Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-17

Ult that tue SOCIAL compact vas made BY ncn---b,
numbers OF men Man therefore must have precedc,
The social compact. If "a, in what state was no.
surely IN that state which has generally been dcso
mated state Of nature. He believed there wac m
intermediate ststc between the two II mich, bo
I'D the domestic or family state of man. Irso b,,i,
the natural and family state Of man must have nrs.
ca,!ad the aocia P'e-
Although the honorable gcn,lcmnn ffo,, Nos,h
empton had partially denied the existence No :, ,s.
of nature, and bad referred TO Bible History, m H.,
point, he had however admitted that the ,ocj,I com
d, was g'onnoeu on feeling OF property. This is
admited us one ground but il is denied that il is The
princiPai or the strongest ground. Whence MAS tbis
;h, .. PROPERTY derived 1t could Only be ron,
u' properly anda sense of that right. lie in
eseu .hat the social compact founded more upun
ieehhg OF weakness aud Of want. This fecInp
was SO strong as to amount to absolute necessity
IoF entering INTO the social compact. In his refer
ehcc 10 the Bible History, the gentleman had g,yen
so.nc account of The sube aion of Eve TO Adam and
their creation. f' ~
The gentleman should have extended his historical
researches somewhat further, and he would have
round that they abundanty proved only the right
sna possession OF property in state OF nature bu,
OK man. Hc would have fund TINT Cain and Ahci
both made offering to the Lord-,hc ono the first
fruits OF his land and iabor-the o'io, nrs'Iings
OF ms Hooks Tncse offerings were accepted by the
Lord, AMI the right of property not denied by nny
un,-th, RI gn being derived rom occupancy and In.
Dor md sanctioned by the innutc moral sens. of
MN, as evidcnced by common consent. Mr.. G.. said
we were apt to fall INTO errors for the want OF due
reflections upon the longevity of the Anti Dcluviaus
Compared with the little spun Of life permitted tho
present race Of man. Pr avoid such errors, he had
made enquiries TO the aga of Cain the time h.
committed the bloody murder upon his brothcr-and
he had found that Cain WAS at that time mere lad
approaching to puberty but hadnol then once honIht
OF matrimony, although hc had reached 1873 wears of
Sge, and his brother Abel 1877. Here III n is com
plcte evidence OF q state of naiuc The right OF
property being unique tioned in each of them and
there being no one to punish Cain for his bloody
crime; Adam having rclnqushed all par entail authn-
fifty over hun. God, however, took Cain into hand
put mark upon him, aud him, into the land Of
Nod, where IL is said he married wife and built q
clsy Should there BE- any scepcs, bold enough To
doubt the account given by the sacred Historian from
suspicion that there were other families existing at
the time of Adam, ofwIich the sacred Historian was
unlpprized he would reply, that presun;ng tia; to he
the case, the account given OF the family of Adam
would form the natural History of any other family
who might be IN cNs cnce, previous To the sociul
compact-lFor Cams age a. the time OF the death of
Abcl--scc Rees' Cycop 'da, corresponding upon
this point with Lamprcls' Classical Dictionary
Mr.. G. said h. was of the opinion that there had
bscn such state n of nature; and that man
had been driven from that by the wants of ma
tore Indeed that oil creation funded upon
principle OF reatiS dependence; and man rendered
more dependent than Gny other annal--cleary maui.
testing thereby provldeRtial intention To drive HIM
from solitary to social state The same prncipl,
OF relative Dependence Is observable AMONGST ma
lions As Well "a individuals aud is Tho foundation
OF Commerce. The mI.c!e(s arIsirI from the mis-.
taKch' barbarou5 notion of the positive independence
OF nations introduced into the practical government
oy our base, miserable and ilcompetant politicians
tElve been Observation-Disclosures, sir, greater than could
De compensated for IN all time, b. the same ,leudc
unfortunate political economists, it their lives were
prolonged to the oge Of Methusaich and were spent
IN the performances Of good instead OF evil dccds-
Nhcir miserable contriVances of misnon-rs or nick.
uames-S'National lndus' ry"-" Domestic industry
"iome market Protection of Manufactures;"-
and above all he american system he verify be-
licved had each of them the state Of Virginia
1000 600 of dollars since the year IBl6and he was
HstlN x,pIl.
sam result who would take the trouble make the
calculation from correct premises Whilst he admit
ted state of nature he denied that majorities had
any influence IN such state. Whence the derivation
OF the term sorcreisn People? Surely from man in
state of nature, where he is his sovereign. If
he were not sovereign there, he sovereign no
where lfhe were sovereign there, there we haveth
basis of his subsequent sovereignty This seemed to
him to be n self-evldent proposition.
This enquiry leads to another more important one
Ito ascertain what arc the duties of government
and what Is the object OF the social compact. He
would correct the expression. What is the object of
the social compact and what the object m the for
nation OF every free legitimate government Ex-
elusive of the public satety-one object is the pro-
lection of persons: tho other the protection of pro-
perry Government intended for the protection
OF human rights: adequate powers ought therefore
70 be given to the government, to the protco
ton OF both persons and property. question then
arises. how much power ought to be given? Is il to
be unlimited power over all the rights of mani Iiso,
all his natural rights must be taken from him. If only
portion OF his rights to be taken what portion?
How can the government be organized rs 10 make
distribution of rights between the individual in his
native character and the government in its corporate
character Here question arises, ought government
20 be All active or passive machme' II guvcrnment
be an active machine, You give oil the requisite
powers and properties which belong TO unlimited
government. Fit be passive machine less power
a neccssuryi and the only difficulties will be found in
the proper distribution of rights between the COVER
nors and governed. Upon this important point, DIFF
ftrcnccs of opinion exist. TiIcrc are some gen
ticHien who claim for tho General Government, the
whole proceeds OF the labor oft nation the great
drsidcratum OF IFS political economy. II 80, in van
do yo sit here in vain here ii the proceeds Of
Gil lnbor ore to he gwen up to tho Gonoral Govern
fnent without leaving even a modoum for ourselves
e. the basis OF orr Constitution.
Prcsuming then ,ha! government is formed by a
distribution Of tho natural RIGHTS of individuals, be-
tween themselves and the govcrnm mt; what portion
ought TO be given TO the government Surely the
smallest portion which will suffice for govern