Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-08
MIR. HENDERSON'S REPLY

WlNcHEsrER April Is, 1929.
Nessrs San'L NJ Ed,cards, &c. Committee.
GsNTLEMEN-I received, to-day, your favor
of the IA h instant, in which, as committee
Of our fellow citizens, who assembled on the
day OF the Loudoun elecuon, you PROFOUND to
m, series Of questions. will freely and
cheerfully answer you.
In regard to the 6rst, am Of opinion thai eve.
~ white male citizen, above the age of twenty
one years, resident where he offers 10 vote
reasonable time, and paying his public dues,
GU eht to enjoy the right of suffrage, unless he
shall have forfeited it by the commission Of
sucha crime as may properly disfranchise him.
Such man, in my judgment, exhibits suffi.
cient evidence of permanent common interest
with. and attachment to, the community.
To the second question, l answer that am
decidedly and unequivoeally in favor Of found.
ing representation upon the basis Of The white
population Of the State and father, that
never will eonsent TO any other basis. Let me
present familiar illustration. There were,
by the census Of 1920, to speak in round nuns
bers, 100000 whites, and 400, 900 slaves. Sup
lose 10 900 of the whites to be the masters
Of the 400, 900 slaves, upon the principle Of re-
presenting slaves, they (the 100000 whites)
possess the power Of the Commonwealth, and
control its political Ces,inies. Is not such IN
idea abhorren, &c every feeling OF right-to all
the honest pride Of freeman's nature If so
in the whole, the admission Of the principle in
part, exhibits the singular absurdity Of putting
freemen under the domination Of slaves, or,
what is equally indefensible, of making one
STAKEHOLDER equal to many non shareholders !!
This Is as revolving in thso'y as il has proved
ruinous in practice. And here the friends Of
reform must make their stand, or yield, inglo.
riously, all that belongs to them as men, and oil
thai they have commended for in years that are
past.
To your third and fourth questions, I answer
yes 1; and would remark, that, TO reduce the
numbers Of the House of Delegates one-half,
and thereby 10 save TO the State some fifty thou.
sand dollars year, while the Legislature would
be much improved, would be mos: desirable /;
as it would unques,ionably be, to relieve the
People from the useless and eauseIess expense
attending The Council Of State. The dignity
and accountability Of the Executive would also
be increased by such a modification.
On the subject Of The Fifth question I should
be tempted to enlarge.-Il is equally delicate
and important. We have all witnessed, with
profound regrt,, the evils arising from the pre-
sen, structure OF the iudiciary.-The judges
on sht to lie Under endent.-Life, liberty, repu,a-
ton, properly all tina, is dear to social man, is
! intimately connected with it. But virtue it,
self is susceptible Of excess. No good judge
GU ght 10 desire tenure Of Office frmer than
that which would require the concurrence Of
two-tbirds of the legislature, in order to his re-
moval, with fair specification of the grounds
Of charge. Nor does it become wise people
to accord to any man in public life, subs'a..
tial irresponsbili,y to public opinion. Again,
man whois .uperanuated, or unified BY the
visitation of God, for the discharge Of the du.
ties of an Office, ought 10 cease TO hold it. Com.
mon sense declares that the place was not mace
for him, but for the people whose agent he is.
A judge like any other public officer, ought
also to be dismissed for gross negligence. The
delay Of justice is too often its denal-Ihese
views are plainly expressed, but they may chal-