Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-12-18

me TnaosEr ." a. ~. i''i ~ ibO i~i VIII not
this in, .iaIi'ii be f.'S' -1rta;v n..rrp;rp--rL.
qualified with ih .lc-ca.,.d ro;yir which the
extension Of he right of suffrage VII n;y. tl.em
will make themselves heard mt IN. DiIs ard heard
in your halls u. Legislation. Do noi .aiter ynnrself
SIR Thai your na,ori'ics H. ri. Legislature can rsst
the petition. of dread al majority earn tlc n,ess-f
ell. and long pr, evcrcd in. Your nev voters will
sympShi.e wrh them and net with yon--thcy will
owe their power principally 10 :h: people OF the
west ana they wili not regard your power rs ncces-
sniy TO their protection. If your own Constituents
do moi take part against yu, nevertheless you " III he
compelled yield, the Legislature. has heretuf re
yielded 10 the force of public opinIon--and another
Contention Will he called 20 do that which y,,u nu,y
refuse TO do. Tho surrender Of your nawcr nav
then ccile loo late to allay the a,rniosi,ics wh
Use pro:5acted controversy Will have iniieBcj heal
dl-seniion, 6oohe wOunGcd feeling. inspi.c conf
dcncc, and cement the bond of uniun aInonr the
pcO2e of the commonwealth.
why Then will You p.rsst III Contcnding e.. that
which /; Is so hazardous TO possess, impossible to
tcta"f he'icrfoF bet cr Is y III my humble orin-
son tn turn yOr teniIrn to hat which Is pracica.
Bile, >aia enduring and cfi:,c;uR-:n the prudcnt hmi
tnt!on / the right of suffrage. This is u Ground
on winch We cnuld meet anl confer togrthcr, 1
should hope with sonic prospect Of fe;,iiig at once
the basis vi political power, aud the mode Of appnr-
tionng II. Let he quaica Dns of outrage be ~
tiicorsly defined, tic ha.s of representation he
The ia 10 oi qualified vut'rs have shrv:i yo how
snc' pf"vis'''n accods with the principles Of
government, bow mildly it w.uld operate IN tie dis
tribu'ion at POwer,--iow perfectly secure il would
! leave our righ;s OF property.
Its To the qualifications uf suffrage, Mr.. Chair
m?n that we must iehk for the essential character
OF nur government. fr the security OF ali our rights
aEl especially for the protection OF oar pgopctty.-
Hold in steady view the word and the sJiri OF The.
bill at rgh;s;-admit tn the cniuvrc.t of i.;.icnl
power those, and il possible those only who have
sufficient evidence "f permanent common interest
viii aud ttachIncn; TO III: conmunity"-aud YOU
hav" The host security that can devise fox the pro-
tcciion %f your property and our rights y"u have
the h"3d which gen;cncn hay" demanded, founded
IN seii-interest and selovr. am not so Ti,ionary
D. tn suppose that human wis dom can devise "a rule
vi suffrage, which would include ali WHO have and
exclude ali vino have nG, lac requisite interest in thu
community and attachment 10 1t. but there can be
no doubt, that by careful attention. to tho circurn
stances. which Indicate VeTmnnency of inIcr,st com
n'ndy ut interest, attachment to tho country much
might be done, To NclGdr t:e unworthy, aUi to
commit the political powc:, 20 the great h"dy OF the
Pe'PlN, who must look 10 The g0"d government end
prosperity of the country, for the prosperity and ham
Pncss of themselves ndiv idnalv :hcir families and
thciI pnstcrity. Lee your qnafica ION -of property
bc Fixed with no 10 arisiucra;c prize and dis
tinctonlct it be fixed So low, that the industrious
oil all asses, professions, aud calling may acquire
Il IN few years of pers. c;rg labor and so high as
20 be out of the roach OF the habuaily idle, who in
ell stations Of lite, hahHuaily WORTHLESS Wheth-
or 1t be u real or personal property --rea should
prefer --ict IT be curtain, simple, easy TO understand
and convenient IN pra cttre. Such a safrruard for
property, a. this wOV!d be permanent; i; wuuid net
dTriy great districts Ot State each
other and cuuii not produce any serious discomfort
WHAT excluded classes would oppose il? Not our
slaves their masters Wi keep them better employ
ei nor orr ch,dreni the di cipne of the rod will Sc
cure their allegiance: not our daughters HEAVIER
bless their maiIenly modcsty! they would not foI
the world he suspected of d"siFing povef nor ouI
wives, who would be perfectly contrntcd that their
husbands should give their votes for them; nor vet
those, who are no logger wivc.; for thew will
have been taught in hes EMS test school, the vanity
ofhunan power d the necessity OF seeking happiness
III ceVotloh No other ci1sSes but the aliens and
ire co., are eX'ludcd-and from them nobody
has any apprehension of complaint All besides who
ar excluded, individuals belon gng 10 all classes
who are Tor the lime without the requisite quaiii-
ca ion' The Industrious young man, whether u cu
tIVatoT oil the soil, merchant mechanic whether
lawyer doctor, or divine who is engaged i'm laying
the foundations Of his friune, and vino looks ~!
cOnideuce,-as every industrious man IN this com
MUMMY may,-to the time when he shall have acqu-
red comfortable subsistence for himself and his
family and with IT tire qualification Of suffrnre-
can he now complain t'iut he must for few years
su3mi' to that exclusion hch has D on deemed ne
c'ssary TO secure him tho profits of his own labor
the protection OF the property hC Cniclv our:nn To
acquired The sons OF irerilndcrs who hive moi vet
come 10 the possession Of the estates which their
fathers have III Keeping for them, and have earned
none Of their own;-thcy surely cannot Complain,
TINT while hey depend upon their fathers for their
property, they should depend on thcn Also for s
government. Can the iInprudept or the unfortunate
who have lost their property, aud with their right
OF Suffrage. complain that they are not permitted TO
participate IN the management of public affairs when
they have been SO unsuccessful in the conduct OF
their private estates, TO be eft without the quail
lCaiiOn of vutcr2 With still less reason could the
Idle man, whether young or DID, who had acquired
no property aud was pursuing means 10 acquire
any complain that no was rot permitted 70 share in
the government Of that socie yIo which he contrib
u,cd nothing better than the evil example of his bad
habits II l. very manifest, that among all these Va
Finus dc'crpt ons Of excluded pers ms, there royd
be no bond OF sympathy, 10 union of action and
that from their dIscuncnts, il they had no raying
point OF real grievance, no organized corps of dsaI-
i-trd voters 10 conduc their opposition, society wbud
have nothing TO opprchend.
There Is but single point of view in which the
cunnoXiOn of the basis Of representation with the kt
uf suffrage, | have suggrs cd, would seem No
threaten mischief If the qualified vo'ers in the so
veral districts were made tho standard of their pow,
I or, the extcpsicn of the right OF suffrage, ns would
probably vary he ratio OF qualified vo,ers, might be-.
come ques ion Of power between the dli on, dis
tricts | have hueu FULLY awai OF this Consequence,