Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-11-19

20 oe esciudcd tfssns the right of suffrage. aa
=" sssw principles. De not these right. h.
'oag 70 all persons, AZ an times and clrcum,
stances And u they are 50 invarsabie. nov,
I ,a''e 'hese numerous exceptions which g,,n.
.tensen have admi,tcjs The females arc .
i'I mo'ey OF every seciety--ami vet we arr
so'o mat they are excluded by rules derived
rom state OF nature, Now, the laws of \ .
tarc are uniform.
Nj b said that gentlemen have pressed
.a'o sneir service other principles derived from
the Blu OF Right--as, that an power i .,sr;.-
cd nom the people, and that a majority hath
sn inahenabie right 10 alter the government
'er ,'ie good of the community. And the AHA
ssgan'en' OF the gentleman Of Brooke mr..
Ioauiiuge9 was urged te show the power Of
inc majority. Bui IN addition 10 the arg,,
p'ent 81 the yes,len,aa from Norshamp,on. he
would say, THAT majority is a relative ter,o.
mr' Is e>arasncd the strectare OF the Fe-
oerai and Suite Governments, TO show how
hsch t,i's rulc of the will of the mniov,tv i.
overlooked. In the Federal Government. IL
. most Remarkably so. If the Executive
shoaiu attach his veto 20 a ball, IL viii REQUIRE,
Two thirds Of Congress 20 make Il a law. In
uhe Senate, besides its own strretur.,. ,;alat-
ing the rule, II requires two t,r,ls os I,s vote.
W many measures lie Illustrated IL in IN.
JUDICIARY Department. How il IL a, bane IN
our state Government The elections in our
countes arc not carried by maiortv---bnt
uy the plurality Of voters. Ia the judiciary
department, one man upon jssy may bat.
anee eleven others--and most wisely. Herr
'hen Is variety of eases. where the rule or
majority Is altogether overlooked.
he VOICE OF the majority Of the people Of
state cannot In fact prevail, without a re-
neral hcket. On that system, only, can am
eiecuen go by majority of the people hut
according TO our usual practical svsiem. MI
norties may generally carry elections; and
many measures are sanctioned in this Hall.
which do mol have the sanction of the major.
sty of the people.
lie commended, therefore. that there IL no
inVafiable rule on this subject---that, in this.
as IN morals, men must determine by the ex-
pedieney OF things, by practical utility tits
TINS test, which determines how far general
principles ought to be departed from.
II, therefore, the test be practical utility
n we are TO enquire with Soon, no. what /.
the best possible, but the best practicable form
Oh gosernment-.then, the only question here
would he, what is the best form, snfalle m
cur state OF society," II when vou enter into
a society, you have TO surrender not only
your personal rights, but portion of pr,pcr-
", ought such a surrender To he made with
out an equivalent But, gentlemen saw. that
the more properly you have, the more pro-
lection you have; and thai this additional
protection is the equivalent which the ndiyi-
dual receives. This might be true. II govern
ment exacts only as much revenue as viii be
necessary to the administration OF the govern
inent and to the protection of property. But
It IS known, that thousands and millions are
exacted Tor the Improvement OF the State in
which many individuals are noe cpnecrnevi --
He attempted TO show that the analogy drawn
the other day by the gcntlemsn from Nor
folk, was incorrect, that the government was
the underwater and the people the assnrad---
that The analogy ceases, because the premium
Is fixed. III the case of the insurer-,vhereas
in the case of the government the ias . (tLe
IS not withheld by al, o.llract
from taking whatever prerni'im it pleased.
He aliued TO the examples of Norsi, Caro-
l,na, oeorgia and Massachusetts, 10 show the
propscty OF taxation provision. 80 far a.
gocs, IT IS IN our favor, as far as
it i. against u.s. The former is
like the foil steady hight OF the san, the latter
ike meteor. transient in it, light anil decep-
tive in its direction. The example 81 Massa-
chusetts for forty years is oil more account
than the experiments Of all the latter States,
which are yet IN state of pupilagea
Mr.. -. was commenting upon p ,sition ta-
ken by Mr. Taylor, when
Mr. L. rose to explain. lie stated, that on
the principle OF equal power rests republican
government; that his position was equal right
among all qualified persons, after the qsialifs-
cation Is fixed, II you permit 80 wealthy
persons TO have as much influence az $50
poorer persons, you destroy the true princi-
piles OF free and equal government. and dis
guise 1t az yon viii AN ar.siocraey Of wealth
is produced utterly inconsistent with the prin-
ciples OF free government
Mr.. b. replicd--that upon the doctrine Of
these gentlemen, representatives IN different
sections Of the State might impose taxes upon
a people in another section. 10 whom ,ney
owe no responsibility, He disclaimed all i'm
putatlans upon any OF his fellow citlzeps--he
only. claimed for his own people, what he
would allow others. While faith was the
iomdat.e Of religion, the very reverse Of il
was at the bottom OF poi,tlcs-That even the
proposition before the House vas a proof of
it. The people themselves are prohibited
from eleeting as delegate a man who is not
25 years old, nor TO the Senate under 80 years
of age.
lie contended that gentlemen had con-
founded civil Fights with political power
that 10 CIVIL rights, all persons were put on
equal footing; that 40 regard is paid to ser or
condition thst even Aliens are admitted into a
large participation OF civil = ghts--but ii ID
when You come to organize political powerys.
you have to make a dlstine tion between sex
and pers~as.
lie asked, what would be thought, il he.
were to require that property alone was to be
the Sole basis OF Representation Yet sch
1asA