Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-03

that overwhelming self-love, and that Phsrasaical
spirit which induces fral 10 plume himseit his
own supposed perfectons and TO congratulate himself
Oh the iniirmes OF his fellow at that 20.
ies equality taught Us by the preeeps anG prsc ice
oil our forcfahers like not their theoretical rcpubl
eansm care not for professions unless 'he preeept
and the practice spond-a. will Judge the tree
by its fruit, a. will judge tie christian by his works
so will judge the professor Of repub!casism by his
practice
Let us now. Mr.. Chairman, return to the sr5jact i'm
m jiately under consider on-,he right of suffrage
shall bestow but little time upon tie consideration Of
the question. whether il is a natural social. civil, or
political right-for the inquiry IL rather curious ~
useful what boots II, il IL be available right wheth
ern be The one or the other' Nor shall l. like other
gentlemen have done, resort any laborous inquiry
into the question, whether state of nature ever in
existed! leave this task where those gentemes have
lett II, who have cndeavoured by tuo-t tne,s ply steal
ergum-nt. TO prove il creature Of abstraction This
however, will say, that whether il ever did or could
exist or not; IL as fair and necessary suppose its
isteHce' and TO assume il as pos,u,ate which TO
bottom political deduction, "a for the na,he
TO s'paos. the Evidence of straight line p9in
ro'tuiae OF which TO found his demonstra ous;
are maxims in politics less useful in practice results TO
The statesman, than the axiomata and posuata to
| the practical geometrician.
What, then, is the right Of suffrage. Not wha, gem
uenen seem 10 understand it, in its technical AMI
hned sense the right TO for public
only IN irregular organized governmsnt:-in it's on
larged sense, II is the right by which first sign
| hes his will TO become a member of government of
the social cemract-iho means by which that same
man gives expression to his will in the formation Of
tiai compact, his consent to- his pom
oil the government in Legislation in pure democracy,
"a at Athens and in others Of the ancient cpublics
ana some OF The modern. or tho right Of voting for pub
Tic tnncionari abcve mentioned, repre- senta-
tive democracy such ol,s, where the people do by
their agents what they could not conveniently
possibly do in person This being its initio then Ia
il natural right, understand natural raht. To mr.
such as appertan TO man in state of nature; this APP
pertancd to his- in state Of nature, for il by it..
exercise in that state that he agreed to relnquish the
natural state and enter ino society-bui say the gen
tlemen, such state never existed-ths consequence
Is III AZ man has no natural rights, il my definition Of
urii right he correct-bu the gentlemen admit he has
Natural rights, life, liberty the pursuit of happiness
ana the means of acquiring and enjoying property
suffrage is the substIatun, the paramount right upon
winch all these rest for protection, and
safety Thi' right has been very properly said has
its origin in every human being, when he arrives at the
age OF discretion: ii is Inherent and appersins 10 him 10
right OF his existence; his person is the title deed
less IL be those whom the same natural law has pro-
nouncsd Judgment OF disability, those who h for.
leied II by crime protgdcy: and other class in
this country who must be the victims of necessity that
can never be urged as example for disfranchsng
the white II is said not to he natural right he
cause we curta;', restrict and couha= il, before
'aid That IT 10 iorieahe, and that ptlons in.
cinde more than our rule. Life liberty, SC. are csr.
tailed, restricted, and orfcabe, aud subjected 10 ex
c-ption., yet they are admitted 10 be natural right.
Natural rights may be tram planted into the social
WI and political state yet ,!ey still natural rights
distinguished statesman has Informed that OF
our civil rights have natural rights TO restuponnor ola
think shoul be far wrong, weSe TO a.se ri that al,
important rights who her civil, social or poNto Al
are, properly speaking natural rights The exceptions
we all admit TO the universally OF the right, by which
The gentlemen endeavor to overthrow the rule itself
-hali notice little farther Blu, suppose il be no
natural right mast he Of the other three, and
care not which-why should a majority OF fre.!older.
have in exclusion of minority of free
the non-frrebolers consulted, upon the
oil exPedency voluntarily made the surrender the re
would he of complaint their part--but IL i,
claimed of them a right. Have they ever been
consulted! NO DO you purpose TO consult them?
No. Then II comes to this. tina, minority of one
class have taken possession to the exclusion of
jority, not by the Of that majority but nv con.
sent among themselves or by accident by jue di-
rtho suppo'e, and claim to hold the posses son
against the right. Have the majority as much
right TO exclude the minority the minority the ms
joriiy? Yea. more. Blu, we claim, for ,hs poor N,
right TO exclude the rich for the nanv no RIGHT IN
clude the few; we claim only equality (whichi, equ
tyO Tor all, and deny the right OF any arbitrarily tC
exclude the rest These claims aud ihese d-niaIs
stated in the beginning. TO he founded upon
common sense upon our declaration of rights, which i,
plain aud simple deduction of principles from ,iAt par
amount source right reason, upon experience and *
pcdicncy, the genlcmen's own grounds
By the way, would AK iii he question Of expe
dlency why the non-freeholder not permitted pas
RI upon the question by lis vote? Why will you deny Ia
him an opportunity OF making a merit Of necessity il
h. must he dsirAnced! Why is il, that Virginia has
presented the first instance # Convention called n
form Constitution without consulting the nor. free
holder, any more than your free negroes and wihou
allowing him any voice in the election Of delegates tina
compose that Convention! And why is il, that yo,
pnrPo-e to carry the injustice still farther by submitting
THIS COn'tuilon to the ratification Of freholdcrs only
IL eNpediency be The pea and IL he and has
true ior more than bali century, why should gentle
men now labor hard 10 prove IL! Are the 80 argu.
insns TO convince the frcehoIers they ought TO hold
on, or TO reconcile the prescribed to their fate? Tn.
eel, Sir, is induce the II holder TO hold on not IA
convince or 10 reconcile the ehoder for believe
me, sir, that impossible; you cannot convnc.
freeman in thi. counry that his neighbour has NOR.
political rights than himself, and that It'll. expeden
Tor Lin 10 be guilty Of committing the suidc2i folly o
'urrenlering up all any Of his rights into the hand
and Keeping Of Oihers-you will find many man willinp
TO admit that their neighbours ncapsble Of exer
cising the rights Of sovereignty but that will as
eribe that incspacity TO themselves-and congrau
late the country upon the march Of liberal principles
That the frecholdefs themselves prepared 10 sur.
render these preten,ions.-Ths IL freehold Conver.
ton, and believe that large majority OF the constiu
ent body have decided upon the abolition Of the free
hod test-unIess the worthy gestlsnen who have
undertaken to rejndse their justceshoud succeed In
their attempt 10 induce them their steps
which God fortid-Mr. Chairman, said the proposi
ton sfi ming the tight general sunag could DO
taiIed upon the principles & Il
nor so? Does not command The OF very unpre-
Ijuiiced & unsophiscsted mind almost a selfevi-
dent truth? II il not the affirmation Of principle written
BY the Of nature upon the heart Of every human
ing, whose spirit IL no, bowed down by oypfe and
political grddatiOn?W doubts The opo lion when
II Is need? Not the great body the people, in
whom Of right the sovereignty resides whose polar ar
Is right, aud not expedency.-Nono bat those states
men who make human rights any thing or nothing Il
suit their varying ideas OF xpediency which has been
IN all ages, the pretext for every aifocty, the tyra
plea, and the JesIigs watchwOrd But why need de
tain tie Committee in discussiug principles derive,
4 from anl common scnse, which more than hal