Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-05-18
CoMMuNICATIONs-F0r the y,rsiuiou


Ind non.ireholders of the county Of Nelson. at
the Courthouse. ON Saturday. the 10Th day OF
April 1879, 20 take into consideration the
,igh, of suffrage. DIR Robert J. ,Kincaid was
called 10 the chair and Robert c. Cutler mp
pointed secretary Whercnpon. u committee
was appointed, consisting of Col Charles Per.
row. Major Richard Pollard, Doctor George
Penn, Capt James Garland. Doet. Athur Hop
klns, Lee w Harris and Moses Fitzpatrick,
EsQnires, who reported the following preamble
aud PROSECUTIONS.
The Citizens OF The County OF Nelson have
seen with regret. that tho last Virginia Lccis.
lature, in passing law for the organization
oil Convention 10 amend the Constitution Of
the State, have excluded the non-lfee holder.,
in the said law from the privilege OF voting
for members 10 the saId Convention. This
exclusion is deemed ns unwarran able as IL
Is unjust. II may be we'll 10 advert, briefly to
tho course of the Virginia Legislature upon
the subject of convention TO remodel the fun.
damentnl laws ofthe State
The Virginia Legislature wee memorinli1ed
by many ofthe noople of the state, on this
subject during their session Of 1916 aud IL.
They obstinaiely rejected the memorial, aud
the subject oil n convention slept until 1925,
when the people sent delegates 10 Stanton
70 devise means for the formation of n Con-
Yenton To correct the evils OF the present Con
sIilulion. This Convention, as well M the
Convention held IN Siannton, in 1916, NOV,
respectfully memoralized the leg stature for
facilities 10 the attainment Of this great objcc,
The citizens throoghou the state, united In
meinorialia,ng the legislature for the passage
of a Inv 10 ASCERTAIN the public sentiment up
on this most lmportan, aud interesting subject.
The memorulsts were most respectable in
character aud numbers The LegiIiiure con.
sinued To reject this reasonable req iisition
this rightlul demand, thus assuming the char.
acter Of masters OF the people. instead of act
ins MS their servants. The Bill OF Rights
that nestimable text of free government, de
ciares that Magistrates are the servants of the
people The Legislature OF Virginia. IL would
appear, thought differently. al least they noted
| contrary To Republican doctrine. The people
| IA, last becoming wise IN iheir experience SCI
lected their deloga,e To the Legislature with
| a view to the Convention Aud the session
before the las, they succeeded N having law
enacted To Taxa the vote OF the Freehoidfrs up.
ON the subject And the Legislature. nj their
| last session passed law for organizing Con
| vention, having ascettained that "A ma ority Of
the Freeholdrrs OF the state, were ~ favor OF
having Conv cniion holden.
Notwithstanding the hardibood with which
| The Legislature wilhsiood the applications Il
the people for n law to ascertain Their will ~.
on the subject Of n Convention, yet II was not
! believed that they would SO usurp power, a. 10
undertake to put the odons restrictions upon
the exercise of the public will of combining the
vote for members TO The Convention 10 EreetOi
| dcrs
The ino3t celebrated writers upon natural
and civil law, arrange the rights OF mhn in this
order The rghtto lite .. The right To
liberty, j. The righ,to property Our legls.
lature IN the law Tor organizing the Conven
,ion have reversed this order. They seem o
estimate property above life or libenI The
non-freeholder's lives aud liberty ARE subject
10 the laws enacted by tho Legislatar0--yet
they are denied the right of suffrage They
are told by the Virginia Legislature that they
ara not entitled 10 my representation even in
| the formation Of the fundamental laws. Let
| wars drndly blast sound IN our land-ct the
| foe enter our precincis, and who are sooner
| called upon 10 defend the country, thnn the
non freehoider2 And we are proud 20 say
toe none more cheertuly and promptly uect
! the foes oftheir country then the Don frechol-
dcrs Need we advert TO evidences alfor.
ded by the late war, 10 sustain us in this asser.
| toni
The elective franchise has ever been held in
| the highest estimation by free men. The
| Greeks u Romans, the nobiesi Of the anci0nts,
with an enthusiasm and devotion chung 60 II rs
Of n value next TO their existsnce. Every one
| of our sister states, in her Constitution, gives
] the right of suffrage 10 all of her free men,
Virginia stands alone, in these United States
| in the Arstocratic doctrine Of combining in her
| Constitution, the right OF suffrage TO Free
hold interest in land To The great body OF
| the People of Virginia. this FEATURE in their
| Constitution is most odious. In the stanton
| Convention Of lS25, which consisted OF more
| than a hundred members, representing various
! parts Of the State there were only 7 votes for
restricting The righ, of suffrage Z" as at present
exercised
Nothing could excuse the sages who formed
| our Constitution, for Incorporating this anti.
Republican feature in II, but the cireuInsla ces
! under which they acted. The Constitution Of
! Virginia was formed on tue eve Of most
| ardnuUs aud BLOODY war there WIS no lime
! for deliberaing on, and devislng the best form
! of Government besides the number Of Scotch
! factor, and other Adventures iheu IN Virginia
having no evidence of permanent common in
trre 81 with, aud attachment to the community
! makes further apology for the trainers Of the
| Constitution in inserting in II this oiga' chicaI
! clause
The limitation of the right OF suffrage TO free
| holders of land Is fragment OF the feudal law.
! In the earlier days Of Europe, under the feudai
law, those who were not owners oil land were
Vassals-bence, they could not go into the
Legislative Assemblies TO vote themselves nor
send others there TO vote for them. The feudal
law was established iD England, in tho earlier
period q the history of that country, and This
freehold suffrage is to be traced TO that dark
and rude day. England 60, IT from The Ger.
mans, and we received il from her. Under the
Colonial Government the right of suffrage III
Virginia. was, . as il is at present exercised. y
Although the law restricting the rlgh: of suh'
rage TO freeholders Of land may have suited
a period when Liberty was unknown--when
she had not resting place-yet, in this en-
ligbtened day, and where liberty has so long
made her dwelling, ii is matter OF surprise that
the doctrine has been selong submitted to-
We do hope, that Notwithstanding the leg'ss'
ture may have designed TO riyct this chain up
on the non.freeholders. that the Convention
will uuloosp IL and we here pledge ourselves