If individuals
can derive political consequence from the ow,,crsIip
Of slaves they will establish such institutions ms viii
guarantee Its supremacy. OF all foundations of
political right there is none in it's character and
tendencies, so alarming, as that which rests OF a
property in persons; the master of hundred slaves
is II hing;-in the government which he dictates
! to them, he Is supreme. Desire to command is
the strongest passion of the human BOSOM and
when once the power is possessed. it is never
reaceaby surrendered; every means will be re-
sorted to, to maintain II. Tie eagerness with which
1t IS sought depends on its extent when acquired and
rs no authority Is so gratifying to mankind rs that over
persons nothing will be more effcctually ,,ardcJ
or certainly handed down To poserity than those RIGHTS
which have their origin in slavery. Reruiutio,;s
which direct the descent OF property through thou
sand generations, and which have been but recently
cXpunged from our CODE will be lie lest ablished The
kngsip which finds itself based in property will be
entaiied with tie property for it is natural that the
CHILD ioua inherit the parents gold. and it is but ira
ra for the parent to provide for the continuance of
his grandeur in the persons Of his descendants ,rhe
throne OF the father rested the number of his slaves
and his slaves will be cntaed that his throne may fol-
low them. If we take the history of man as our GuSe
there IS 10 room to doubt, that if We prescribe repro
scntGtoIl of slaves iii the convention that the same
principle will be infused into the constitution and
into all Legislation under it. But gentlemen mar saw
that the Representation Of slaves will be poitca
right, net TO be conferred on individuals I think
will shew that if their principle be correct If must he
applied to individuals. In the first place. there is no
political community IN this State, but that of the
whole people. In establishing the federal Government
it is true that the North conceded to the Soutb rght
to represent in the House of Representatives. three
ffths OF The slaves 1t is not necessary for us to
know the consideration which passed from the South
to the North for this concesspI,--ts cnourh to know
that iierefwas q consideration. In making this con-
ccssIon, those states had not the same interests Mt
stake that the people of Virginia have. CONGRESS- can
not pass laws interfering with the personal rights of
the people, The objects of the government of the u
States, were emphaticay, establish more perfect
Union, SC so that the principle of slave reprcsen-
taton could not be welded to the injury of the per-
sonui rights of the northern people Tie federal co-
vernneut originated in leaguc of sovereigntios and
its constitutions may be said to be treaty between
then IN which the political interests of tEe d;fIrcrt
tues were intended to be preserved. But in Virpi-
id oeoWcch our OWL citizens, the case is wholly ;
1erent: the citizens caIinot as the states lid 49,.
rights into ccIIventon:-politicaI rip5,ts
raoIo rom t and convention of the
rights.
The States voted in the formation of the o. States
government, as Statesthe people Of Virginia must
vote us members OF the same community possessing
co-equal rights. If only man in Virginia Votes
against the new constitutions his vote will not prevent
Its ratification even to hiln-fie is nienber of tle
community ana as such will be hound by it. But if
one state the least of them, bad refused to send de-
Pntles to the convention of go, and to enter INTO the
contedcracy, the constitution would not have i,enu
binding OIL such state. Here sir is the difference be-
tween the relation Of state 20 state and of person TO
person. Were there in Virginia different poll
teal communities, there are in the Union fbev
might demand similar adjustment of their poltica
rights; but the state of Virginia is for~eH by an asss
cation OF persons individually equal to each other
II the ratio of power given to Virginia by the three
s OF her slaves is 10 be preserved in tile propcscd
convention, then, we have political communities
the same right which those communities would have
to gave three votes for every five slaves must be- the
pr1nGIpie OF the bill is to have its full effect an ia
dlvidual right in those persons who own slaves ANY
man who possessed five slaves would in convention
be entitled to give four votes, and the political rrbts
OF each person would be scaled according his to wealth
Noa THIS committee OF enlightened representatives
sahFton aprncple, Monstrous in its character and
which must prove so tremendous in its
fhe master OF hundredsiaves would rive siyfv votos
DIT. ChaIrinan property canNot confer personal
GUS on It's owners prior to the formation of social
compact, and such rights are now founded in urener
y, derive their existence from the present government
and cannot be exertci but for purposes of the govern
mcnt. ~
fhls section Of tie bin ought not to be retained.
Dir Chairman, because its effects will be unsouaI
There are fifteen districts east of the Blue rider and
serc" west laid off en- the basis of the white ard ree
htths OF the black populations the senatorial dis
trcts laid Off exclusively in reference to the white
population are divided into fifteen east and nine vest
OF the Blue Ridge Fus, at single glance it will he
perceived, that if we retain this feature i'll the bill we
snail deprive the peoplcwest ofthe Blue Ridge ofrep-
rTsentation IN two Senatorial Districts The dsfran-
csencnt offy thousand persens for the purpose of
substituting IN their stead representation ftIree tfs
81 5he slaves Oft the eastern people, can be justified
a I ought not to be attempted. There can be no
o"ngeT mat Ii the representatives to a convention be
elected from Senatorial districts that any evil touch
ing he right OF property in slaves will arise-he pre-
ponderance in favor fte people of the eastern guar
ter ofthe state, will be thirty deegates-a naiorit,,
certain and decisive.
1.-THE Chairman of the Committee here informed
| alr' w that although the motion of the member
from Ohio (dr Doddrdge) was only to strike out
the FIRST section of the BILL yet TINT the merits Of the
whole bill we're open for discussion: upon which Mr.
Wallace c0ntinued:J
Although Mr.. Chairman, as measure Of rxpefn-